Type your new text here.
Sermon
Guides
Each week we'll have updated content for our
Adult sermon guides.
Adult sermon guides.
Sermon
June 4th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Sermon Series: Christ, the Servant King
Title: How Faith is Formed
Text: Mark 6:45-56
Campus: Rivermont
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there.
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
Mark 6:45-56
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God
How Faith is Formed
Click here to see picture
Disciple: mathetes (μαθητής): follower + learner = apprenticeship. Discipleship is relational and formational.
The Call of Discipleship: Three Movements
Click here to see slide
Movement I (Mark 1:16-20):
Click here to see slide
IDENTITY. “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Reorientation of identity & vocation.
Movement II (Mark 3:13-19):
Click here to see slide
INTIMACY. “He appointed the twelve…to be with him…and to be sent out…” Be with me and learn to do what I do.
Movement III (Mark 6:7-13):
Click here to see slide
INITIATION. “He summoned the twelve and began to send them out…” Do what I do, the way that I do it.
The Call to Discipleship:
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
Mark 6:45
Immediately: A word in Mark’s Gospel that signals a significant event that will have long-range consequences which the characters in the story cannot yet comprehend.
After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray.
6:46
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
6:30-31
Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars,[a] because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning[b] he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
6:47-50a
Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
6:50b-52
When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there.
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
6:53-56
This is a continuum of how faith is formed:
Crisis ←—-→ Encounter
(Practice)
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Reason for the Storm
Text: Mark 6:45-56
Campus: College Hill
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there. As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
Mark 6:45-56
Jesus put them in the boat
Jesus saw them in the storm
“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
John 17:9-11
Jesus came to them in the storm
“The only storm that can really destroy— the storm of divine justice and judgment on sin and evil— will never come upon you. Jesus bowed his head into that ultimate storm, willingly, for you. He died, receiving the punishment for sin we deserve, so we can be pardoned when we trust in him. When you see him doing that for you, it certainly does not answer all the questions you have about your suffering. But it proves that, despite it all, he still loves you. Because he was thrown into that storm for you, you can be sure that there’s love at the heart of this storm for you.”
~ Tim Keller
Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen.
Psalms 77:19
The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.”
Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.”
He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
Exodus 33:17-23
“He intended to be seen! He intended to be revealed! He intended to be disclosed in the most marvelous and glorious way as the very God who “passed by” Moses in Exodus and was made known as the one true God, the great and majestic Creator of all mankind!”
~Sam Storms
Jesus is always after your heart.
The disciples thought they needed rescue from the waves. Jesus knew they needed salvation for their souls!
“God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.”
~ Tim Keller
There’s always the other side
Click here to see image 1
Click here to see image 2
Time of response:
Where do I need to take courage?
Where has God been faithful in my past to give me hope for the future?
Who in my life can I invite into the boat with me during the storm?
__________________________________________________________________
Sermon Series: Christ, the Servant King
Title: How Faith is Formed
Text: Mark 6:45-56
Campus: Rivermont
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there.
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
Mark 6:45-56
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God
How Faith is Formed
Click here to see picture
Disciple: mathetes (μαθητής): follower + learner = apprenticeship. Discipleship is relational and formational.
The Call of Discipleship: Three Movements
Click here to see slide
Movement I (Mark 1:16-20):
Click here to see slide
IDENTITY. “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Reorientation of identity & vocation.
Movement II (Mark 3:13-19):
Click here to see slide
INTIMACY. “He appointed the twelve…to be with him…and to be sent out…” Be with me and learn to do what I do.
Movement III (Mark 6:7-13):
Click here to see slide
INITIATION. “He summoned the twelve and began to send them out…” Do what I do, the way that I do it.
The Call to Discipleship:
- Be with Jesus
- Become like Jesus
- Do what Jesus did
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
Mark 6:45
Immediately: A word in Mark’s Gospel that signals a significant event that will have long-range consequences which the characters in the story cannot yet comprehend.
After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray.
6:46
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
6:30-31
Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars,[a] because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning[b] he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
6:47-50a
Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
6:50b-52
When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there.
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
6:53-56
This is a continuum of how faith is formed:
Crisis ←—-→ Encounter
(Practice)
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Reason for the Storm
Text: Mark 6:45-56
Campus: College Hill
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret and anchored there. As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
Mark 6:45-56
Jesus put them in the boat
Jesus saw them in the storm
“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
John 17:9-11
Jesus came to them in the storm
“The only storm that can really destroy— the storm of divine justice and judgment on sin and evil— will never come upon you. Jesus bowed his head into that ultimate storm, willingly, for you. He died, receiving the punishment for sin we deserve, so we can be pardoned when we trust in him. When you see him doing that for you, it certainly does not answer all the questions you have about your suffering. But it proves that, despite it all, he still loves you. Because he was thrown into that storm for you, you can be sure that there’s love at the heart of this storm for you.”
~ Tim Keller
Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen.
Psalms 77:19
The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.”
Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.”
He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
Exodus 33:17-23
“He intended to be seen! He intended to be revealed! He intended to be disclosed in the most marvelous and glorious way as the very God who “passed by” Moses in Exodus and was made known as the one true God, the great and majestic Creator of all mankind!”
~Sam Storms
Jesus is always after your heart.
The disciples thought they needed rescue from the waves. Jesus knew they needed salvation for their souls!
“God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.”
~ Tim Keller
There’s always the other side
Click here to see image 1
Click here to see image 2
Time of response:
Where do I need to take courage?
Where has God been faithful in my past to give me hope for the future?
Who in my life can I invite into the boat with me during the storm?
__________________________________________________________________
May 21st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: : Mark 6:1-30
Campus: Rivermont
Mark 6:1-30 – three distinct parts:
For those who hold nothing back, there is pain in following Jesus and there is great joy.
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?”
So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”
He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
Mark 6:1-6 (CSB)
A hard heart is the greatest obstacle to God’s presence and power in our lives.
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.2 When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught.
Mark 6:7-30
The fulfillment of God’s mission on earth doesn’t depend on our knowledge or perfection, but rather his power.
Stop making excuses and trust God to use your limits for his glory.
Mark highlights the painful cost of following Jesus in a broken and unjust world.
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”
Matthew 11:11a
There’s a cost to following Jesus.
For those who hold nothing back, there is pain in following Jesus and there is great joy.
It is a joy to live a life where the presence of Jesus is not limited, where the power of Jesus is evident, and where the provision of Jesus is abundant.
_____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Carry the Name
Text: Mark 6:1-29
Campus: Rivermont
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
Mark 6:1-29
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
The call of Discipleship to Jesus is to carry the good news of Jesus in word and deed wherever we go, no matter the cost
Disciple: mathetes (μαθητής): follower or apprentice. Discipleship is like apprenticeship. It’s relational and formational
The Call to Discipleship in Mark’s Gospel:
The call to discipleship is set against the backdrop of the OT.
The call of discipleship that Mark is describing is to for people in a Roman context.
The Call of Discipleship: Three Movements
Movement I (Mark 1:16-20):
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
Reorientation of identity & vocation.
Movement II (Mark 3:13-19):
“He appointed the twelve…to be with him…and to be sent out…”
Be with me and learn to do what I do.
Movement III (Mark 6:7-13):
“He summoned the twelve and began to send them out…”
Do what I do, the way that I do it.
The Call to Discipleship:
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”
He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
Mark 6:1-6
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Mark 6:7-13
Tracing themes of discipleship and the Kingdom of God:
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
Mark 6:14-16
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
Mark 6:17-29
Opulence
Exclusion
Accumulation
Control
Moral Decay
The Good Life is the life that is given away in love for others in Jesus’ name.
________________________________________________________________________
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: : Mark 6:1-30
Campus: Rivermont
Mark 6:1-30 – three distinct parts:
- Jesus visits Nazareth.
- The disciples personally experience the authority of Jesus Christ and share in his mission.
- Mark tells the story of the death of John the Baptist.
For those who hold nothing back, there is pain in following Jesus and there is great joy.
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?”
So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”
He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
Mark 6:1-6 (CSB)
A hard heart is the greatest obstacle to God’s presence and power in our lives.
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.2 When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught.
Mark 6:7-30
The fulfillment of God’s mission on earth doesn’t depend on our knowledge or perfection, but rather his power.
Stop making excuses and trust God to use your limits for his glory.
Mark highlights the painful cost of following Jesus in a broken and unjust world.
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”
Matthew 11:11a
There’s a cost to following Jesus.
For those who hold nothing back, there is pain in following Jesus and there is great joy.
It is a joy to live a life where the presence of Jesus is not limited, where the power of Jesus is evident, and where the provision of Jesus is abundant.
_____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Carry the Name
Text: Mark 6:1-29
Campus: Rivermont
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
Mark 6:1-29
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
The call of Discipleship to Jesus is to carry the good news of Jesus in word and deed wherever we go, no matter the cost
Disciple: mathetes (μαθητής): follower or apprentice. Discipleship is like apprenticeship. It’s relational and formational
The Call to Discipleship in Mark’s Gospel:
The call to discipleship is set against the backdrop of the OT.
The call of discipleship that Mark is describing is to for people in a Roman context.
The Call of Discipleship: Three Movements
Movement I (Mark 1:16-20):
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
Reorientation of identity & vocation.
Movement II (Mark 3:13-19):
“He appointed the twelve…to be with him…and to be sent out…”
Be with me and learn to do what I do.
Movement III (Mark 6:7-13):
“He summoned the twelve and began to send them out…”
Do what I do, the way that I do it.
The Call to Discipleship:
- Be with Jesus
- Do what Jesus did
- Become like Jesus
He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”
He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
Mark 6:1-6
He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Mark 6:7-13
Tracing themes of discipleship and the Kingdom of God:
- Generoisty
- Hospitality
- Simplicity
- Faith
- Humble Dependance
King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”
When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”
Mark 6:14-16
For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” she said.
At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.”
Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
Mark 6:17-29
Opulence
Exclusion
Accumulation
Control
Moral Decay
The Good Life is the life that is given away in love for others in Jesus’ name.
________________________________________________________________________
May 14th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Campus: College Hill
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the Lord’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good. The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord had his heart set on your ancestors and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—he chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today. Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don’t be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. You are also to love the resident alien, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. You are to fear the Lord your God and worship him. Remain faithful to him and take oaths in his name. He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen. Your ancestors went down to Egypt, seventy people in all, and now the Lord your God has made you numerous, like the stars of the sky.
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 (CSB)
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the Lord—and celebrate before him.
God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.
Psalm 68:4-6 (CSB)
Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.
Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save.
When his breath[b] leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.
Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them.
He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146 (CSB)
My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.
If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:19-27 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the Lord’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good. The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord had his heart set on your ancestors and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—he chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today. Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don’t be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. You are also to love the resident alien, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. You are to fear the Lord your God and worship him. Remain faithful to him and take oaths in his name. He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen. Your ancestors went down to Egypt, seventy people in all, and now the Lord your God has made you numerous, like the stars of the sky.
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 (CSB)
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the Lord—and celebrate before him.
God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.
Psalm 68:4-6 (CSB)
Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.
Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save.
When his breath[b] leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.
Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them.
He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146 (CSB)
My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.
If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:19-27 (CSB)
April 30th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling & Emily Woody
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Restored Daughter’s (Part 1)
Text: Mark 5:21-42
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus had crossed over again by boat[c] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea. One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.” So, Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
But he was looking around to see who had done this. The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?”
When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-42 (CSB)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 5:21-42
Campus: College Hill
“[These Stories show us that] there is no physical or spiritual force that is more powerful than Jesus. The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
While Jesus demonstrates his power over the physical body, life and death, in these stories, we also see a forshadow to the Spiritual healing that Jesus offers when we respond in faith.
When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea.
Mark 5:21
One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.”
Mark 5:22-23
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.)
Mark 5:24
There’s no better place for us to go in crisis than running to the feet of Jesus.
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.
Mark 5:25-26
Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Mark 5:27-29
Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes? “His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But he was looking around to see who had done this.
Mark 5:30-32
And so The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
Mark 5:33
“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”
Mark 5:34
Jesus delights in bold, courageous, determined faith. As a child shamelessly runs to their parent when they are in need, Jesus invites us to do the same.
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Mark 5:35
When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.”
Mark 5:36
Jesus is asking Jairus what He asks of us: Just trust me.
He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, but he put them all outside.
Mark 5:37-40
He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:40-43
Jesus is not merely just some great teacher or holy man with gifts of healing, He is God in the flesh, the only one who could ever have command over the powers of life and death.
Following Jesus is always worth the risk
“Don’t be afraid, only believe”.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Restored Daughter’s (Part 1)
Text: Mark 5:21-42
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus had crossed over again by boat[c] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea. One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.” So, Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
But he was looking around to see who had done this. The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?”
When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-42 (CSB)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 5:21-42
Campus: College Hill
“[These Stories show us that] there is no physical or spiritual force that is more powerful than Jesus. The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
While Jesus demonstrates his power over the physical body, life and death, in these stories, we also see a forshadow to the Spiritual healing that Jesus offers when we respond in faith.
When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea.
Mark 5:21
One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.”
Mark 5:22-23
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.)
Mark 5:24
There’s no better place for us to go in crisis than running to the feet of Jesus.
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.
Mark 5:25-26
Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Mark 5:27-29
Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes? “His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But he was looking around to see who had done this.
Mark 5:30-32
And so The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
Mark 5:33
“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”
Mark 5:34
Jesus delights in bold, courageous, determined faith. As a child shamelessly runs to their parent when they are in need, Jesus invites us to do the same.
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Mark 5:35
When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.”
Mark 5:36
Jesus is asking Jairus what He asks of us: Just trust me.
He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, but he put them all outside.
Mark 5:37-40
He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:40-43
Jesus is not merely just some great teacher or holy man with gifts of healing, He is God in the flesh, the only one who could ever have command over the powers of life and death.
Following Jesus is always worth the risk
“Don’t be afraid, only believe”.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
April 23rd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Keep Calm & Exorcise Demons
Text: Mark 4:35-5:20
Campus: Rivermont
On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”
So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!”
The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
“What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. Then they began to beg him to leave their region.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 4:35-5:20 (CSB)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophet Isaiah:” (Mark 1:1)
Precreation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2)
Creation: “The God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and and there was light.” (Genesis 1:4)
“And he saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:3)
“God saw all that he had made and it was very good indeed.” (Genesis 1:31)
Decreation
Recreation
“the Kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15).
the miracle stories in the Gospel of Mark are about the reversal of sin and its effects (curse) on Creation and the restoration of human beings into relationship with God, themselves, and the rest of creation.
A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
Mark 4:37-38
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:39-40
Faith (Gk: pistis): convictional courage to act, not on knowledge but on trust.
Click here to see image: 100 Foot Wave
Others went to sea in ships,
conducting trade on the vast water.
They saw the Lord’s works,
his wondrous works in the deep.
He spoke and raised a stormy wind
that stirred up the waves of the sea.[a]
Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths,
their courage melting away in anguish,
they reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
Psalm 107:23-27
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.
Then he guided them to the harbor they longed for.
Psalm 107:28-30
“Teacher! Don’t you care that we are going to die?” (Mark 4:38)
Click here to see image: Perception
Click here to see image: Reality
Click here to see image: Surrender – Control
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Mark 4:41
Surrender: A choice to live by faith based on a relationship with Jesus rather than to live to control my circumstances to achieve my desired outcomes.
The presence of God is everything, not the absence of chaos.
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Mark 5:1-5
“Sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; And they were afraid.”
Mark 4:15
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 5:18-20
Who is this Jesus (to me)?
What would surrender look like in my life?
__________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 4:35-5:20
Campus: College Hill
The goal of both stories in Mark 4:35-5:20:
1) to make a connection between Jesus and the God of the Old Testament,
2) to help scared and hurting people find comfort in Jesus,
3) to challenge us to consider our commitment to Jesus.
On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”
So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!”
The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
“What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. Then they began to beg him to leave their region.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 4:35-5:20 (CSB)
The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
The power of Jesus Christ prevails over chaos and destruction.
“violent storm.” (Matthew 8:24)
God didn’t lead the disciples into this storm to destroy them but to reveal himself to them.
Jesus displays the power of God.
Jesus is alive – he can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
There is no physical or spiritual force that is more powerful than Jesus.
Satan’s goal is to control people and to distort God’s beautiful image in our lives.
Jesus’ goal is to release people from bondage, to restore the image of God in our lives.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 5: 18-20 (CSB)
The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
God does some of his best work in some of the darkest circumstances.
Fear and suffering can draw us closer to God or it can lead us to reject God.
If you have encountered God and been transformed, share what God has done with others.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Keep Calm & Exorcise Demons
Text: Mark 4:35-5:20
Campus: Rivermont
On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”
So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!”
The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
“What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. Then they began to beg him to leave their region.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 4:35-5:20 (CSB)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophet Isaiah:” (Mark 1:1)
Precreation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2)
Creation: “The God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and and there was light.” (Genesis 1:4)
“And he saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:3)
“God saw all that he had made and it was very good indeed.” (Genesis 1:31)
Decreation
Recreation
“the Kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15).
the miracle stories in the Gospel of Mark are about the reversal of sin and its effects (curse) on Creation and the restoration of human beings into relationship with God, themselves, and the rest of creation.
A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
Mark 4:37-38
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:39-40
Faith (Gk: pistis): convictional courage to act, not on knowledge but on trust.
Click here to see image: 100 Foot Wave
Others went to sea in ships,
conducting trade on the vast water.
They saw the Lord’s works,
his wondrous works in the deep.
He spoke and raised a stormy wind
that stirred up the waves of the sea.[a]
Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths,
their courage melting away in anguish,
they reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
Psalm 107:23-27
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.
Then he guided them to the harbor they longed for.
Psalm 107:28-30
“Teacher! Don’t you care that we are going to die?” (Mark 4:38)
Click here to see image: Perception
Click here to see image: Reality
Click here to see image: Surrender – Control
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Mark 4:41
Surrender: A choice to live by faith based on a relationship with Jesus rather than to live to control my circumstances to achieve my desired outcomes.
The presence of God is everything, not the absence of chaos.
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Mark 5:1-5
“Sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; And they were afraid.”
Mark 4:15
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 5:18-20
Who is this Jesus (to me)?
What would surrender look like in my life?
__________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 4:35-5:20
Campus: College Hill
The goal of both stories in Mark 4:35-5:20:
1) to make a connection between Jesus and the God of the Old Testament,
2) to help scared and hurting people find comfort in Jesus,
3) to challenge us to consider our commitment to Jesus.
On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”
So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!”
The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
“What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. Then they began to beg him to leave their region.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 4:35-5:20 (CSB)
The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
The power of Jesus Christ prevails over chaos and destruction.
“violent storm.” (Matthew 8:24)
God didn’t lead the disciples into this storm to destroy them but to reveal himself to them.
Jesus displays the power of God.
Jesus is alive – he can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
There is no physical or spiritual force that is more powerful than Jesus.
Satan’s goal is to control people and to distort God’s beautiful image in our lives.
Jesus’ goal is to release people from bondage, to restore the image of God in our lives.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 5: 18-20 (CSB)
The God who stilled the storm, and healed the demoniac, can still our anxious hearts and prevail over the chaos in our lives.
God does some of his best work in some of the darkest circumstances.
Fear and suffering can draw us closer to God or it can lead us to reject God.
If you have encountered God and been transformed, share what God has done with others.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Easter Sermon Notes
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Encountering the Resurrected Jesus
Text: John 20:1-29
Campus: Rivermont
Scripture Reading
On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”
At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying
But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”
Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what[b] he had said to her.
When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said,[c] “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”
Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.[e] Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
John 20:1-22
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is empty, and so is your faith.
1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
1 Corinthians 15:19
Why are we in danger every hour? I Face death every day, as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts at Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
1 Corinthians 15:30-32
The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.
Matthew 28:16-17
“doubted” = (Grk: distadzo): waver, to be of two minds.
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they did not recognize him.
Luke 24:13-16
They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road?”
Luke 24:32
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.
“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews gather, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret.”
John 18:19-20
“saw” = (Grk. eidon): encounter, to be taken by what you see so that you now see reality differently.
A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”
Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.[e] Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
John 20:26-29
Click here to see image 1
Click here to see image 2
Click here to see image 3
Click here to see image 4
Click here to see image 5
“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. 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. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30, The Message
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Easter Sunday
Text: Romans 8:29-39
Campus: College Hill
Jesus is a humble King.
Jesus is a holy King.
Jesus is a wise King.
Jesus is a servant King.
Jesus is a suffering King.
Jesus is a risen and living King.
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is so important in the Christian faith because it gives us evidence of God’s love and power.
Jesus died and rose again – there’s nothing working against us that hasn’t already been faced and defeated by Jesus.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28-39 (CSB)
Jesus gives us the courage to approach every circumstance with courage and curiosity.
Q1: If God is for us, who is against us? (v. 31)
Q2: Who (or what) can separate us from the love of God? (v. 35)
God is FOR us (vv. 31-34).
NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ (vv. 35-39).
We are not condemned b/c:
Christ died for us and paid the full penalty for our sin.
Christ was raised, displaying his power over sin and death.
Christ is triumphant and reigning with the Father.
Christ intercedes for his people based on his sacrifice. (v. 34)
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35
Is there anything, in all of creation, more powerful than God's love?
No matter what we face on this side of eternity, we are more than conquerors (v. 37).
Nothing in all of Creation (seen or unseen) can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
God can take the darkest and most difficult things in our lives, and our world, and transform them into good (Rom. 8:28).
Jesus died and rose again – there’s nothing working against us that hasn’t already been faced and defeated by Jesus.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Encountering the Resurrected Jesus
Text: John 20:1-29
Campus: Rivermont
Scripture Reading
On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”
At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying
But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”
Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what[b] he had said to her.
When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said,[c] “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”
Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.[e] Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
John 20:1-22
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is empty, and so is your faith.
1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
1 Corinthians 15:19
Why are we in danger every hour? I Face death every day, as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts at Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
1 Corinthians 15:30-32
The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.
Matthew 28:16-17
“doubted” = (Grk: distadzo): waver, to be of two minds.
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they did not recognize him.
Luke 24:13-16
They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road?”
Luke 24:32
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.
“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews gather, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret.”
John 18:19-20
“saw” = (Grk. eidon): encounter, to be taken by what you see so that you now see reality differently.
A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”
Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.[e] Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
John 20:26-29
Click here to see image 1
Click here to see image 2
Click here to see image 3
Click here to see image 4
Click here to see image 5
“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. 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. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30, The Message
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Easter Sunday
Text: Romans 8:29-39
Campus: College Hill
Jesus is a humble King.
Jesus is a holy King.
Jesus is a wise King.
Jesus is a servant King.
Jesus is a suffering King.
Jesus is a risen and living King.
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is so important in the Christian faith because it gives us evidence of God’s love and power.
Jesus died and rose again – there’s nothing working against us that hasn’t already been faced and defeated by Jesus.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28-39 (CSB)
Jesus gives us the courage to approach every circumstance with courage and curiosity.
Q1: If God is for us, who is against us? (v. 31)
Q2: Who (or what) can separate us from the love of God? (v. 35)
God is FOR us (vv. 31-34).
NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ (vv. 35-39).
We are not condemned b/c:
Christ died for us and paid the full penalty for our sin.
Christ was raised, displaying his power over sin and death.
Christ is triumphant and reigning with the Father.
Christ intercedes for his people based on his sacrifice. (v. 34)
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35
Is there anything, in all of creation, more powerful than God's love?
No matter what we face on this side of eternity, we are more than conquerors (v. 37).
Nothing in all of Creation (seen or unseen) can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
God can take the darkest and most difficult things in our lives, and our world, and transform them into good (Rom. 8:28).
Jesus died and rose again – there’s nothing working against us that hasn’t already been faced and defeated by Jesus.
_________________________________________________________________________________
April 2nd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Little is Much
Text: Mark 4:21-23
Campus: Rivermont
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples. - Mark 4:21-34
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
Jesus, Matthew 5:6
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?”
Mark 4:21
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105
Click here to see image: lamp
“Logos” (Gk. “word”) = Divine revelation of mystery.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.
John 1:1
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
Mark 4:22
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:33-34
Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”
Mark 4:23
And he said to them, “pay attention to what you hear
Mark 4:24a
By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Mark 4:24b.-25
beholding the face of God in Christ, we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next.
2 Corinthians 3:18
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. 2As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how.
Mark 4:27
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
What seems irrelevant, insignificant, and small to some, can be far more meaningful and beautiful than imagined.
Revival or Renewal: the acceleration of the ordinary work of God over time, in a moment.
___________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Tim Geisland
Series: The Gospel of Mark (week 9)
Text: Mark 21-34
Campus: College Hill
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:21-34
Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker, He’s a messenger and He’s The Message.
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15
There was a battle raging: a battle for self identity. People were trying to find themselves.
“The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the center—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“We don’t have a soul, we are a soul. We have a body.”
~ Author unknown
By saying “the kingdom of God has come”, Jesus was offering something better, something spiritual, something heavenly.
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”
Mark 4:21-23
What does Jesus want to teach us about the kingdom of God?
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
It seems that the most important things can’t be fully understood by a stated definition, they need to be lived out.
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Mark 4:24-25
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.
Matthew 10:38-39
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him If you give in order to get, you’re not giving at all.
“The kingdom of God is the world turned upside down.”
~ Richard Hays
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:3-6
So don’t worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:31-33
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him
How can we live according to this principle?
“Shallow Christian identities explain why professing Christians can be racists and greedy materialists, addicted to beauty and pleasure, or filled with anxiety and prone to overwork. All this comes because it is not Christ’s love but the world's power, approval, comfort, and control that are the real roots of our self-identity.”
~ Tim Keller
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:33-34
Are you “his own”?
____________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Little is Much
Text: Mark 4:21-23
Campus: Rivermont
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples. - Mark 4:21-34
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
Jesus, Matthew 5:6
- Pay Attention to what stirs our heart for him
- Keep showing up, and trust God with the results.
- Remember: A little goes a long way in the Kingdom of God.
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?”
Mark 4:21
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105
Click here to see image: lamp
“Logos” (Gk. “word”) = Divine revelation of mystery.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.
John 1:1
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
Mark 4:22
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:33-34
Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”
Mark 4:23
And he said to them, “pay attention to what you hear
Mark 4:24a
By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Mark 4:24b.-25
beholding the face of God in Christ, we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next.
2 Corinthians 3:18
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. 2As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how.
Mark 4:27
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
What seems irrelevant, insignificant, and small to some, can be far more meaningful and beautiful than imagined.
Revival or Renewal: the acceleration of the ordinary work of God over time, in a moment.
___________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Tim Geisland
Series: The Gospel of Mark (week 9)
Text: Mark 21-34
Campus: College Hill
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:21-34
Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker, He’s a messenger and He’s The Message.
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15
There was a battle raging: a battle for self identity. People were trying to find themselves.
“The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the center—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“We don’t have a soul, we are a soul. We have a body.”
~ Author unknown
By saying “the kingdom of God has come”, Jesus was offering something better, something spiritual, something heavenly.
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”
Mark 4:21-23
What does Jesus want to teach us about the kingdom of God?
- God is in control and He cares
- The core principle of His kingdom
- How we can live according to this principle
“The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
It seems that the most important things can’t be fully understood by a stated definition, they need to be lived out.
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Mark 4:24-25
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.
Matthew 10:38-39
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him If you give in order to get, you’re not giving at all.
“The kingdom of God is the world turned upside down.”
~ Richard Hays
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:3-6
So don’t worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:31-33
The core principle of His kingdom: the way to fullness is to empty yourself and be filled by Him
How can we live according to this principle?
- Take a deep look at Jesus - Who is God?
- Ask, what has He done?
- Then ask yourself, Who am I?
“Shallow Christian identities explain why professing Christians can be racists and greedy materialists, addicted to beauty and pleasure, or filled with anxiety and prone to overwork. All this comes because it is not Christ’s love but the world's power, approval, comfort, and control that are the real roots of our self-identity.”
~ Tim Keller
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:33-34
Are you “his own”?
____________________________________________________________________________
March 26th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: The Genius of Jesus
Text: Mark 4:1-20
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: Hair and Heart on Fire
Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Mark 4:1-12
Click here to see image: method
Click here to see image: message
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Mark 4:10-12
Logos (Gk. “word”): Divine revelation of mystery.
Jesus is the word and wisdom of God.
Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness[d] of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Mark 4:13-20
Click here to see image: typological meaning
What kind of ground am I?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark (week 8)
Text: Mark 4:1-20
Campus: College Hill
Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker, He’s a messenger and He’s The Message.
Did you come to listen or to hear?
The gospel will always bear fruit when it is planted in good soil and fully embraced.
Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Mark 4:1-20 (CSB)
Listening to hear - listening to welcome God’s word and work in our lives - produces gospel fruit.
A “parable” is something that is placed alongside something else for the purpose of clarification.
Why in parables? Vv. 10-12
The Kingdom is available:
The seeds represent the Word of God (the gospel).
Four different types of soil:
Cultivating good soil:
Jesus is the gospel - the messenger and The Message that everyone can be saved.
“Shallow Christian identities explain why professing Christians can be racists and greedy materialists, addicted to beauty and pleasure, or filled with anxiety and prone to overwork. All this comes because it is not Christ’s love but the world's power, approval, comfort, and control that are the real roots of our self-identity.”
~ Tim Keller
______________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: The Genius of Jesus
Text: Mark 4:1-20
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: Hair and Heart on Fire
Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Mark 4:1-12
Click here to see image: method
Click here to see image: message
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Mark 4:10-12
Logos (Gk. “word”): Divine revelation of mystery.
Jesus is the word and wisdom of God.
Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness[d] of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Mark 4:13-20
Click here to see image: typological meaning
What kind of ground am I?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark (week 8)
Text: Mark 4:1-20
Campus: College Hill
Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker, He’s a messenger and He’s The Message.
Did you come to listen or to hear?
The gospel will always bear fruit when it is planted in good soil and fully embraced.
Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Mark 4:1-20 (CSB)
Listening to hear - listening to welcome God’s word and work in our lives - produces gospel fruit.
A “parable” is something that is placed alongside something else for the purpose of clarification.
Why in parables? Vv. 10-12
The Kingdom is available:
- to anyone who is willing to hear.
- to those who are aware of the threats to faith and who are willing to eliminate the threats
- to anyone who welcomes the gospel into their lives
The seeds represent the Word of God (the gospel).
Four different types of soil:
- The path: people who hear but fail to listen–deceived by Satan.
- The rocky soil: people who hear but don’t allow the gospel to take deep roots–when they experience trouble, they abandon the faith.
- The thorny ground: people who hear but become distracted by worldly desires–their faith fails to bear fruit.
- The good soil: people truly listen to the gospel and fully embrace it–and the gospel bear’s fruit.
Cultivating good soil:
- Are you listening to hear?
- Are you aware of the threats to your faith and working to eliminate them? (Satan, trials, temptation)
- Are you “welcoming” the gospel into your life?
Jesus is the gospel - the messenger and The Message that everyone can be saved.
“Shallow Christian identities explain why professing Christians can be racists and greedy materialists, addicted to beauty and pleasure, or filled with anxiety and prone to overwork. All this comes because it is not Christ’s love but the world's power, approval, comfort, and control that are the real roots of our self-identity.”
~ Tim Keller
______________________________________________________________________________________
March 19th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: The Holy Spirit & New Family of Jesus
Text: Mark 3:20-35
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:20-35
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:20, 31-35
Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.
Mark 3:35
Knowing & Being Known:
We are committed to category-defying relationships that bridge racial, social, religious, political, and gender barriers in the name of Jesus. We will practice radical & intentional hospitality as we love strangers like they are our own family, thus becoming the new kind of family that Jesus promised to create.
Being and making disciples of Jesus cross-culturally is at the heart of how we envision and practice community.
Scripture: Ephesians 2, Ephesians 4:1-4, John 17, Acts 2:41-46, Acts 4:32-37, 1 Timothy 3:15, John 13:33-35, 1 John 2:1-11, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21
Click here to see image: Sources of Community
Click here to see image: Source 1
Click here to see image: Source 2
Click here to see image: Source 3
Click here to see image: Layers
There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35:
Growing together by practicing the way of Jesus has to be the foundation of our vision for community.
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
Mark 3:22-28
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
Mark 3:23-27
What territory in the landscape of your life is dominated by Evil?
Is there ground that Satan has stolen that only Jesus can take back?
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:28-30
What territory in the landscape of your life is dominated by Evil?
Is there ground that Satan has stolen that only Jesus can take back?
Confession:
All: Gracious God, the sins of our heart and world are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
All: Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of guilt and shame.
Leader: Holy Spirit, Search us and know our every anxious thought. We open the door of our hearts and keep no part of us from You. Reveal any sin that needs confession or wound that needs healing.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
All: Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open us to a future of liberating mercy, and grace as we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next as we behold the face of Jesus Christ, The Liberating King. Amen.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Family: Know & Be Known
Text: Mark 3:20-25
Campus: College Hill
Jesus redefines what it means to be a family.
Mark 3:20-35 shows us 3 different responses to Jesus.
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
Mark 3:20
When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
Mark 3:21
Jesus knows and understands what it’s like to be rejected by family
1st Response: fearful and/or uninformed rejection.
How does Jesus respond to this kind of rejection? With patience, truth, gentleness, and grace.
How do I respond to those who reject Jesus in fear and/or ignorance?
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Mark 3:22
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.”
Mark 3:23-27
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:28-30
2nd Response: Knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit, but still working in opposition to the movement of God.
Jesus’ warning is aimed at those who are actively working against the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the saving power of Jesus. It is not for those who are seeking to follow Jesus.
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
Mark 3:31-32
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:33-35
3rd Response: Sit at the feet of Jesus and follow Him.
We are now in a family that goes beyond all earthly barriers. We are the family of Jesus.
What could Joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?.
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Mark 3:32-35
He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:5-13
God promises to give more of His power and presence through the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
Come Holy Spirit.
Forgive us for choosing lesser loves.
Make us more like Jesus.
Make us into the family that only you can.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: The Holy Spirit & New Family of Jesus
Text: Mark 3:20-35
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:20-35
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:20, 31-35
Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.
Mark 3:35
Knowing & Being Known:
We are committed to category-defying relationships that bridge racial, social, religious, political, and gender barriers in the name of Jesus. We will practice radical & intentional hospitality as we love strangers like they are our own family, thus becoming the new kind of family that Jesus promised to create.
Being and making disciples of Jesus cross-culturally is at the heart of how we envision and practice community.
Scripture: Ephesians 2, Ephesians 4:1-4, John 17, Acts 2:41-46, Acts 4:32-37, 1 Timothy 3:15, John 13:33-35, 1 John 2:1-11, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21
Click here to see image: Sources of Community
Click here to see image: Source 1
Click here to see image: Source 2
Click here to see image: Source 3
Click here to see image: Layers
There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35:
Growing together by practicing the way of Jesus has to be the foundation of our vision for community.
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
Mark 3:22-28
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
Mark 3:23-27
What territory in the landscape of your life is dominated by Evil?
Is there ground that Satan has stolen that only Jesus can take back?
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:28-30
What territory in the landscape of your life is dominated by Evil?
Is there ground that Satan has stolen that only Jesus can take back?
Confession:
All: Gracious God, the sins of our heart and world are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
All: Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of guilt and shame.
Leader: Holy Spirit, Search us and know our every anxious thought. We open the door of our hearts and keep no part of us from You. Reveal any sin that needs confession or wound that needs healing.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
All: Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open us to a future of liberating mercy, and grace as we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next as we behold the face of Jesus Christ, The Liberating King. Amen.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Family: Know & Be Known
Text: Mark 3:20-25
Campus: College Hill
Jesus redefines what it means to be a family.
Mark 3:20-35 shows us 3 different responses to Jesus.
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
Mark 3:20
When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
Mark 3:21
Jesus knows and understands what it’s like to be rejected by family
1st Response: fearful and/or uninformed rejection.
How does Jesus respond to this kind of rejection? With patience, truth, gentleness, and grace.
How do I respond to those who reject Jesus in fear and/or ignorance?
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Mark 3:22
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.”
Mark 3:23-27
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:28-30
2nd Response: Knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit, but still working in opposition to the movement of God.
Jesus’ warning is aimed at those who are actively working against the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the saving power of Jesus. It is not for those who are seeking to follow Jesus.
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
Mark 3:31-32
He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:33-35
3rd Response: Sit at the feet of Jesus and follow Him.
We are now in a family that goes beyond all earthly barriers. We are the family of Jesus.
What could Joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?.
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Mark 3:32-35
He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:5-13
God promises to give more of His power and presence through the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
Come Holy Spirit.
Forgive us for choosing lesser loves.
Make us more like Jesus.
Make us into the family that only you can.
_________________________________________________________________________________
March 12th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Jesus People
Text: Mark 3:17-19
Campus: Rivermont
Lent is a Holy Spirit disruption that, if surrendered to, will lead to a renewed and inspired direction for your life.
Click here to see image
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12 (CSB)
Click here to see image: map
Jesus is not a means to an ulterior good, but He, Himself is the final good.
The encounter itself isn’t enough, because apart from transformation, a God - inspired disruption will often be squandered revealing an aimless direction of our lives.
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philipand Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mark 3:13-19 (CSB)
Jesus will minister to the multitudes, but ultimately, He is calling you out of the masses (out of the crowds) and into a deep and abiding allegiance to Himself.
1) Followers of Jesus are called to live on mission
2) Followers of Jesus are called to live on mission together
3) Followers of Jesus can identify the people that they will follow Jesus alongside.
Have you followed Jesus’ call to live on mission alongside a community of faith?
God-inspired Disruption will bring new direction to your life.
As you encounter disruption during this lent season, are you prepared to follow, in obedience, to whatever it is Jesus is calling you to?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Jonathan Ignacio
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 3:7-19
Campus: College Hill
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mark 3:7-19
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.
Mark 3:7-8
Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him.
Mark 3:9
3 Reasons Why Jesus Healed
Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Mark 3:10-12
If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-2
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.
Mark 3:13-15
He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them.
Mark 3:14
Discipleship is a matter of relationship before it is a task. It’s being before doing.
Being an apprentice and follower of Jesus is not necessarily what we can do for Jesus as much as it is what Jesus can “make” of His disciples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Jesus People
Text: Mark 3:17-19
Campus: Rivermont
Lent is a Holy Spirit disruption that, if surrendered to, will lead to a renewed and inspired direction for your life.
Click here to see image
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12 (CSB)
Click here to see image: map
Jesus is not a means to an ulterior good, but He, Himself is the final good.
The encounter itself isn’t enough, because apart from transformation, a God - inspired disruption will often be squandered revealing an aimless direction of our lives.
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philipand Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mark 3:13-19 (CSB)
Jesus will minister to the multitudes, but ultimately, He is calling you out of the masses (out of the crowds) and into a deep and abiding allegiance to Himself.
1) Followers of Jesus are called to live on mission
2) Followers of Jesus are called to live on mission together
3) Followers of Jesus can identify the people that they will follow Jesus alongside.
Have you followed Jesus’ call to live on mission alongside a community of faith?
God-inspired Disruption will bring new direction to your life.
As you encounter disruption during this lent season, are you prepared to follow, in obedience, to whatever it is Jesus is calling you to?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Jonathan Ignacio
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 3:7-19
Campus: College Hill
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mark 3:7-19
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.
Mark 3:7-8
Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him.
Mark 3:9
3 Reasons Why Jesus Healed
- To demonstrate His power and authority
- To show the kingdom of God is breaking through
- To demonstrate His divine compassion
Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
Mark 3:10-12
If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-2
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.
Mark 3:13-15
He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them.
Mark 3:14
Discipleship is a matter of relationship before it is a task. It’s being before doing.
Being an apprentice and follower of Jesus is not necessarily what we can do for Jesus as much as it is what Jesus can “make” of His disciples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
March 5th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Resting & Healing
Text: Mark 2:23-3:6
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: what Mark is doing
New wine requires fresh wineskins.
Mark 2:22
So, What structures or rhythms in my life do I need to be willing to disrupt in order to make room for a fresh encounter with God? (Mark 2:18-22)
Always respond to every impulse to pray.
On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?”
Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:23-28
In what ways does my religious life – the things I do that are connected to my faith – come from a heart that wants to control outcomes vs. a heart that just wants more Christ & his Kingdom?
Being before doing.
We seek to order our days with a way of life that brings beneath-the-surface transformation and forms us into people who know how to abide in Jesus. We slow down our pace of life to be with Jesus, ourselves, and others.
We embrace ancient, Biblical practices of prayer, Scripture, silence, solitude, and sabbath in order for the Holy Spirit to recover our humanity in the image of Jesus and heal our souls in our hurried and exhausted world.
It is possible to engage in religious practice and not want God at all.
If we want God, then we will get what we want.
If we don’t want God, then we will get what we want.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
So I say to you: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
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 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9, 13
Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
Mark 3:1-6
What we want from God will influence our response to an encounter with God.
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
Mark 3:4
After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Mark 3:5
What is in need of restoration and healing in our life? If we are willing to reveal it before God, he will heal it. But if we would rather keep hiding, whatever is left concealed remains unhealed.
Confession:
All: Gracious God, the sins of our heart and world are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
All: Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of guilt and shame.
Leader: Holy Spirit, Search me and know my every anxious thought. I open the door of my heart and keep no part of me from You. Reveal any sin that needs confession or wound that needs healing.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
All: Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open us to a future of liberating mercy, and grace as we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next as we behold the face of Jesus Christ, The Liberating King.
Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:23-3:6
Campus: College Hill
On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?”
Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
3 Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
Mark 2:23-3:6
God is doing a new work through Jesus Christ.
You can have more information than anyone else around you about God but fail to experience the transforming presence of God.
Jesus invites us into rest and into renewal.
If your heart was hard – how would you know it?
Possible indicators of a hard heart:
1) you are rigid in your religion – more concerned about keeping rules than why those rules exist in the first place (2:23-27)
2) you seek God (Jesus) for the wrong motives (or with wrong motives) (3:2)
3) you lack compassion for those in need (3:2-4)
4) you lack clarity around good and evil (3:4, 6)
Jesus is angry and grieved when hearts are hard.
Steps toward Christ-centered rest and renewal:
1) show up – eager and open to whatever God wants to do (3:1)
2) stand up – pay attention and respond to the Savior (3:3)
3) stretch out – reveal what is broken and concealed (3:5)
God’s forgiveness and healing isn’t something that we earn; it’s something that Jesus extends toward us based on God’s love and on Christ’s sacrifice.
Jesus invites us into rest and into renewal.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Resting & Healing
Text: Mark 2:23-3:6
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: what Mark is doing
New wine requires fresh wineskins.
Mark 2:22
So, What structures or rhythms in my life do I need to be willing to disrupt in order to make room for a fresh encounter with God? (Mark 2:18-22)
Always respond to every impulse to pray.
On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?”
Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:23-28
In what ways does my religious life – the things I do that are connected to my faith – come from a heart that wants to control outcomes vs. a heart that just wants more Christ & his Kingdom?
Being before doing.
We seek to order our days with a way of life that brings beneath-the-surface transformation and forms us into people who know how to abide in Jesus. We slow down our pace of life to be with Jesus, ourselves, and others.
We embrace ancient, Biblical practices of prayer, Scripture, silence, solitude, and sabbath in order for the Holy Spirit to recover our humanity in the image of Jesus and heal our souls in our hurried and exhausted world.
It is possible to engage in religious practice and not want God at all.
If we want God, then we will get what we want.
If we don’t want God, then we will get what we want.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
So I say to you: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
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 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9, 13
Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
Mark 3:1-6
What we want from God will influence our response to an encounter with God.
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
Mark 3:4
After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Mark 3:5
What is in need of restoration and healing in our life? If we are willing to reveal it before God, he will heal it. But if we would rather keep hiding, whatever is left concealed remains unhealed.
Confession:
All: Gracious God, the sins of our heart and world are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
All: Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of guilt and shame.
Leader: Holy Spirit, Search me and know my every anxious thought. I open the door of my heart and keep no part of me from You. Reveal any sin that needs confession or wound that needs healing.
All: Come, Holy Spirit.
All: Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open us to a future of liberating mercy, and grace as we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next as we behold the face of Jesus Christ, The Liberating King.
Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:23-3:6
Campus: College Hill
On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?”
Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
3 Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”
Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
Mark 2:23-3:6
God is doing a new work through Jesus Christ.
You can have more information than anyone else around you about God but fail to experience the transforming presence of God.
Jesus invites us into rest and into renewal.
If your heart was hard – how would you know it?
Possible indicators of a hard heart:
1) you are rigid in your religion – more concerned about keeping rules than why those rules exist in the first place (2:23-27)
2) you seek God (Jesus) for the wrong motives (or with wrong motives) (3:2)
3) you lack compassion for those in need (3:2-4)
4) you lack clarity around good and evil (3:4, 6)
Jesus is angry and grieved when hearts are hard.
Steps toward Christ-centered rest and renewal:
1) show up – eager and open to whatever God wants to do (3:1)
2) stand up – pay attention and respond to the Savior (3:3)
3) stretch out – reveal what is broken and concealed (3:5)
God’s forgiveness and healing isn’t something that we earn; it’s something that Jesus extends toward us based on God’s love and on Christ’s sacrifice.
Jesus invites us into rest and into renewal.
_________________________________________________________________________________
February 26th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Fasting, Fabric, & Wine (A New Thing)
Text: Mark 2:18-22
Campus: Rivermont
“We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:12
There are times when God does a brand new thing, in order to make way for a renewed encounter, with the God who has always been true.
When God is make way for a renewed encounter with him, it will always bring disruption to every sphere of life, and often requires brand new rhythms.
Click here to see image: The Great Emergence
“The process of wrenching, deconstructing, liberating, anxiety-producing, world-rending change as it works its way, straight as the proverbial arrow, from one regimen for ordering life to a new and unprecedented one.”
~ Phyllis Tickle on the Great Reformation of the 15th & 16th Century. From “Emergence Christianity”
The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come near. Return, and believe the Good News!
Mark 1:14-15
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees[a] were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Mark 2:18
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
Mark 2:19-20
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:21-22
Unshrunk Fabric & New Wine represent the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
When God is make way for a renewed encounter with him, it will always bring disruption to every sphere of life, and often requires brand new rhythms.
Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness & rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
Revival (“new wine”) is the acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time.
Click here to see image: life as you know it
Click here to see image: crisis point
Click here to see image: Deconstruction
Click here to see image: Encounter, Renewal and Hope
Click here to see image: Reorientation
The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God who, In Christ, was bringing the world back to himself…
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Click here to see image: Spiritual Formation
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:18-22
Campus: College Hill
If God was doing a “new thing” how would you recognize it?
Jesus is God’s new work in our world and he’s constantly doing a new work.
The Bible trains us to recognize God and invites us to respond to him, not on our terms – but on his.
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:18-22 (CSB)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Jesus is God’s new work in our world and he’s constantly doing a new work.
Pharisees: “separated ones” or “holy ones.”
The Pharisees failed to recognize that their religious regulations didn’t bring people closer to God, but actually created a distance between people and God.
The Pharisees missed the new thing that God was doing through Jesus.
The new patch and new wine are not compatible with the old clothing and the old wineskins.
Jesus is the new patch and new wine - he’s not an attachment to the status quo; he cannot simply be integrated into the old thing or contained by the pre-existing cultural or religious structures.
Are you willing to set aside everything that you know – the stability and the comfort of the old thing – to fully experience Jesus?
Where do you need to surrender the old and familiar to experience the new way of Jesus?
___________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ, The Servant King
Title: Fasting, Fabric, & Wine (A New Thing)
Text: Mark 2:18-22
Campus: Rivermont
“We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:12
There are times when God does a brand new thing, in order to make way for a renewed encounter, with the God who has always been true.
When God is make way for a renewed encounter with him, it will always bring disruption to every sphere of life, and often requires brand new rhythms.
Click here to see image: The Great Emergence
“The process of wrenching, deconstructing, liberating, anxiety-producing, world-rending change as it works its way, straight as the proverbial arrow, from one regimen for ordering life to a new and unprecedented one.”
~ Phyllis Tickle on the Great Reformation of the 15th & 16th Century. From “Emergence Christianity”
The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come near. Return, and believe the Good News!
Mark 1:14-15
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees[a] were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Mark 2:18
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
Mark 2:19-20
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:21-22
Unshrunk Fabric & New Wine represent the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
When God is make way for a renewed encounter with him, it will always bring disruption to every sphere of life, and often requires brand new rhythms.
Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness & rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
Revival (“new wine”) is the acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time.
Click here to see image: life as you know it
Click here to see image: crisis point
Click here to see image: Deconstruction
Click here to see image: Encounter, Renewal and Hope
Click here to see image: Reorientation
The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God who, In Christ, was bringing the world back to himself…
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Click here to see image: Spiritual Formation
- Hunger for a move of God in our hearts.
- Hunger for a move of God in our homes.
- Hunger for a move of God in our church.
- Hunger for a move of God in our city & region.
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:18-22
Campus: College Hill
If God was doing a “new thing” how would you recognize it?
- What is God doing now?
- What is God calling us into now?
- Where have we grown comfortable and complacent?
Jesus is God’s new work in our world and he’s constantly doing a new work.
The Bible trains us to recognize God and invites us to respond to him, not on our terms – but on his.
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:18-22 (CSB)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- What’s the best wedding you have ever attended? Why?
- How open are you to change? Does your answer change if God is the one inviting you into something new?
- Maybe invite someone to pray: God speak to us. Help us see Jesus. Give us courage to respond to you.
Jesus is God’s new work in our world and he’s constantly doing a new work.
Pharisees: “separated ones” or “holy ones.”
The Pharisees failed to recognize that their religious regulations didn’t bring people closer to God, but actually created a distance between people and God.
The Pharisees missed the new thing that God was doing through Jesus.
The new patch and new wine are not compatible with the old clothing and the old wineskins.
Jesus is the new patch and new wine - he’s not an attachment to the status quo; he cannot simply be integrated into the old thing or contained by the pre-existing cultural or religious structures.
Are you willing to set aside everything that you know – the stability and the comfort of the old thing – to fully experience Jesus?
Where do you need to surrender the old and familiar to experience the new way of Jesus?
___________________________________________________________________
February 19th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
…the Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.
Mark 1:15
Good news: we don’t have to run and hide from God.
Christianity isn’t primarily about attending church meetings or growing intellectually; it’s about faithfully following Jesus, recognizing his presence in our world, being transformed by him, and reflecting him to others.
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating[a] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:9-13
What Jesus models for us is just as important as what he teaches.
Matthew is a tax collector = bad man. Corrupt. Criminal. Outsider.
1) if you’re the man or woman that everyone else avoids (an outsider) – Jesus still wants you. Jesus sees you and he wants you.
2) if you seem to have your life together and typically avoid people like Matthew – you may have to re-think your approach.
No one is beyond the grace of God.
Reflective question:
Have you ever felt like Levi?
Who are the people in our world and lives that we typically avoid?
Are there people that we have a hard time believing God cares about…people that we’re not sure will ever change?
Jesus simply invites us to follow him - to learn from him and to be renewed by him.
To follow Jesus, Levi had to give up some things: corruption, comfort, self-preservation - he had to stop oppressing others and living in opposition to God.
Are you willing to surrender whatever you have built your identity around to embrace God’s good gifts for you in Christ?
Are you willing for Jesus to re-order your world and reorient your love?
Following Jesus means joining his mission.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
Mark 2:15
Everyone needs Jesus and everyone is welcome.
Application
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Scandalous Grace
Text: Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Click here to see image: first century harbor town
Three Groups:
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:13-17
Recipient: Tax Collector (Representing non-disciples)
Ambassador: Disciples & soon to be Matthew
Enemy: Pharisees
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.
Mark 2:13
Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
Mark 2:14
Matthew literally left EVERYTHING behind to follow Jesus, with no inclination or possibility to return
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating[a] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
Mark 2:15
We must trust God with the risks that come with advancing his kingdom
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Mark 2:16
We cannot follow Jesus and maintain allegiance to ourselves
Legalism:
Newborn: Born to resist the idea of grace, because of what it says about us. Holds belief we can earn or we deserve abundant life.
Pharisee: Same fears of grace, but will coat insecurities of grace in knowledge, morality & religion. Holds the belief that they are more accepted to God than others.
Allowing the sin in our lives to be exposed is the opportunity to be astounded by the grace of God.
The Pharisee can quickly become the Christian who has not allowed for “beneath the surface” transformation to occur in their life.
3 Dangerous D’s:
These “Dangerous D’s” cultivate the soil for the Pharisee.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”
John 15:5
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17
Resonate with the tax collector? Jesus is asking to dine with you
Resonate with the Pharisee? Jesus came to heal the sick
The invitation is repentance: For both the unbeliever and the Pharisee
__________________________________________________________________________________
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
…the Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.
Mark 1:15
Good news: we don’t have to run and hide from God.
Christianity isn’t primarily about attending church meetings or growing intellectually; it’s about faithfully following Jesus, recognizing his presence in our world, being transformed by him, and reflecting him to others.
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating[a] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:9-13
What Jesus models for us is just as important as what he teaches.
Matthew is a tax collector = bad man. Corrupt. Criminal. Outsider.
1) if you’re the man or woman that everyone else avoids (an outsider) – Jesus still wants you. Jesus sees you and he wants you.
2) if you seem to have your life together and typically avoid people like Matthew – you may have to re-think your approach.
No one is beyond the grace of God.
Reflective question:
Have you ever felt like Levi?
Who are the people in our world and lives that we typically avoid?
Are there people that we have a hard time believing God cares about…people that we’re not sure will ever change?
Jesus simply invites us to follow him - to learn from him and to be renewed by him.
To follow Jesus, Levi had to give up some things: corruption, comfort, self-preservation - he had to stop oppressing others and living in opposition to God.
Are you willing to surrender whatever you have built your identity around to embrace God’s good gifts for you in Christ?
Are you willing for Jesus to re-order your world and reorient your love?
Following Jesus means joining his mission.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
Mark 2:15
Everyone needs Jesus and everyone is welcome.
Application
- Religious people - we need to examine our judgements and prejudices and we need to make time for sinners like Matthew.
- non-Christians - examine your judgements and prejudices.
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: Scandalous Grace
Text: Mark 2:13-17 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Click here to see image: first century harbor town
Three Groups:
- Recipients
- Ambassadors
- Enemies
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:13-17
Recipient: Tax Collector (Representing non-disciples)
Ambassador: Disciples & soon to be Matthew
Enemy: Pharisees
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.
Mark 2:13
Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
Mark 2:14
Matthew literally left EVERYTHING behind to follow Jesus, with no inclination or possibility to return
While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating[a] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
Mark 2:15
We must trust God with the risks that come with advancing his kingdom
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Mark 2:16
We cannot follow Jesus and maintain allegiance to ourselves
Legalism:
Newborn: Born to resist the idea of grace, because of what it says about us. Holds belief we can earn or we deserve abundant life.
Pharisee: Same fears of grace, but will coat insecurities of grace in knowledge, morality & religion. Holds the belief that they are more accepted to God than others.
Allowing the sin in our lives to be exposed is the opportunity to be astounded by the grace of God.
The Pharisee can quickly become the Christian who has not allowed for “beneath the surface” transformation to occur in their life.
3 Dangerous D’s:
- Distancing
- Deflection
- Denial
These “Dangerous D’s” cultivate the soil for the Pharisee.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”
John 15:5
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17
Resonate with the tax collector? Jesus is asking to dine with you
Resonate with the Pharisee? Jesus came to heal the sick
The invitation is repentance: For both the unbeliever and the Pharisee
__________________________________________________________________________________
February 12th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Christ the Servant-King
Title: Four Friends & the Cost of Forgiveness
Text: Mark 2:1-12
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: Emmnauel Nine
When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them.
Mark 2:1-2
They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying
Mark 2:3-4
Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5
But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?”
Mark 2:6-8
Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat, and walk”?
Mark 2:9
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:10-12
Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5
So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – he told the paralytic, ”I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Mark 2:10
“I realized something
when I woke up this morning
what I'm overwhelmed by
is exactly what I wanted.”
~ Jonathan McReynolds “Adulting”
Click here to see image Seven Ancient Wonders
So we do not set our hearts on the things that are see, but rather on the things that are unseen. For that which is seen is temporary and that which is unseen endures forever.
2 Corinthians 4:18
There is more meaning in the details of your life than you can fathom. Everything is spiritual.
_________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:1-12
Campus: College Hill
Each of the gospels tells the story of Jesus Christ from a unique perspective and each had a different original audience.
“After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.”
Mark 1:14-15
When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat, and walk”?
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:1-12 (CSB)
This first story is all about the heart – the heart of God and our hearts (Mark 2:1-12).
Jesus exposes our hearts and, if we are willing and we have faith, he has the authority and capacity to make us whole again.
Mark uses the expression - the word - to describe the message of good news that Jesus was sharing (Mark 1:14-15).
Get some friends who are willing to do anything to bring you to Jesus.
Be the type of friend who is willing to do anything to bring others to Jesus.
By addressing the sins of this man Jesus is exposing everyone to a dual reality – there’s a physical reality and a spiritual reality.
Jesus can forgive sins because He himself will pay the price for this man’s sin and for the sins of the world.
Jesus can make us whole again.
The invitation of the gospel: Come to Jesus.
________________________________________________________________
Series: Christ the Servant-King
Title: Four Friends & the Cost of Forgiveness
Text: Mark 2:1-12
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image: Emmnauel Nine
When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them.
Mark 2:1-2
They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying
Mark 2:3-4
Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5
But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?”
Mark 2:6-8
Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat, and walk”?
Mark 2:9
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:10-12
Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5
So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – he told the paralytic, ”I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Mark 2:10
“I realized something
when I woke up this morning
what I'm overwhelmed by
is exactly what I wanted.”
~ Jonathan McReynolds “Adulting”
Click here to see image Seven Ancient Wonders
So we do not set our hearts on the things that are see, but rather on the things that are unseen. For that which is seen is temporary and that which is unseen endures forever.
2 Corinthians 4:18
There is more meaning in the details of your life than you can fathom. Everything is spiritual.
_________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 2:1-12
Campus: College Hill
Each of the gospels tells the story of Jesus Christ from a unique perspective and each had a different original audience.
“After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.”
Mark 1:14-15
When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat, and walk”?
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:1-12 (CSB)
This first story is all about the heart – the heart of God and our hearts (Mark 2:1-12).
Jesus exposes our hearts and, if we are willing and we have faith, he has the authority and capacity to make us whole again.
Mark uses the expression - the word - to describe the message of good news that Jesus was sharing (Mark 1:14-15).
Get some friends who are willing to do anything to bring you to Jesus.
Be the type of friend who is willing to do anything to bring others to Jesus.
By addressing the sins of this man Jesus is exposing everyone to a dual reality – there’s a physical reality and a spiritual reality.
Jesus can forgive sins because He himself will pay the price for this man’s sin and for the sins of the world.
Jesus can make us whole again.
The invitation of the gospel: Come to Jesus.
________________________________________________________________
February 5th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Way of Jesus, The Servant KIng
Text: Mark 1:1-45
Campus: Rivermont
“This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:38
Click here to see image: what is the gospel of mark is
Click here to see image:worship, prototype, imagination
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Mark 1:1
Click here to see image: worship
Click here to see image: prototype.
Click here to see image: imagination
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight!
Mark 1:1-3
John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with[g] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:4-7
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Mark 1:12-13
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news[h][i] of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20
They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.
Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.
They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her,[l] and she began to serve them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
Simon and his companions searched for him, and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:29-38
He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 1:39
Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mark 1:40
Moved with compassion,[o] Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”
Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mark 1:41-42
Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.
Mark 1:43-45
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Way of Jesus, the Servant-King
Text: Mark 1:1-45
Campus: College Hill
Gospel: Good News
“The” Gospel: The Good News of Jesus’ ministry, life, death, resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins for those who believe in Him
The four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – are the four written accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the true and perfect King.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:1-8
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Mark 1:12-13
The Kingdom of God has come.
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.
“Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20
Jesus is a king who invites us to join Him in building His kingdom.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes. Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue.
He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him. They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
Jesus shows us His perfect wisdom and authority; He is a King over all the heavens and the earth.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Mark 1:29-24
Jesus shows us that He’s the King who can heal our deepest needs.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
A King on a mission (vv. 35-38)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying. Simon and his companions searched for him, and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:35-38
Jesus models for us a rhythm of rest with God and service for the Kingdom, and He reminds us that we are on a mission.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
A King on a mission (vv. 35-38)
A King who is near to us (39-45)
He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him.
“I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”
Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mark 1:39-42
Jesus, in all his power, wisdom, and authority, is a king who has compassion on us and comes near to us in our brokenness.
Which aspect of Jesus shown in Mark one do you need Him to meet you in today?
A King who invites you to join Him
A King with authority
A King who heals
A King on a mission
A King who is near to us
_________________________________________________________________________
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Way of Jesus, The Servant KIng
Text: Mark 1:1-45
Campus: Rivermont
“This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:38
Click here to see image: what is the gospel of mark is
Click here to see image:worship, prototype, imagination
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Mark 1:1
Click here to see image: worship
Click here to see image: prototype.
Click here to see image: imagination
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight!
Mark 1:1-3
John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with[g] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:4-7
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Mark 1:12-13
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news[h][i] of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20
They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.
Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.
They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her,[l] and she began to serve them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
Simon and his companions searched for him, and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:29-38
He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 1:39
Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mark 1:40
Moved with compassion,[o] Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”
Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mark 1:41-42
Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.
Mark 1:43-45
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Series: The Gospel of Mark
Title: The Way of Jesus, the Servant-King
Text: Mark 1:1-45
Campus: College Hill
Gospel: Good News
“The” Gospel: The Good News of Jesus’ ministry, life, death, resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins for those who believe in Him
The four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – are the four written accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the true and perfect King.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:1-8
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Mark 1:12-13
The Kingdom of God has come.
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.
“Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20
Jesus is a king who invites us to join Him in building His kingdom.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes. Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue.
He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him. They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
Jesus shows us His perfect wisdom and authority; He is a King over all the heavens and the earth.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Mark 1:29-24
Jesus shows us that He’s the King who can heal our deepest needs.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
A King on a mission (vv. 35-38)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying. Simon and his companions searched for him, and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”
Mark 1:35-38
Jesus models for us a rhythm of rest with God and service for the Kingdom, and He reminds us that we are on a mission.
What Kind of King is Jesus?
A King who invites people to join Him (vv. 16-20)
A King with authority (vv. 21-28)
A King who heals (vv. 29-34)
A King on a mission (vv. 35-38)
A King who is near to us (39-45)
He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him.
“I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”
Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mark 1:39-42
Jesus, in all his power, wisdom, and authority, is a king who has compassion on us and comes near to us in our brokenness.
Which aspect of Jesus shown in Mark one do you need Him to meet you in today?
A King who invites you to join Him
A King with authority
A King who heals
A King on a mission
A King who is near to us
_________________________________________________________________________
January 15th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Values 2023
Title: Locally Rooted, Globally Engaged
Text: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image
“I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
~ (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created human beings in his own image.
He created them to be like himself.
He created them as male and female.
Genesis 1:26-27
We are the people of God, rescued by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, communities, and world.
We strive to love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ.
We value…
Being before doing.
Joyful orthodoxy.
Knowing & being known.
Sacrificial generosity.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Locally rooted & globally engaged.
Values give language and behaviors that shape a culture over time.
We are a sacrificial and risk-taking community fiercely committed to the Great Commission of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations in our homes, communities, and world. Sharing the good news about Jesus starts with our neighbors and extends to the nations, and drives our impulse to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 2:10, Revelation 7:9-10
Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
John 20:21
And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9-10
God is forming for himself a family from among our neighbors and the nations.
First, being a church that is locally rooted and globally engaged means that we are a church for the city and for the world. Not just another church for Christians who are looking for something new or different.
What does it mean to be “locally rooted”?
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Values 2023
Title: Locally Rooted & Globally Engaged
Campus: College Hill
Our mission: to glorify God by making disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of God.
Our commissioning: we are the people of God, saved by the Son and empowered by the Spirit, to live on mission in our homes, community, and world…
Mission describes something you will or will not do.
Vision describes where you could or should be, or where you are going.
Values address the principles that guide us as we strive to accomplish our mission.
We value…
Being before doing.
Joyful orthodoxy.
Knowing & being known.
Sacrificial generosity.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Locally rooted & globally engaged.
Locally rooted and globally engaged.
“We are a sacrificial and risk-taking community fiercely committed to the Great Commission of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations in our homes, communities, and world.
Sharing the good news about Jesus starts with our neighbors and extends to the nations, and drives our impulse to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.”
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
Genesis 1:26-27 (CSB)
In the beginning human beings are engaged in a global stewardship, but they are placed in a location.
So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:23-24
The Lord said to Abram:
Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:1-3 (CSB)
God loves people so much and cares so deeply about his promise to Abraham that he physically comes to earth.
Jesus invites each one of us to join his mission.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
John 20:21 (CSB)
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (CSB)
All around us there are lost people and there are desolate places that need to be connected to Jesus.
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Revelation 7:9-10 (CSB)
How does God want me and my family to be involved in his global mission?
________________________________________________________________________
Series: Values 2023
Title: Locally Rooted, Globally Engaged
Text: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8
Campus: Rivermont
Click here to see image
“I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
~ (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created human beings in his own image.
He created them to be like himself.
He created them as male and female.
Genesis 1:26-27
We are the people of God, rescued by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, communities, and world.
We strive to love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ.
We value…
Being before doing.
Joyful orthodoxy.
Knowing & being known.
Sacrificial generosity.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Locally rooted & globally engaged.
Values give language and behaviors that shape a culture over time.
We are a sacrificial and risk-taking community fiercely committed to the Great Commission of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations in our homes, communities, and world. Sharing the good news about Jesus starts with our neighbors and extends to the nations, and drives our impulse to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 2:10, Revelation 7:9-10
Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
John 20:21
And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9-10
God is forming for himself a family from among our neighbors and the nations.
First, being a church that is locally rooted and globally engaged means that we are a church for the city and for the world. Not just another church for Christians who are looking for something new or different.
What does it mean to be “locally rooted”?
- Listen to the story of your place (don’t despise it). (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Genesis 1:26-27).
- Notice & name the needs of our place (the physical, relational, & cultural symptoms of gospel-lessness)
- Locate the hearts of the people (discern the spiritual climate).
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Values 2023
Title: Locally Rooted & Globally Engaged
Campus: College Hill
Our mission: to glorify God by making disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of God.
Our commissioning: we are the people of God, saved by the Son and empowered by the Spirit, to live on mission in our homes, community, and world…
Mission describes something you will or will not do.
Vision describes where you could or should be, or where you are going.
Values address the principles that guide us as we strive to accomplish our mission.
We value…
Being before doing.
Joyful orthodoxy.
Knowing & being known.
Sacrificial generosity.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Locally rooted & globally engaged.
Locally rooted and globally engaged.
“We are a sacrificial and risk-taking community fiercely committed to the Great Commission of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations in our homes, communities, and world.
Sharing the good news about Jesus starts with our neighbors and extends to the nations, and drives our impulse to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.”
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
Genesis 1:26-27 (CSB)
In the beginning human beings are engaged in a global stewardship, but they are placed in a location.
So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:23-24
The Lord said to Abram:
Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:1-3 (CSB)
God loves people so much and cares so deeply about his promise to Abraham that he physically comes to earth.
Jesus invites each one of us to join his mission.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
John 20:21 (CSB)
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (CSB)
All around us there are lost people and there are desolate places that need to be connected to Jesus.
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Revelation 7:9-10 (CSB)
How does God want me and my family to be involved in his global mission?
________________________________________________________________________
New Year's Day 2023
Scripture Reading
This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated:
This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”
For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”
Jeremiah 29:1-14
_______________________________________________________________________
This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated:
This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”
For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”
Jeremiah 29:1-14
_______________________________________________________________________
Christmas Day
December 25, 2022
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman and Andrew Moroz
Title: Advent
Text: Hebrews 1:1-3a
Campus: Online
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:1-3 CSB
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. His kingdom will be vast, and its flourishing will be endless. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. God in his passion will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
Eternal God,
in the stillness of the night
you sent your almighty Word
to pierce the world's darkness with the light of life:
give to the earth the peace that we long for
and fill our hearts with the joy of Your Kingdom
through our Saviour, Jesus Christ - the Light of the World.
Amen.
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman and Andrew Moroz
Title: Advent
Text: Hebrews 1:1-3a
Campus: Online
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:1-3 CSB
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. His kingdom will be vast, and its flourishing will be endless. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. God in his passion will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
Eternal God,
in the stillness of the night
you sent your almighty Word
to pierce the world's darkness with the light of life:
give to the earth the peace that we long for
and fill our hearts with the joy of Your Kingdom
through our Saviour, Jesus Christ - the Light of the World.
Amen.
________________________________________________________________________
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE (CHRIST)
December 24th, 2022
READING #1:
Selections from Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV)
Context: awaiting the promised light, amidst this present darkness. Lamenting the sin, violence, and death in this world, while persevering in hope for the Light of the World. This was the posture of the people of God before Christ’s first advent and ours as we await his second advent.
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
and the staff for their shoulder,
the rod of the oppressor,
have been broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Selections from
Psalm 27 (CSB)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
So we wait in confident expectation for the light in the darkness, Jesus of Nazareth, the Liberating King. And in the meantime, we seek his face, walk in the light of his presence, and call to mind again and again that we are not alone. Christ has come and he is coming again.
*Light the Christ Candle*
READING #2:
Context: This is who Jesus is. Go and be/do likewise.
Lead into the lighting of our candles off of the Christ Candle.
Selections from the Gospel of John (CSB)
1:1 In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 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.
8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
____________________________________________________________________
READING #1:
Selections from Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV)
Context: awaiting the promised light, amidst this present darkness. Lamenting the sin, violence, and death in this world, while persevering in hope for the Light of the World. This was the posture of the people of God before Christ’s first advent and ours as we await his second advent.
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
and the staff for their shoulder,
the rod of the oppressor,
have been broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Selections from
Psalm 27 (CSB)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
So we wait in confident expectation for the light in the darkness, Jesus of Nazareth, the Liberating King. And in the meantime, we seek his face, walk in the light of his presence, and call to mind again and again that we are not alone. Christ has come and he is coming again.
*Light the Christ Candle*
READING #2:
Context: This is who Jesus is. Go and be/do likewise.
Lead into the lighting of our candles off of the Christ Candle.
Selections from the Gospel of John (CSB)
1:1 In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 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.
8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
____________________________________________________________________
December 18th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Advent
Title: Love
Text: Isaiah 7:14, Psalm 80, Matthew 1:18-end, Romans 1:1-7
Campus: Rivermont
TEXTURES: New ways of seeing old, familiar things.
The more we behold something truly beautiful, the richer our encounter with it becomes.
Therefore, the LORD himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged[a] to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,
which is translated “God is with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
Love is what nurtures and nourishes life.
“We are all looking for someone looking for us, and we remain in this mode of searching for the rest of our lives.”
~ Dr. Curt Thomspon, Neuroscientist
We love because God first loved us.
1 John 4:19
God is love
1 John 4:8
Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the
cherubim, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally your power and come to save us.
Psalm 80:1-2
Lord God of Armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink. You put us at odds with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.
Psalm 80:4-6
Restore us, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
Psalm 80:7
When the face of God shines on us, it will be the face of love.
“Justice that is only justice soon degenerates into something less than justice. Justice must be rescued by something grander & deeper than itself, namely love.”
Click here to see image: Rafael’s depiction on the Sistine Chapel
See what profound love God has lavished on us that we should be made sons and daughters - and that’s what we are!
1 John 3:1
This is how we have come know what love is: Jesus laid his life down for us.
1 John 3:16a
The Advent of Jesus announces the good news that there is more love to be known in this world than our hearts can stand.
This is how we have come know what love is: Jesus laid his life down for us. In the same way, we also ought to lay down our lives for for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
"As long as “being the Beloved” is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from becoming depressed, nothing really changes. What is required is to become the Beloved in the commonplaces of my daily existence, and bit by bit to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless realities of everyday life. Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour."
~ Henri Nouwen, “Life of the Beloved”
Prayer: Restore us, O God. Make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved (healed).
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: Advent
Title: You are Loved
Text: Psalm 80
Campus: College Hill
"Human beings are not good at loving people. You can’t give people what you don’t have. The reason we are not good at loving people is that we are not good at being loved. My biggest most glaring pathology is that I’m so resistant to being loved.”
~ Curt Thompson
Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally your power and come to save us. Restore us, God; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. Lord God of Armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink. You put us at odds with our neighbors; our enemies mock us. Restore us, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. You dug up a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out sprouts toward the Sea and shoots toward the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit? Boars from the forest tear at it and creatures of the field feed on it. Return, God of Armies. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine, the root your right hand planted, the son that you made strong for yourself. It was cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. Let your hand be with the man at your right hand, with the son of man you have made strong for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
Psalms 80:1-19 CSB
“Restore us, Lord God, make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.”
"We are all looking for someone looking for us and we remain in this mode of searching for the rest of our lives."
~ Curt Thompson
Advent is the prime example that God has turned toward us and shown us what love is: by sending His Son to be with us and to die for us.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8 CSB
They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”
But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”
After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter said.
About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”
But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62 CSB
God’s love is nothing short of relentless in His pursuit of those He loves.
But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
Hosea 2:14-15 NLT
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”
Mark 16:5-7 CSB
God won’t settle with leaving you where He finds you!
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39 CSB
“As long as “being the Beloved” is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from becoming depressed, nothing really changes. What is required is to become the Beloved in the commonplaces of my daily existence, and bit by bit to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless realities of everyday life. Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour.”
~ Henri Nouwen
Takeaway 1:
Remind yourself who God is:
Takeaway 2:
Remind yourself of who you are:
Takeaway 3:
Keep in step with the Spirit
____________________________________________________________________
Series: Advent
Title: Love
Text: Isaiah 7:14, Psalm 80, Matthew 1:18-end, Romans 1:1-7
Campus: Rivermont
TEXTURES: New ways of seeing old, familiar things.
The more we behold something truly beautiful, the richer our encounter with it becomes.
Therefore, the LORD himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged[a] to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,
which is translated “God is with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
Love is what nurtures and nourishes life.
“We are all looking for someone looking for us, and we remain in this mode of searching for the rest of our lives.”
~ Dr. Curt Thomspon, Neuroscientist
We love because God first loved us.
1 John 4:19
God is love
1 John 4:8
Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the
cherubim, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally your power and come to save us.
Psalm 80:1-2
Lord God of Armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink. You put us at odds with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.
Psalm 80:4-6
Restore us, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
Psalm 80:7
When the face of God shines on us, it will be the face of love.
“Justice that is only justice soon degenerates into something less than justice. Justice must be rescued by something grander & deeper than itself, namely love.”
Click here to see image: Rafael’s depiction on the Sistine Chapel
See what profound love God has lavished on us that we should be made sons and daughters - and that’s what we are!
1 John 3:1
This is how we have come know what love is: Jesus laid his life down for us.
1 John 3:16a
The Advent of Jesus announces the good news that there is more love to be known in this world than our hearts can stand.
This is how we have come know what love is: Jesus laid his life down for us. In the same way, we also ought to lay down our lives for for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
"As long as “being the Beloved” is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from becoming depressed, nothing really changes. What is required is to become the Beloved in the commonplaces of my daily existence, and bit by bit to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless realities of everyday life. Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour."
~ Henri Nouwen, “Life of the Beloved”
Prayer: Restore us, O God. Make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved (healed).
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: Advent
Title: You are Loved
Text: Psalm 80
Campus: College Hill
"Human beings are not good at loving people. You can’t give people what you don’t have. The reason we are not good at loving people is that we are not good at being loved. My biggest most glaring pathology is that I’m so resistant to being loved.”
~ Curt Thompson
Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally your power and come to save us. Restore us, God; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. Lord God of Armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink. You put us at odds with our neighbors; our enemies mock us. Restore us, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. You dug up a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out sprouts toward the Sea and shoots toward the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit? Boars from the forest tear at it and creatures of the field feed on it. Return, God of Armies. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine, the root your right hand planted, the son that you made strong for yourself. It was cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. Let your hand be with the man at your right hand, with the son of man you have made strong for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
Psalms 80:1-19 CSB
“Restore us, Lord God, make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.”
"We are all looking for someone looking for us and we remain in this mode of searching for the rest of our lives."
~ Curt Thompson
Advent is the prime example that God has turned toward us and shown us what love is: by sending His Son to be with us and to die for us.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8 CSB
They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”
But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”
After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter said.
About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”
But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62 CSB
God’s love is nothing short of relentless in His pursuit of those He loves.
But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
Hosea 2:14-15 NLT
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”
Mark 16:5-7 CSB
God won’t settle with leaving you where He finds you!
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39 CSB
“As long as “being the Beloved” is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from becoming depressed, nothing really changes. What is required is to become the Beloved in the commonplaces of my daily existence, and bit by bit to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless realities of everyday life. Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour.”
~ Henri Nouwen
Takeaway 1:
Remind yourself who God is:
Takeaway 2:
Remind yourself of who you are:
Takeaway 3:
Keep in step with the Spirit
____________________________________________________________________
December 11th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Jonathan Ignacio
Series: Advent
Title: Joy of the Redeemed
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10
Campus: Rivermont
“Joy is not the mere sensation of pleasure — it is a pervasive, constant, and unending sense of well-being that flows from vision, peace, righteousness, and hope. True joy is robust — even including outright hilarity! We can experience the joy of being in God’s kingdom even in the midst of suffering and loss.”
~ Dallas Willard
Through the Messiah, He’s going to bring final and cosmic renewal and restoration to all creation. Holistic redemption will come to all creation and the redeemed will worship, free from worry, distraction, and anxiety forever in eternal joy with Jesus.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs.
In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Fools will not wander on it.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it,and the ransomed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower. It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 35:1-2
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees! Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for JOY, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
Isaiah 35:3-6
The physical expressions of joy and gladness will be a reflection of the health of our inner life. All of our mental and physical faculties will gloriously be integrated and harmonized to worship and enjoy Him forever.
For I will create new heavens and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.
Isaiah 65:17-18
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.”
Matthew 11:2-5
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for JOY, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs. In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Fools will not wander on it. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending JOY. JOY and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35:6-10
Our God given potential for joy has yet to be fully experienced. The experiences and moments of joy during this time on earth are an incredible gift of grace but they are only a shadow of what we will fully experience when Isaiah 35 becomes a reality.
Israel’s story in Isaiah becomes our story through faith in Jesus. At the heart of Advent season each year is “Encourage the weak! Be Strong! Do not fear! Here is your God! He will save you!” Advent is an opportunity to embody the joy of Christ because of what He has done and will do for us.
This ultimately is the end goal of Christmas. To bring us home to eternity with Jesus. The battle with sin will end. The final outcome of the birth of our Savior is entering into the joy of His salvation, forever being with Him in a Garden-City more glorious and beautiful than the first garden.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Advent
Title: Joy
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10
Campus: College Hill
“Joy is not the mere sensation of pleasure — it is a pervasive, constant, and unending sense of well-being that flows from vision, peace, righteousness, and hope. True joy is robust — even including outright hilarity! We can experience the joy of being in God’s kingdom even in the midst of suffering and loss.”
~ Dallas Willard
“Perhaps this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the joy that Christ offers; it extends beyond the boundaries of our circumstances. This joy is undeniably different from the emotional experience of happiness.”
“It’s merely a small piece of the joy that is available to us as those who have put our trust in Jesus.”
“Joy is not a denial of sadness. Celebration leaves room for lament as we remember and grieve the loss of something or someone significant and precious to us. Celebration doesn’t pretend that pain doesn’t hurt. No, celebrating in the midst of our pain means that we allow the sorrowful stories to break our hearts. We let hurt in someone else’s story interrupt our own reality. And we celebrate that those stories of pain will not be the last stories told.”
~ Nicole Zasowski, What if It’s Wonderful?
Hope in Jesus and his eternal future is the fuel of unending Christian joy.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs.
In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Fools will not wander on it.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the ransomed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35 (CSB)
Three things about our future reality with Jesus:
All of nature is renewed and the land is fertile (vv. 1-2)
Physical and emotional limitations are removed and human bodies will be fully restored (vv. 3-6)
Zion, the city of God, is full of unending joy (v. 10)
1) All of nature is renewed and the land is fertile (vv. 1-2)
The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:17b
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, sin you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.
Genesis 3:19
No longer will there be a curse upon anything.
Revelation 22:3a
2) Physical and emotional limitations are removed and human bodies will be fully restored (vv. 3-6)
3) Zion, the city of God, is full of unending joy (v. 10)
Jesus came. He is present in our world right now. He’s coming back to finish the work that he started.
The fuel of unending Christian joy: we can be right with God, his Kingdom is present in our lives right now, and our eternal future is beautiful and secure.
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:31-39 (CSB)
______________________________________________________________________
Series: Advent
Title: Joy of the Redeemed
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10
Campus: Rivermont
“Joy is not the mere sensation of pleasure — it is a pervasive, constant, and unending sense of well-being that flows from vision, peace, righteousness, and hope. True joy is robust — even including outright hilarity! We can experience the joy of being in God’s kingdom even in the midst of suffering and loss.”
~ Dallas Willard
Through the Messiah, He’s going to bring final and cosmic renewal and restoration to all creation. Holistic redemption will come to all creation and the redeemed will worship, free from worry, distraction, and anxiety forever in eternal joy with Jesus.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs.
In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Fools will not wander on it.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it,and the ransomed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower. It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 35:1-2
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees! Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for JOY, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
Isaiah 35:3-6
The physical expressions of joy and gladness will be a reflection of the health of our inner life. All of our mental and physical faculties will gloriously be integrated and harmonized to worship and enjoy Him forever.
For I will create new heavens and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.
Isaiah 65:17-18
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.”
Matthew 11:2-5
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for JOY, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs. In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Fools will not wander on it. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending JOY. JOY and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35:6-10
Our God given potential for joy has yet to be fully experienced. The experiences and moments of joy during this time on earth are an incredible gift of grace but they are only a shadow of what we will fully experience when Isaiah 35 becomes a reality.
Israel’s story in Isaiah becomes our story through faith in Jesus. At the heart of Advent season each year is “Encourage the weak! Be Strong! Do not fear! Here is your God! He will save you!” Advent is an opportunity to embody the joy of Christ because of what He has done and will do for us.
This ultimately is the end goal of Christmas. To bring us home to eternity with Jesus. The battle with sin will end. The final outcome of the birth of our Savior is entering into the joy of His salvation, forever being with Him in a Garden-City more glorious and beautiful than the first garden.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Advent
Title: Joy
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10
Campus: College Hill
“Joy is not the mere sensation of pleasure — it is a pervasive, constant, and unending sense of well-being that flows from vision, peace, righteousness, and hope. True joy is robust — even including outright hilarity! We can experience the joy of being in God’s kingdom even in the midst of suffering and loss.”
~ Dallas Willard
“Perhaps this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the joy that Christ offers; it extends beyond the boundaries of our circumstances. This joy is undeniably different from the emotional experience of happiness.”
“It’s merely a small piece of the joy that is available to us as those who have put our trust in Jesus.”
“Joy is not a denial of sadness. Celebration leaves room for lament as we remember and grieve the loss of something or someone significant and precious to us. Celebration doesn’t pretend that pain doesn’t hurt. No, celebrating in the midst of our pain means that we allow the sorrowful stories to break our hearts. We let hurt in someone else’s story interrupt our own reality. And we celebrate that those stories of pain will not be the last stories told.”
~ Nicole Zasowski, What if It’s Wonderful?
Hope in Jesus and his eternal future is the fuel of unending Christian joy.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs.
In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Fools will not wander on it.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the ransomed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35 (CSB)
Three things about our future reality with Jesus:
All of nature is renewed and the land is fertile (vv. 1-2)
Physical and emotional limitations are removed and human bodies will be fully restored (vv. 3-6)
Zion, the city of God, is full of unending joy (v. 10)
1) All of nature is renewed and the land is fertile (vv. 1-2)
The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:17b
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, sin you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.
Genesis 3:19
No longer will there be a curse upon anything.
Revelation 22:3a
2) Physical and emotional limitations are removed and human bodies will be fully restored (vv. 3-6)
3) Zion, the city of God, is full of unending joy (v. 10)
Jesus came. He is present in our world right now. He’s coming back to finish the work that he started.
The fuel of unending Christian joy: we can be right with God, his Kingdom is present in our lives right now, and our eternal future is beautiful and secure.
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:31-39 (CSB)
______________________________________________________________________
December 4th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Sermon Series: Advent
Title: Peace
Text: Romans 15:4-13 (Isaiah 11:1-2, 6,9,10. Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19. Matthew 3:1-2, 11)
Campus: Rivermont
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Glorifying God Together
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.
Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!
And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:4-13
Question: What do I tend to do when I’m feeling something I don’t want to feel?
Shalom: peace, flourishing, all is as it should be.
Dissociation: “a widespread survival strategy, the avoidance or elimination of painful knowledge from conscious awareness” (Psychologists, Watkins & Shulman)
“The glory of God is the human being fully alive.”
St. Irenaeus, 185AD (Against Heresies)
Christ makes peace, and makes us whole—body, mind, heart, & soul.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.
Ephesians 2:14
The peace of Christ transgresses every boundary that disintegrates our relationships.
Peace is not the absence of stress or conflict. Peace is the presence of Christ.
The experience of Christ as our peace moves us from hostility to hospitality (Henri Nouwen).
Where is there conflict or hostility in my life? (With God, myself, or with others?)
How might God be inviting me away from my normal distractions and coping mechanisms and instead into the experience of peace in his presence?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Sermon Series: Advent
Title: Peace
Text: Romans 15:4-13
Campus: College Hill
Advent is an opportunity for us to look back at Christ’s first coming many years ago – and to think forward to his future return.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (CSB)
What we believe – the object of our faith – is more important than our outward circumstances.
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
Read Romans 15:4
The Scriptures are intended to fill us with hope.
Endurance and encouragement enables us to live in hope.
Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Romans 15:5-6
Paul is going to say three important things about Jesus:
1) Jesus came to serve the Jews.
2) Jesus was a fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
3) Jesus confirmed that the family of God is open to everyone.
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name.
Romans 15:7-9
Jesus came as a servant to the Jews, but as a Savior to everyone.
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Shalom is more than a state of mind or a state of affairs – shalom comes from the root word “shalam” meaning safe, complete, or whole.
We don’t need the things that others so desperately pursue in order to be loved and to belong.
and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.
Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people![f] And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!
And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.
Romans 15:9-12
What if the painful feelings surrounding the broken things in our world are actually God trying to get our attention?
“God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace as we believe, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
___________________________________________________________________
Sermon Series: Advent
Title: Peace
Text: Romans 15:4-13 (Isaiah 11:1-2, 6,9,10. Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19. Matthew 3:1-2, 11)
Campus: Rivermont
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Glorifying God Together
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.
Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!
And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:4-13
Question: What do I tend to do when I’m feeling something I don’t want to feel?
Shalom: peace, flourishing, all is as it should be.
Dissociation: “a widespread survival strategy, the avoidance or elimination of painful knowledge from conscious awareness” (Psychologists, Watkins & Shulman)
“The glory of God is the human being fully alive.”
St. Irenaeus, 185AD (Against Heresies)
Christ makes peace, and makes us whole—body, mind, heart, & soul.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.
Ephesians 2:14
The peace of Christ transgresses every boundary that disintegrates our relationships.
Peace is not the absence of stress or conflict. Peace is the presence of Christ.
The experience of Christ as our peace moves us from hostility to hospitality (Henri Nouwen).
Where is there conflict or hostility in my life? (With God, myself, or with others?)
How might God be inviting me away from my normal distractions and coping mechanisms and instead into the experience of peace in his presence?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Sermon Series: Advent
Title: Peace
Text: Romans 15:4-13
Campus: College Hill
Advent is an opportunity for us to look back at Christ’s first coming many years ago – and to think forward to his future return.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (CSB)
What we believe – the object of our faith – is more important than our outward circumstances.
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
Read Romans 15:4
The Scriptures are intended to fill us with hope.
Endurance and encouragement enables us to live in hope.
Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Romans 15:5-6
Paul is going to say three important things about Jesus:
1) Jesus came to serve the Jews.
2) Jesus was a fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
3) Jesus confirmed that the family of God is open to everyone.
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name.
Romans 15:7-9
Jesus came as a servant to the Jews, but as a Savior to everyone.
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Shalom is more than a state of mind or a state of affairs – shalom comes from the root word “shalam” meaning safe, complete, or whole.
We don’t need the things that others so desperately pursue in order to be loved and to belong.
and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.
Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people![f] And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!
And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.
Romans 15:9-12
What if the painful feelings surrounding the broken things in our world are actually God trying to get our attention?
“God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace as we believe, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
___________________________________________________________________
November 27th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Zach Foster
Title: Advent: Hope
Text: Isaiah 2:1-5 CSB
Campus: Rivermont
“Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life…it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”
~ RC Sproul
The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light.
Isaiah 2:1-5 CSB
True Hope does not depend on us, does not disappoint and will ultimately deliver.
Living in anticipation, in a period of waiting, can often lead to doubt, disappointment and fear. Fear that what has been promised will not take place.
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith… He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.
Romans 4:13, 18-21 CSB
There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
Luke 2:25-32 CSB
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5, 14 CSB
The incarnation of Jesus helps bring into focus that we are spiritual beings found in physical bodies.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the Lord!
Psalms 146:5-10 NLT
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 CSB
“While optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will soon go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart... Joy in this perspective is the fruit of hope.”
~ Henri Nouwen
The incarnation of Jesus reveals to us a God that delivers on His Promises.
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:3-5 MSG
________________________________________________________________
Title: Advent: Hope
Text: Isaiah 2:1-5 CSB
Campus: Rivermont
“Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life…it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”
~ RC Sproul
The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light.
Isaiah 2:1-5 CSB
True Hope does not depend on us, does not disappoint and will ultimately deliver.
Living in anticipation, in a period of waiting, can often lead to doubt, disappointment and fear. Fear that what has been promised will not take place.
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith… He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.
Romans 4:13, 18-21 CSB
There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
Luke 2:25-32 CSB
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5, 14 CSB
The incarnation of Jesus helps bring into focus that we are spiritual beings found in physical bodies.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the Lord!
Psalms 146:5-10 NLT
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 CSB
“While optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will soon go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart... Joy in this perspective is the fruit of hope.”
~ Henri Nouwen
The incarnation of Jesus reveals to us a God that delivers on His Promises.
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:3-5 MSG
________________________________________________________________
November 20th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Vision for Family Discipleship
Text: Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 18:1-7, 19:13-15, 1 Corinthians 4:14-16
Campus: Rivermont
Part 1: Toward a Biblical Vision for Family
This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Shema = listen
pay attention, and live accordingly.
Foundation #1: Spiritual Formation involves the whole person and the whole community. Everyone plays a part, and it isn’t possible alone.
Click here to see Image: Discipleship Continuum
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a small child and had him stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.
Matthew 18:1-7
Foundation #2:
Children are whole persons made in the image of God, worthy of dignity, value, and belonging. And their flourishing is the responsibility of all followers of the Jesus.
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-15
Making disciples of Jesus, forming the next generation in his image, this is the sacred privilege of every follower of Jesus.
Matthew 19:28-30.
“I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”
1 Corinthians 4:14-16.
In order to raise up a generation of resilient, passionate, followers of Jesus, we must also raise up spiritual mothers and fathers who are committed to taking responsibility for the spiritual vitality of the next generation.
Click here to see Image: Trends
Click here to see Image: Practices
Click here to see Image: Realities
Part 2: Practice
Greg
Dale
Phil
Michael
Christian
Nate
Jim
Brian
Donnie
Chuck
Part 3: Prayer
Prayer for our Stories
Prayer for Parents and Children
Prayer for Ministry Volunteers
_____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Family Ministry Sunday at GCCH
Campus: College Hill
We – the Church – have a collective responsibility to shepherd the kids and teens that are a part of our family.
If you’re a mature (or maturing) follower of Jesus Christ, you have an opportunity and responsibility to help the kids and teens around you come to Christ.
Kids and teens you matter to God and you matter to us; you’re deeply loved and God has a plan for you.
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-15 (CSB)
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Matthew 18:5
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones."
Matthew 18:10
"Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."
Matthew 18:14
Matt. 19, v. 14 Jesus says, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them…”
Mark 10:14, it says Jesus was “indignant.”
Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
Luke 18:17
He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Mark 10:16
1) Kids and teens are important to Jesus.
2) Adults are responsible for helping kids and teens come, unhindered, to Jesus.
We – the Church – have a collective responsibility to shepherd the kids and teens that are a part of our family.
When we invest in our kids and teens, we invest in the future of the church and the generations to come.
What will be your part of that investment?
___________________________________________________________________
Title: Vision for Family Discipleship
Text: Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 18:1-7, 19:13-15, 1 Corinthians 4:14-16
Campus: Rivermont
Part 1: Toward a Biblical Vision for Family
This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Shema = listen
pay attention, and live accordingly.
Foundation #1: Spiritual Formation involves the whole person and the whole community. Everyone plays a part, and it isn’t possible alone.
Click here to see Image: Discipleship Continuum
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a small child and had him stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.
Matthew 18:1-7
Foundation #2:
Children are whole persons made in the image of God, worthy of dignity, value, and belonging. And their flourishing is the responsibility of all followers of the Jesus.
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-15
Making disciples of Jesus, forming the next generation in his image, this is the sacred privilege of every follower of Jesus.
Matthew 19:28-30.
“I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”
1 Corinthians 4:14-16.
In order to raise up a generation of resilient, passionate, followers of Jesus, we must also raise up spiritual mothers and fathers who are committed to taking responsibility for the spiritual vitality of the next generation.
Click here to see Image: Trends
Click here to see Image: Practices
Click here to see Image: Realities
Part 2: Practice
Greg
Dale
Phil
Michael
Christian
Nate
Jim
Brian
Donnie
Chuck
Part 3: Prayer
Prayer for our Stories
Prayer for Parents and Children
Prayer for Ministry Volunteers
_____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Family Ministry Sunday at GCCH
Campus: College Hill
We – the Church – have a collective responsibility to shepherd the kids and teens that are a part of our family.
If you’re a mature (or maturing) follower of Jesus Christ, you have an opportunity and responsibility to help the kids and teens around you come to Christ.
Kids and teens you matter to God and you matter to us; you’re deeply loved and God has a plan for you.
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-15 (CSB)
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Matthew 18:5
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones."
Matthew 18:10
"Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."
Matthew 18:14
Matt. 19, v. 14 Jesus says, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them…”
Mark 10:14, it says Jesus was “indignant.”
Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
Luke 18:17
He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Mark 10:16
1) Kids and teens are important to Jesus.
2) Adults are responsible for helping kids and teens come, unhindered, to Jesus.
We – the Church – have a collective responsibility to shepherd the kids and teens that are a part of our family.
When we invest in our kids and teens, we invest in the future of the church and the generations to come.
What will be your part of that investment?
___________________________________________________________________
November 13th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling & Emily Woody
Title: The Beauty of Scripture
Text: John 1 & Hebrews 4:12-16
Campus: Rivermont
How does this Scripture interpret me?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life,[a] and that life was the light of men.
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt[h] among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son[i] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 1-4; 14. (CSB)
B.R.E.A.D.
Be: Be still/quiet
Read: Read the text slowly, twice - what stood out to you?
Encounter: Take what stood out to you to the Lord in prayer, what is God saying to you?
Apply: How might you live outwardly this encounter with God?
Devote: Write a short prayer committing and devoting yourself to God in this.
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Hebrews 4:12-13
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Proverbs 3:1-12 (CSB)
My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands;
for they will bring you many days, a full life,[a] and well-being.
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.
Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline;
for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:1-12 (ESV)
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof,
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Psalm 16 Lectio
Text: Psalm 16
Campus: College Hill
“The Scriptures, read and prayed, are our primary and normative access to God as He reveals Himself to us. The Scriptures are our listening post for learning the language of the soul, the ways God speaks to us; they also provide the vocabulary and grammar that are appropriate for us as we in our turn speak to God.”
~Eugene H. Peterson
Lectio Divina (divine reading) is an ancient way of reading scripture in order to listen for a particular word from God.
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).
1) Silence (silencio): preparation
2) Read (lectio): read slowly, pay attention t
3) Meditate (meditatio): read again, listen for any invitation that God is extending
4) Dialogue (oratio): read third time; dialogue with God
5) Contemplate (contemplatio): rest, pick something from the text to take with you
Step 1: silencio – silence and preparation.
Step 2: lectio - reading and listening.
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Step 3: meditatio - meditate.
How does this text relate to your life?
How does this text impact your thoughts and desires?
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said,[a] “This is my body, which is[b] for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For your is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Step 4: oratio - respond and dialogue.
What feelings has the text aroused in you?
Where are you feeling resistance to something in the text?
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Step 5: contemplatio - rest and contemplate.
__________________________________________________________________________
Title: The Beauty of Scripture
Text: John 1 & Hebrews 4:12-16
Campus: Rivermont
How does this Scripture interpret me?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life,[a] and that life was the light of men.
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt[h] among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son[i] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 1-4; 14. (CSB)
B.R.E.A.D.
Be: Be still/quiet
Read: Read the text slowly, twice - what stood out to you?
Encounter: Take what stood out to you to the Lord in prayer, what is God saying to you?
Apply: How might you live outwardly this encounter with God?
Devote: Write a short prayer committing and devoting yourself to God in this.
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Hebrews 4:12-13
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Proverbs 3:1-12 (CSB)
My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands;
for they will bring you many days, a full life,[a] and well-being.
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.
Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline;
for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:1-12 (ESV)
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof,
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Psalm 16 Lectio
Text: Psalm 16
Campus: College Hill
“The Scriptures, read and prayed, are our primary and normative access to God as He reveals Himself to us. The Scriptures are our listening post for learning the language of the soul, the ways God speaks to us; they also provide the vocabulary and grammar that are appropriate for us as we in our turn speak to God.”
~Eugene H. Peterson
Lectio Divina (divine reading) is an ancient way of reading scripture in order to listen for a particular word from God.
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).
1) Silence (silencio): preparation
2) Read (lectio): read slowly, pay attention t
3) Meditate (meditatio): read again, listen for any invitation that God is extending
4) Dialogue (oratio): read third time; dialogue with God
5) Contemplate (contemplatio): rest, pick something from the text to take with you
Step 1: silencio – silence and preparation.
Step 2: lectio - reading and listening.
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Step 3: meditatio - meditate.
How does this text relate to your life?
How does this text impact your thoughts and desires?
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said,[a] “This is my body, which is[b] for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For your is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Step 4: oratio - respond and dialogue.
What feelings has the text aroused in you?
Where are you feeling resistance to something in the text?
Read Psalm 16 (CSB).
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Step 5: contemplatio - rest and contemplate.
__________________________________________________________________________
November 6th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Lectio Divina
Text: Psalm 23
Campus: Rivermont
“The Scriptures, read and prayed, are our primary and normative access to God as He reveals Himself to us. The Scriptures are our listening post for learning the language of the soul, the ways God speaks to us; they also provide the vocabulary and grammar that are appropriate for us as we in our turn speak to God.”
~ E. Peterson
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading)
Step 1: silencio – silence and preparation.
Step 2: lectio - reading and listening.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
Step 3: meditatio - meditate.
How does this text relate to your life?
How does this text impact through thoughts and desires?
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 CSB
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For your is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Step 4: oratio - respond and dialogue.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
Step 5: contemplatio - rest and contemplate.
___________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Text: 1 Peter 4:1-11
Campus: College Hill
Following Jesus requires sacrifice.
Following Jesus is worth it.
1 Peter reminds us that we are primarily citizens of heaven and it encourages us to pursue Jesus despite the suffering we may endure along the way.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding—because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin—in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.
1 Peter 4:1-2
-Christ is our example.
For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.
They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.
1 Peter 4:3-4
- Christ is our authority.
They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.
1 Peter 4:5-6
- Am I living for the approval of man, or the approval of God?
The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
1 Peter 4:7-9
What if, in the same way the world is surprised by the truths that we hold to, they were also surprised at our love for one another, the hospitality we show, and the selfless service that we are marked by?
If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
-Christ empowers us
What is the Spirit asking you to sacrifice?
How is God asking me to grow in love, hospitality, and service?
Following Jesus requires sacrifice.
Following Jesus is worth it.
_______________________________________________________________________
Title: Lectio Divina
Text: Psalm 23
Campus: Rivermont
“The Scriptures, read and prayed, are our primary and normative access to God as He reveals Himself to us. The Scriptures are our listening post for learning the language of the soul, the ways God speaks to us; they also provide the vocabulary and grammar that are appropriate for us as we in our turn speak to God.”
~ E. Peterson
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading)
- Silence (silencio): preparation
- Read (lectio): read slowly, pay attention
- Meditate (meditatio): read again, listen for any invitation that God is extending
- Dialogue (oratio): read third time; dialogue with God
- Contemplate (contemplatio): rest, pick something from the text to take with you
Step 1: silencio – silence and preparation.
Step 2: lectio - reading and listening.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
Step 3: meditatio - meditate.
How does this text relate to your life?
How does this text impact through thoughts and desires?
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 CSB
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For your is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Step 4: oratio - respond and dialogue.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalm 23 (CSB)
Step 5: contemplatio - rest and contemplate.
___________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Text: 1 Peter 4:1-11
Campus: College Hill
Following Jesus requires sacrifice.
Following Jesus is worth it.
1 Peter reminds us that we are primarily citizens of heaven and it encourages us to pursue Jesus despite the suffering we may endure along the way.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding—because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin—in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.
1 Peter 4:1-2
-Christ is our example.
For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.
They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.
1 Peter 4:3-4
- Christ is our authority.
They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.
1 Peter 4:5-6
- Am I living for the approval of man, or the approval of God?
The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
1 Peter 4:7-9
What if, in the same way the world is surprised by the truths that we hold to, they were also surprised at our love for one another, the hospitality we show, and the selfless service that we are marked by?
If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
-Christ empowers us
What is the Spirit asking you to sacrifice?
How is God asking me to grow in love, hospitality, and service?
Following Jesus requires sacrifice.
Following Jesus is worth it.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 30th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practices: Resting & Digesting
Text: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Campus: Rivermont
Pay attention to what has our attention.
We aren’t meant to try to hold everything all at once. We’re meant to have the one who fills eternity hold our whole attention.
We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.
2 Corinthians 1:8
“Fragmented attention is an enemy of engagement…”
~ Adam Grant
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[a] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:9-11
Practices of Attention in the Peaks & Valleys: Resting & Digesting
Matthew 16:25 - For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:8-13
GENESIS EXAMEN
Question: Where are you?
Question: What do you want
_______________________________________________________________
Sermon Guides: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Languishing to Flourishing
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Campus: College Hill
We need to draw from a well that never runs dry – we need to be equipped to navigate the complexities of life with endurance and joy.
I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this,[a] even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9 (CSB)
Faith in Jesus sustains us through our toughest days; it comforts us in our grief and fuels our gratitude and praise.
Grief and gratitude are two practices that help us to cope with loss and equip us to move from languishing to flourishing.
God’s people always have a steadfast hope and a reason to worship and rejoice.
1) We always have something to be grateful for because Jesus is alive and our salvation is assured (vv. 3-5)
2) Our best days are ahead with Jesus (vv. 4-5)
3) We can rejoice because our suffering is temporary and it’s never in vain (vv. 6-9)
What’s the role that trials play in our faith?
Grieving well:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thess. 5:16-18
Exercise:
1) Where am I experiencing loss, pain, and grief?
2) What am I thankful for? What can I praise God for?
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.
Romans 15:13
________________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practices: Resting & Digesting
Text: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Campus: Rivermont
Pay attention to what has our attention.
We aren’t meant to try to hold everything all at once. We’re meant to have the one who fills eternity hold our whole attention.
We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.
2 Corinthians 1:8
“Fragmented attention is an enemy of engagement…”
~ Adam Grant
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[a] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:9-11
Practices of Attention in the Peaks & Valleys: Resting & Digesting
- example: yawning
- breathing
- playing
- beauty
- physical movement
- grieving (sometimes weeping)
- giving
Matthew 16:25 - For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
- Sabbath
- relational connection (laughing, sharing, listening
- praying
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:8-13
GENESIS EXAMEN
Question: Where are you?
- Soul
- Mind
- Body
- Emotions & Feelings
- Relationships
Question: What do you want
_______________________________________________________________
Sermon Guides: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Languishing to Flourishing
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Campus: College Hill
We need to draw from a well that never runs dry – we need to be equipped to navigate the complexities of life with endurance and joy.
I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this,[a] even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9 (CSB)
Faith in Jesus sustains us through our toughest days; it comforts us in our grief and fuels our gratitude and praise.
Grief and gratitude are two practices that help us to cope with loss and equip us to move from languishing to flourishing.
God’s people always have a steadfast hope and a reason to worship and rejoice.
1) We always have something to be grateful for because Jesus is alive and our salvation is assured (vv. 3-5)
2) Our best days are ahead with Jesus (vv. 4-5)
3) We can rejoice because our suffering is temporary and it’s never in vain (vv. 6-9)
What’s the role that trials play in our faith?
- They prove the character of your faith (v. 7)
- They refine our faith
- They provide an opportunity for God to be glorified and for the gospel to advance as Jesus sustains us and strengthens us
Grieving well:
- pay attention to how grief may be affecting you
- don’t grieve alone; find relational support and maybe professional help
- share your sadness, confusion, and grief with Jesus
- look for opportunities to express gratitude and praise
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thess. 5:16-18
Exercise:
1) Where am I experiencing loss, pain, and grief?
2) What am I thankful for? What can I praise God for?
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.
Romans 15:13
________________________________________________________________________
October 23rd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift 4: From Languishing to Flourishing
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16
Campus: Rivermont
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it[a] says:
“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:1-16
Instructions for living a life:
“Fragmented attention is an enemy of engagement…”
~ Adam Grant
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16
Pay attention to what has our attention.
Click here to see Image: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1
We aren’t meant to try to hold everything all at once. We’re meant to have the one who fills eternity hold our whole attention.
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: From Languishing to Flourishing
Text: Ephesians 4:13-16
Campus: College Hill
First shift: from doing to being.
Second shift: from doing to equipping.
Third shift: from an “either/or” mindset to a “both/and” mindset.
The church is not primarily a community where superior Christians instruct inferior Christians.
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:13-16
The fourth shift: from languishing to flourishing.
Languishing: to be or become feeble or weak; to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality.
Flourishing: growing, thriving, and prospering.
Resilient faith is honest, and it’s rooted in the hope of the gospel.
We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (CSB)
Whether we have little or much, our flourishing comes from the Lord.
Consecration means to set apart or to make holy.
College Hill Prayer Prompts
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.
Joshua 3:5
Consecrate = to set apart, to make holy, to dedicate to The Lord
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift 4: From Languishing to Flourishing
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16
Campus: Rivermont
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it[a] says:
“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:1-16
Instructions for living a life:
- Pay attention.
- Be astonished.
- Tell about it.
“Fragmented attention is an enemy of engagement…”
~ Adam Grant
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16
Pay attention to what has our attention.
Click here to see Image: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1
We aren’t meant to try to hold everything all at once. We’re meant to have the one who fills eternity hold our whole attention.
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: From Languishing to Flourishing
Text: Ephesians 4:13-16
Campus: College Hill
First shift: from doing to being.
Second shift: from doing to equipping.
Third shift: from an “either/or” mindset to a “both/and” mindset.
The church is not primarily a community where superior Christians instruct inferior Christians.
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:13-16
The fourth shift: from languishing to flourishing.
Languishing: to be or become feeble or weak; to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality.
Flourishing: growing, thriving, and prospering.
Resilient faith is honest, and it’s rooted in the hope of the gospel.
We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (CSB)
- Despair drives us to dependence (v. 9).
- Dependance leads us to delivery (v. 10).
- Delivery comes through prayer (v. 11).
Whether we have little or much, our flourishing comes from the Lord.
Consecration means to set apart or to make holy.
College Hill Prayer Prompts
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.
Joshua 3:5
Consecrate = to set apart, to make holy, to dedicate to The Lord
- Pray for this building and space to be consecrated to the Lord.
- For the efforts of the construction project to be an offering to the Lord
- For the future purposes of this space to be dedicated to the Lord
- For God’s presence to fill this place
- Pray that we would be consecrated as a people for the Lord’s purposes.
- That we would be ready to receive from the Lord and ready to do His work
- That our hearts would be prepared and unified around what God is doing in the College Hill Community, both in our church and in our neighborhood
- That we would be marked by His presence and filled with His Spirit
- Pray for protection.
- From spiritual attack, evil, harm, or distraction
- From physical attack, evil, harm, or distraction
- For our hearts and minds to be set on the Spirit (Rom. 8:6)
- Thank and praise God for His faithfulness and provision.
- He has blessed us with two buildings to steward for His glory (College Hill and Rivermont)
- He has continued to lead and guide us through all things
- He is giving us fresh vision
October 16th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman and Carley Marcouillier
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Listening Prayer & Discernment
Text: Ephesians 4:14-15
Campus: Rivermont
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15
Shift 1: Being Before Doing.
Shift 2: From DOING to EQUIPPING.
Shift 3: From EITHER/OR to BOTH/AND
There is one body and one Spirit
Ephesians 4:4
Grace was given to each one of us according the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God—who gives to all generously and doesn’t hold a grudge—and it will be given to you.
James 1:5
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
John 16:13
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
Psalm 19:7
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep…and they will listen to my voice…
John 10:14-16
If Christ would go through the cross to the depths of the grave for our souls, will he not also go to our places of pain and speak life to the depths of our hearts?
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,
the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the woodlands bare.
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
The Lord gives his people strength;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29
Three Questions for when I’m not hearing God’s Voice:
Q: Do I know his voice?
Q: What other voices am I listening to?
Q: Am I still enough to be attentive to his voice?
How to Practice Discerning Prayer (The Ignatian practice of Indifference):
First: Relax in Jesus | Scripture: Psalm 131 - “I have calmed and quieted my soul”
Come to quiet, and become still. Take deep breaths, and close your eyes.
Notice and name if I’m anxious, body, mind, heart, and soul.
Pray: “Come, Holy Spirit” (Luke 11:13)
Second: Detach from Outcomes | Scripture: Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are not your thoughts…”
Ask: To what outcomes am I attached? What version of the future do I suspect I cannot live without?
Pray: “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42)
Third: Listen For God’s Voice | Scripture: 130:5-6 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,”
Ask: To what voices have I been listening?
Meditate: “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him.” Psalm 37:7
Pray: “Speak Lord, I am listening.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Jonathan Ignacio
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Recognizing the Voice of the Shepherd
Text: John 10:1-18
Campus: College Hill
My hope this morning is that we would be a community of people set on listening and familiarizing ourselves with the voice of Jesus. Expanding our hearing beyond our physical ears. Spiritually trusting his guidance and direction in our lives. We can’t follow what we don’t hear.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
John 10:1-18
Click here to see image: Sheep Pen
When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:4
“his own” – Idia (ἴδια) in the Greek = intimate ownership
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:3
When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:4
They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.
John 10:5
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me,
John 10:14
Do we live a life that pushes out the distractions that keep us from recognizing and hearing the voice of Jesus?
Are the rhythms of our life and the decisions we make with our time helping us hear the voice of Jesus?
Our hearts were not created to be fully attentive and present to multiple voices at the same time. If we are not focused on the voice of God much less recognize His voice in our lives, then it is going to be difficult to follow Jesus.
Parental attention has never been a struggle for our heavenly father. God is never distracted when it comes to our relationship with him. We have His full attention and He should have ours.
“The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice. One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the voice of God in His world.”
~ A.W. Tozer
The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.
Psalm 33:6
The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard.
2 Samuel 22:14
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.
1 Kings 19:12
to him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens. Look, he thunders with his powerful voice!
Psalm 68:33
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
Revelation 21:3
This practice of being attentive to the voice of God involves relearning what it means to listen to Jesus beyond an audible voice. As Christians who live by the Spirit, there are more ways to listen than with our physical ears.
Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Click here to see image: Discernment Diagram
____________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Listening Prayer & Discernment
Text: Ephesians 4:14-15
Campus: Rivermont
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15
Shift 1: Being Before Doing.
Shift 2: From DOING to EQUIPPING.
Shift 3: From EITHER/OR to BOTH/AND
There is one body and one Spirit
Ephesians 4:4
Grace was given to each one of us according the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God—who gives to all generously and doesn’t hold a grudge—and it will be given to you.
James 1:5
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
John 16:13
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
Psalm 19:7
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep…and they will listen to my voice…
John 10:14-16
If Christ would go through the cross to the depths of the grave for our souls, will he not also go to our places of pain and speak life to the depths of our hearts?
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,
the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the woodlands bare.
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
The Lord gives his people strength;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29
Three Questions for when I’m not hearing God’s Voice:
Q: Do I know his voice?
Q: What other voices am I listening to?
Q: Am I still enough to be attentive to his voice?
- Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
- Indifference
- Relax
- Detach/attachments
- Listen
How to Practice Discerning Prayer (The Ignatian practice of Indifference):
First: Relax in Jesus | Scripture: Psalm 131 - “I have calmed and quieted my soul”
Come to quiet, and become still. Take deep breaths, and close your eyes.
Notice and name if I’m anxious, body, mind, heart, and soul.
Pray: “Come, Holy Spirit” (Luke 11:13)
Second: Detach from Outcomes | Scripture: Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are not your thoughts…”
Ask: To what outcomes am I attached? What version of the future do I suspect I cannot live without?
Pray: “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42)
Third: Listen For God’s Voice | Scripture: 130:5-6 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,”
Ask: To what voices have I been listening?
Meditate: “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him.” Psalm 37:7
Pray: “Speak Lord, I am listening.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Jonathan Ignacio
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Recognizing the Voice of the Shepherd
Text: John 10:1-18
Campus: College Hill
My hope this morning is that we would be a community of people set on listening and familiarizing ourselves with the voice of Jesus. Expanding our hearing beyond our physical ears. Spiritually trusting his guidance and direction in our lives. We can’t follow what we don’t hear.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
John 10:1-18
Click here to see image: Sheep Pen
When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:4
“his own” – Idia (ἴδια) in the Greek = intimate ownership
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:3
When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:4
They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.
John 10:5
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me,
John 10:14
Do we live a life that pushes out the distractions that keep us from recognizing and hearing the voice of Jesus?
Are the rhythms of our life and the decisions we make with our time helping us hear the voice of Jesus?
Our hearts were not created to be fully attentive and present to multiple voices at the same time. If we are not focused on the voice of God much less recognize His voice in our lives, then it is going to be difficult to follow Jesus.
Parental attention has never been a struggle for our heavenly father. God is never distracted when it comes to our relationship with him. We have His full attention and He should have ours.
“The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice. One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the voice of God in His world.”
~ A.W. Tozer
The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.
Psalm 33:6
The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard.
2 Samuel 22:14
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.
1 Kings 19:12
to him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens. Look, he thunders with his powerful voice!
Psalm 68:33
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
Revelation 21:3
This practice of being attentive to the voice of God involves relearning what it means to listen to Jesus beyond an audible voice. As Christians who live by the Spirit, there are more ways to listen than with our physical ears.
Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Click here to see image: Discernment Diagram
____________________________________________________________________
October 9th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Either/Or Vs. Both/And
Text: Ephesians 4:1-7; 16
Campus: Rivermont
We believe that God has called his people to an activated faith, one in which the whole body (every single person) is a participant in their giftings.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— one Lord, one faith,one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:1-7;16 (CSB)
God’s invitation: to be unified with one another (other believers) by using our gifts to build each other up.
God has called His church to “oneness”
Jesus never said following him would be easy.
If we do not embrace this oneness: the wider the chasm will become between one another, and the more fractured we will become as God’s people. Ultimately, dimming the light within us and toward the broader world.
Leadershift #3:
We want to go from an “either/or” mentality to a “both/and” mentality.
The both/and is our pathway to “oneness.”
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words. When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” They brought a coin. “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Mark 12:13-17 (CSB)
Why was Jesus’ both/and response worthy of Marvel?
Why was Jesus’ both/and response worthy of Marvel?
Caesar may have been worthy of the coin, but only God is worthy of our hearts.
Often times, the deepest riches of God’s grace is found in the dealings with our enemies
Either My ideology or I demonize the other side
Both Kingdom Ideology & Saint-Shaper
Either Over-Committed or Burnt-out
Both Commitment & Rhythms.
Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,[b] we also believe, and therefore speak. For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (CSB)
At the core of our fear is unbelief.
Either serve or attend.
Both Serve one & attend one
Is there an either/or mentality that is keeping me from
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: From Either/Or to Both/And
Text: Luke 10:38-42
Campus: College Hill
“What kind of person does God call me to be in our culture today. And for us as a church, what kind of church does God want us to be.”
Shift #1 Being from Doing
Shift #2 From Doing to Equipping
Shift #3: From Either/Or to Both/And
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:15-16
For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27
While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 CSB
Jesus doesn’t paint relationship with Him as Either/Or but as a living, breathing, active
relationship that starts with being with Him and from there grows into a life of service to Him.
1. Jesus hears you
2. Jesus cares about you
3. Jesus wants your best
Jesus hears you
Jesus cares about you
Jesus wants your best
“Martha is preparing a feast for Jesus. Mary is feasting on the words of Jesus. Both can be good. Only one is indispensable.”
~ John Piper
___________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Either/Or Vs. Both/And
Text: Ephesians 4:1-7; 16
Campus: Rivermont
We believe that God has called his people to an activated faith, one in which the whole body (every single person) is a participant in their giftings.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— one Lord, one faith,one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:1-7;16 (CSB)
God’s invitation: to be unified with one another (other believers) by using our gifts to build each other up.
God has called His church to “oneness”
Jesus never said following him would be easy.
If we do not embrace this oneness: the wider the chasm will become between one another, and the more fractured we will become as God’s people. Ultimately, dimming the light within us and toward the broader world.
Leadershift #3:
We want to go from an “either/or” mentality to a “both/and” mentality.
The both/and is our pathway to “oneness.”
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words. When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” They brought a coin. “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Mark 12:13-17 (CSB)
Why was Jesus’ both/and response worthy of Marvel?
- Jesus successfully and winsomely subverted a trap.
Why was Jesus’ both/and response worthy of Marvel?
- Jesus successfully and winsomely subverted a trap.
- Jesus displayed a revolutionary picture of how God’s people should relate to the Government.
Caesar may have been worthy of the coin, but only God is worthy of our hearts.
- Either My ideology or I demonize the other side
Often times, the deepest riches of God’s grace is found in the dealings with our enemies
Both Kingdom Ideology & Saint-Shaper
- Either Over-Committed or Burnt-out
Both Commitment & Rhythms.
Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,[b] we also believe, and therefore speak. For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (CSB)
At the core of our fear is unbelief.
- Either Serve or attend
Both Serve one & attend one
Is there an either/or mentality that is keeping me from
- “Oneness” with fellow believers?
- Following Jesus’ call?
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: From Either/Or to Both/And
Text: Luke 10:38-42
Campus: College Hill
“What kind of person does God call me to be in our culture today. And for us as a church, what kind of church does God want us to be.”
Shift #1 Being from Doing
Shift #2 From Doing to Equipping
Shift #3: From Either/Or to Both/And
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:15-16
For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27
While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 CSB
Jesus doesn’t paint relationship with Him as Either/Or but as a living, breathing, active
relationship that starts with being with Him and from there grows into a life of service to Him.
1. Jesus hears you
2. Jesus cares about you
3. Jesus wants your best
Jesus hears you
Jesus cares about you
Jesus wants your best
“Martha is preparing a feast for Jesus. Mary is feasting on the words of Jesus. Both can be good. Only one is indispensable.”
~ John Piper
___________________________________________________________________
October 2nd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Serve Within Your Giftings
Text: Ephesians 4:11-13 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
(Stand for the reading of the Scriptures)
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:11-16
The wider the gap between leaders and members, the more unhealthy and powerless a local church family is. For the church to thrive as a community on mission, each person’s gifts must be activated.
Unless both leaders and members are operating in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, there is no church.
Because our purpose is caught up in giving the best of our lives away in service to others, as God has gifted us, for his glory.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared for you to do in advance.
Ephesians 2:10
The one who refreshes others are themselves refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
The wider the gap between leaders and members, the more unhealthy and powerless a local church family is. For the church to thrive as a community on mission, each person’s gifts must be activated.
Jesus answered, “the most important [command] is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord, the Lord your God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’. The second is, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no other command greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
Click here to see image: Resources: Leadershift Graphic
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Serve within Your Gifting
Text: Ephesians 4:3-6, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Campus: College Hill
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
As the Father has sent me, I also send you.
John 20:21
making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:3-6 (CSB).
For a church to thrive and mature, each person’s gifts must be activated and engaged.
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good:
to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues,[a] to another, interpretation of tongues. One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (CSB)
Spiritual gifts are unique abilities which are given from God, to every Christian, for the benefit of the church.
When spiritual gifts are properly understood, embraced, and engaged, they strengthen the church and point people to our supernatural God.
Spiritual Gifts 101 – the Basics:
1) There is a great variety of gifts and avenues of service (vv. 4-11)
2) All of the gifts, and opportunities to serve, are from God and for the benefit of His church (vv. 7-11)
The primary purpose of the gifts is to bless others and glorify God.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.
1 Peter 4:10-11
How do you discover your gifts?
“We can discern God’s calling when three factors come together for us:
Gifts & Talents, Tim Keller
www.gospelcc.org/leadershift
If we want our church to thrive and mature, then each one of us must be activated and engaged.
____________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Serve Within Your Giftings
Text: Ephesians 4:11-13 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
(Stand for the reading of the Scriptures)
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:11-16
The wider the gap between leaders and members, the more unhealthy and powerless a local church family is. For the church to thrive as a community on mission, each person’s gifts must be activated.
Unless both leaders and members are operating in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, there is no church.
Because our purpose is caught up in giving the best of our lives away in service to others, as God has gifted us, for his glory.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared for you to do in advance.
Ephesians 2:10
The one who refreshes others are themselves refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
The wider the gap between leaders and members, the more unhealthy and powerless a local church family is. For the church to thrive as a community on mission, each person’s gifts must be activated.
Jesus answered, “the most important [command] is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord, the Lord your God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’. The second is, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no other command greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
Click here to see image: Resources: Leadershift Graphic
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Serve within Your Gifting
Text: Ephesians 4:3-6, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Campus: College Hill
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
As the Father has sent me, I also send you.
John 20:21
making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:3-6 (CSB).
For a church to thrive and mature, each person’s gifts must be activated and engaged.
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good:
to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues,[a] to another, interpretation of tongues. One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (CSB)
Spiritual gifts are unique abilities which are given from God, to every Christian, for the benefit of the church.
When spiritual gifts are properly understood, embraced, and engaged, they strengthen the church and point people to our supernatural God.
Spiritual Gifts 101 – the Basics:
1) There is a great variety of gifts and avenues of service (vv. 4-11)
- Wisdom: the ability to apply Biblical truth to life.
- Knowledge: special insight into Biblical truth.
- Faith: unusual measure of trust in God, beyond what is exercised by most Christians.
- Healing: the ability to restore health, & even temporarily hold off death.
- Miracles: being able to perform supernatural acts which overcome the laws of nature.
- Prophecy: for-telling on behalf of God (receiving His Will and passing it on to others) or forth-telling (declaring the message of God; preaching).
- Discernment: being able to see whether something is from God, or from the Enemy; knowing the spiritual truth of something that is said or done.
- Speaking in Tongues: the supernatural ability to speak in a different language (either a known language or heavenly/angelic).
- Interpretation of tongues: translating the spoken tongue so that others can understand.
2) All of the gifts, and opportunities to serve, are from God and for the benefit of His church (vv. 7-11)
The primary purpose of the gifts is to bless others and glorify God.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.
1 Peter 4:10-11
How do you discover your gifts?
“We can discern God’s calling when three factors come together for us:
- Affinity (What human needs do I “vibrate” to? What interests me? What are my passions?);
- Ability (What am I good at? What do people say I am effective in?); and
- Opportunity (What doors for service are open? What needs to be done?).
Gifts & Talents, Tim Keller
www.gospelcc.org/leadershift
If we want our church to thrive and mature, then each one of us must be activated and engaged.
____________________________________________________________________
September 25th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift #2: From Leaders Doing → Equipping
Text: Ephesians 4:7-13
Campus: Rivermont
(Stand for the reading of the Scriptures)
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth. The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:7-13.
Shift #2: From Doing to Equipping.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:7-8, 11
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
Ephesians 4:7-10
You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that the Lord God might dwell there.
Psalm 68:18
God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
Psalm 68:35
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:11-13
Unless both leaders and members are operating in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, there is no church.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
Because our purpose is caught up in giving the best of our lives away in service to others, as God has gifted us, for his glory.
For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared for you to do in advance.
Ephesians 2:10
The one who refreshes others are themselves refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Leader:Shift: From Doing to Equipping
Text: Ephesians 4:7, 11-16
Campus: College Hill
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:7, 11-16 (CSB)
The purpose of the NT letters:
The Bible is a mirror that helps us to see rightly.
The first shift: from doing to being.
The second shift: from doing to equipping.
A healthy and vibrant church is one where the whole body is equipped for the work of the ministry.
The church is not a business.
The church is not a social or a country club.
The church is not a political party or organization.
Regardless of how dysfunctional or how distant we might be from God, we are never beyond the reach of his grace.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
The saints who make up the body of Christ are all ministers – saints are filled by God’s Holy Spirit, gifted to serve, and should be equipped to minister to one another.
What’s at stake?
How do we apply this?
Start thinking beyond church attendance and think of belonging.
A healthy and vibrant church is one where the whole body is equipped for the work of the ministry.
______________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift #2: From Leaders Doing → Equipping
Text: Ephesians 4:7-13
Campus: Rivermont
(Stand for the reading of the Scriptures)
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth. The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:7-13.
Shift #2: From Doing to Equipping.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:7-8, 11
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
Ephesians 4:7-10
You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that the Lord God might dwell there.
Psalm 68:18
God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
Psalm 68:35
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:11-13
Unless both leaders and members are operating in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, there is no church.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
Because our purpose is caught up in giving the best of our lives away in service to others, as God has gifted us, for his glory.
For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared for you to do in advance.
Ephesians 2:10
The one who refreshes others are themselves refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Leader:Shift: From Doing to Equipping
Text: Ephesians 4:7, 11-16
Campus: College Hill
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:7, 11-16 (CSB)
The purpose of the NT letters:
- clarify the truth about Christ, Christianity, and the church,
- confront distortion and deception,
- comfort those who were suffering or in need of encouragement.
The Bible is a mirror that helps us to see rightly.
The first shift: from doing to being.
The second shift: from doing to equipping.
A healthy and vibrant church is one where the whole body is equipped for the work of the ministry.
The church is not a business.
The church is not a social or a country club.
The church is not a political party or organization.
Regardless of how dysfunctional or how distant we might be from God, we are never beyond the reach of his grace.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
The saints who make up the body of Christ are all ministers – saints are filled by God’s Holy Spirit, gifted to serve, and should be equipped to minister to one another.
What’s at stake?
- If we fail to understand and apply this, we will fail to mature.
- If we fail to understand and apply this, we will miss opportunities to care for each other well.
- If we fail to understand and apply this, those who are presently serving will burn out.
How do we apply this?
Start thinking beyond church attendance and think of belonging.
A healthy and vibrant church is one where the whole body is equipped for the work of the ministry.
______________________________________________________________________
September 18th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Silence, Solitude, & Sabbath.
Text: Ephesians 4:1-4, Isaiah 30:15
Campus: Rivermont
Woe to the rebellious children! This is the Lord’s declaration. They carry out a plan, but not mine; they make an alliance, but against my will, piling sin on top of sin.
Without asking my advice they set out to go down to Egypt in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shadow.
Isaiah 30:1-2
Therefore the Holy One of Israel says:
“Because you have rejected this message and have trusted in oppression and deceit, and have depended on them, this iniquity of yours will be like a crumbling gap, a bulge in a high wall whose collapse will come in an instant—suddenly!
Isaiah 30:12-13
“For the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, has said: You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength lies in quiet and trust. But you are not willing.”
Isaiah 30:15
You say, “No! We will escape on horses”—therefore you will escape!—and, “We will ride on fast horses”—but those who pursue you will be faster.
Isaiah 30:16
One thousand will flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you will flee, until you remain
like a solitary pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill.
Isaiah 30:17
Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for him are happy.
Isaiah 30:18
Jesus shifts the primacy of our attention from doing things for God to being with him in a transformative relationship.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling
Ephesians 4:1-4
The practices of silence and solitude are about getting quiet and alone in order to hear from and be with God.
“Solitude frees us, actually…The normal course of day-to-day human interactions locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared to a world set against God. Nothing but solitude can allow the development of a freedom from the ingrained behaviors that hinder our integration into God’s order.”
~ D. Willard, Spirit of the Disciplines.
Silence and solitude are practices and tools to rebuild the heart on the foundation of God’s presence, power, and word.
Jesus said, “come away with me and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31
“Too often, we will do everything possible to avoid the confrontation with the experience of being alone, and sometimes we are able to create the most ingenious devices to prevent ourselves from being reminded of this condition. Our culture has become most sophisticated in the avoidance of pain, not only our physical pain but our emotional and mental pain as well.
The way we bury our pains as if they were not really there, is like burying the dead as if they were still alive.
We have become so used to this anesthesia that we panic when there is nothing or nobody left to distract us.”
~ H. Nouwen, Reaching Out
You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength lies in quiet and trust.
Isaiah 30:15
“Jesus, I give you my life.” [Pause]
“God, I return and I rest in you. My strength lies with you in quiet and trust.” [Pause]
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Sabbath & Silence
Text: Genesis 2:1-3
Campus: College Hill
Shift # 1: from doing to being.
“doing” - action, activity, hurry; performance-oriented life and religion.
“being” - slowing down to be with Jesus and to become more like him; grace-oriented life and religion.
…he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:16
Two practices for prioritizing before doing:
1) Silence and solitude.
2) Sabbath.
Moment of silence:
-How does the silence make you feel?
-Where does your mind go in a moment like this?
What silence and solitude is not:
-It’s not lazy.
-It’s not isolation.
-It’s not mindless meditation.
The practice:
1) Choose a time of day or a day of the week.
2) Make a plan.
3) Turn off any background noise or distractions; be fully present.
4) Pay attention to what comes to the surface and what God may be revealing to you about himself or about you.
“Sabbath is God’s gift of repetitive and regular rest. It is given for our delight and communion with God.”
~ Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
1) Sabbath is rest (Gen. 2:1-3).
So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:1-3 (CSB)
2) Sabbath is resistance (Deut. 5:12-15).
3) Sabbath is trust (Mark 2:27).
Adapted from, Prayer of Examine:
1) What am I grateful for? (1 min.)
2) Where do I feel most alive, most hopeful? What is fulfilling me and energizing me? (1 min.)
3) Where do I feel most dead, most despairing? What is leaving me feeling forsaken and drained? (1 min.)
4) Is there anything I need to confess and anywhere that I need to receive the grace and forgiveness of God? (1 min.)
______________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Silence, Solitude, & Sabbath.
Text: Ephesians 4:1-4, Isaiah 30:15
Campus: Rivermont
Woe to the rebellious children! This is the Lord’s declaration. They carry out a plan, but not mine; they make an alliance, but against my will, piling sin on top of sin.
Without asking my advice they set out to go down to Egypt in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shadow.
Isaiah 30:1-2
Therefore the Holy One of Israel says:
“Because you have rejected this message and have trusted in oppression and deceit, and have depended on them, this iniquity of yours will be like a crumbling gap, a bulge in a high wall whose collapse will come in an instant—suddenly!
Isaiah 30:12-13
“For the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, has said: You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength lies in quiet and trust. But you are not willing.”
Isaiah 30:15
You say, “No! We will escape on horses”—therefore you will escape!—and, “We will ride on fast horses”—but those who pursue you will be faster.
Isaiah 30:16
One thousand will flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you will flee, until you remain
like a solitary pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill.
Isaiah 30:17
Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for him are happy.
Isaiah 30:18
Jesus shifts the primacy of our attention from doing things for God to being with him in a transformative relationship.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling
Ephesians 4:1-4
The practices of silence and solitude are about getting quiet and alone in order to hear from and be with God.
“Solitude frees us, actually…The normal course of day-to-day human interactions locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared to a world set against God. Nothing but solitude can allow the development of a freedom from the ingrained behaviors that hinder our integration into God’s order.”
~ D. Willard, Spirit of the Disciplines.
Silence and solitude are practices and tools to rebuild the heart on the foundation of God’s presence, power, and word.
Jesus said, “come away with me and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31
“Too often, we will do everything possible to avoid the confrontation with the experience of being alone, and sometimes we are able to create the most ingenious devices to prevent ourselves from being reminded of this condition. Our culture has become most sophisticated in the avoidance of pain, not only our physical pain but our emotional and mental pain as well.
The way we bury our pains as if they were not really there, is like burying the dead as if they were still alive.
We have become so used to this anesthesia that we panic when there is nothing or nobody left to distract us.”
~ H. Nouwen, Reaching Out
You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength lies in quiet and trust.
Isaiah 30:15
“Jesus, I give you my life.” [Pause]
“God, I return and I rest in you. My strength lies with you in quiet and trust.” [Pause]
____________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Practice: Sabbath & Silence
Text: Genesis 2:1-3
Campus: College Hill
Shift # 1: from doing to being.
“doing” - action, activity, hurry; performance-oriented life and religion.
“being” - slowing down to be with Jesus and to become more like him; grace-oriented life and religion.
…he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:16
Two practices for prioritizing before doing:
1) Silence and solitude.
2) Sabbath.
Moment of silence:
-How does the silence make you feel?
-Where does your mind go in a moment like this?
What silence and solitude is not:
-It’s not lazy.
-It’s not isolation.
-It’s not mindless meditation.
The practice:
1) Choose a time of day or a day of the week.
2) Make a plan.
3) Turn off any background noise or distractions; be fully present.
4) Pay attention to what comes to the surface and what God may be revealing to you about himself or about you.
“Sabbath is God’s gift of repetitive and regular rest. It is given for our delight and communion with God.”
~ Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
1) Sabbath is rest (Gen. 2:1-3).
So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:1-3 (CSB)
2) Sabbath is resistance (Deut. 5:12-15).
3) Sabbath is trust (Mark 2:27).
Adapted from, Prayer of Examine:
1) What am I grateful for? (1 min.)
2) Where do I feel most alive, most hopeful? What is fulfilling me and energizing me? (1 min.)
3) Where do I feel most dead, most despairing? What is leaving me feeling forsaken and drained? (1 min.)
4) Is there anything I need to confess and anywhere that I need to receive the grace and forgiveness of God? (1 min.)
______________________________________________________________________
September 11 Sermon Notes
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift 1: Being Before Doing
Text: Ephesians 4:1-4
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part
Ephesians 4:1-16
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling—
Ephesians 4:1-4
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Languishing = Meh
Click her to see Image: Meh Emoji
Malaise = a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
“Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.”
~ Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist
“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
~ Dallas Willard
Shift #1: Being Before Doing.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3
Jesus shifts the primacy of our attention from doing things for God to being with him in a transformative relationship.
All things come together in Christ, both things in heaven and on earth in him.
Ephesians 1:10
By reading this, I want you to have the same insight and understanding of the mystery of Christ that I do.
Ephesians 3:4
This is so that God’s multifaceted wisdom may be known through the church to the world.
Ephesians 3:10
The church is only as influential in the world as we are close to Jesus.
The church lights up the world with the beautiful, multifaceted wisdom of God in Christ not by our winsome words, our clever strategies, or our causes, but rather by our Christ-like character and our category-defying relationships. And all of this flows from our being with Jesus first.
But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16
He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Mark 6:31
he appointed twelve to be with him…
Mark 1:14-15
While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
“One sign that I am violating my own nature in the name of nobility is a condition called burnout. Though usually regarded as the result of trying to give too much, burnout in my experience results from trying to give what I do not possess - the ultimate in giving too little! Burnout is a state of emptiness, to be sure, but it does not result from giving all I have: it merely reveals the nothingness from which I was trying to give in the first place…”
“...When I give something I do not possess, I give a false and dangerous gift, a gift that looks like love but is, in reality, loveless—a gift given more from my need to prove myself than from the other’s need to be cared for.”
~Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak.
Questions for Reflection:
Q: Is my pace of life hurried?
Q: How might Jesus be calling me to slow down and be with him?
Q: Is my life marked by a growing humility, gentleness, patience, and love?
__________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Leader:Shift – From Doing to Being
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:1-16
Ephesians 1-3: who we are in Christ.
Ephesians 4-6: how we are to live in Christ and in community.
Every Christian is equipped by the Holy Spirit to care for other Christians and to reach out to those who are lost.
We want GCC to be encouraged and built up, growing in spiritual and emotional maturity, and growing in Christ.
Our first leadership shift – from doing to being.
“doing” is action, activity, hurry; performance-oriented life and religion.
“being” is slowing down to be with Jesus and to become more like him; grace-oriented life and religion.
“One of the greatest challenges for every ministry leader is how to balance our doing for God and our being with him. In our efforts to serve God, most of us actually end up skimping on our relationship with him. We’re in a perpetual state of hurry, battling to make the best use of every spare minute. We end our days exhausted from trying to meet the endless needs around us…Some of us are actually addicted – not to drugs or alcohol, but to the adrenaline rush of doing. We might read about the need to rest and recharge, but we fear how many things might fall apart if we did. So we just keep going. And in this hurried and exhausted state, we have little time or energy left to invest in our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. As a result, our own lives remain largely unchanged, and the only thing we have to give away to those we lead is our shallow discipleship.”
~ P .Scazzero EH Discipleship
If you neglect “being” and give yourself fully to “doing”, you will be exhausted from trying to meet the endless demands around you.
If you neglect “being”, your life will remain largely unchanged and the only thing you will have to give to God and others is your shallow self.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
If we neglect being, and fail to embrace a slower grace-paced (grace-oriented) life, we’re going to get more tired, we won’t see the progress that we desire, and we’ll get disillusioned with the church.
Remain in me and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me.
John 15:4-5
But the news about him spread even more and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed…yes he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16
…when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:15
Two practices that help us to prioritize being before doing are silence and solitude, and the practice of Sabbath.
Questions to ponder:
Am I growing in humility, gentleness, patience, and love?
Am I always in a hurry?
Am I frequently anxious, angry, or defensive?
Do I avoid conflict?
_________________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Shift 1: Being Before Doing
Text: Ephesians 4:1-4
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part
Ephesians 4:1-16
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling—
Ephesians 4:1-4
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Languishing = Meh
Click her to see Image: Meh Emoji
Malaise = a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
“Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.”
~ Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist
“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
~ Dallas Willard
Shift #1: Being Before Doing.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3
Jesus shifts the primacy of our attention from doing things for God to being with him in a transformative relationship.
All things come together in Christ, both things in heaven and on earth in him.
Ephesians 1:10
By reading this, I want you to have the same insight and understanding of the mystery of Christ that I do.
Ephesians 3:4
This is so that God’s multifaceted wisdom may be known through the church to the world.
Ephesians 3:10
The church is only as influential in the world as we are close to Jesus.
The church lights up the world with the beautiful, multifaceted wisdom of God in Christ not by our winsome words, our clever strategies, or our causes, but rather by our Christ-like character and our category-defying relationships. And all of this flows from our being with Jesus first.
But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16
He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Mark 6:31
he appointed twelve to be with him…
Mark 1:14-15
While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
“One sign that I am violating my own nature in the name of nobility is a condition called burnout. Though usually regarded as the result of trying to give too much, burnout in my experience results from trying to give what I do not possess - the ultimate in giving too little! Burnout is a state of emptiness, to be sure, but it does not result from giving all I have: it merely reveals the nothingness from which I was trying to give in the first place…”
“...When I give something I do not possess, I give a false and dangerous gift, a gift that looks like love but is, in reality, loveless—a gift given more from my need to prove myself than from the other’s need to be cared for.”
~Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak.
Questions for Reflection:
Q: Is my pace of life hurried?
Q: How might Jesus be calling me to slow down and be with him?
Q: Is my life marked by a growing humility, gentleness, patience, and love?
__________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Leader:Shift – From Doing to Being
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:1-16
Ephesians 1-3: who we are in Christ.
Ephesians 4-6: how we are to live in Christ and in community.
Every Christian is equipped by the Holy Spirit to care for other Christians and to reach out to those who are lost.
We want GCC to be encouraged and built up, growing in spiritual and emotional maturity, and growing in Christ.
Our first leadership shift – from doing to being.
“doing” is action, activity, hurry; performance-oriented life and religion.
“being” is slowing down to be with Jesus and to become more like him; grace-oriented life and religion.
“One of the greatest challenges for every ministry leader is how to balance our doing for God and our being with him. In our efforts to serve God, most of us actually end up skimping on our relationship with him. We’re in a perpetual state of hurry, battling to make the best use of every spare minute. We end our days exhausted from trying to meet the endless needs around us…Some of us are actually addicted – not to drugs or alcohol, but to the adrenaline rush of doing. We might read about the need to rest and recharge, but we fear how many things might fall apart if we did. So we just keep going. And in this hurried and exhausted state, we have little time or energy left to invest in our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. As a result, our own lives remain largely unchanged, and the only thing we have to give away to those we lead is our shallow discipleship.”
~ P .Scazzero EH Discipleship
If you neglect “being” and give yourself fully to “doing”, you will be exhausted from trying to meet the endless demands around you.
If you neglect “being”, your life will remain largely unchanged and the only thing you will have to give to God and others is your shallow self.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
If we neglect being, and fail to embrace a slower grace-paced (grace-oriented) life, we’re going to get more tired, we won’t see the progress that we desire, and we’ll get disillusioned with the church.
Remain in me and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me.
John 15:4-5
But the news about him spread even more and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed…yes he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16
…when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:15
Two practices that help us to prioritize being before doing are silence and solitude, and the practice of Sabbath.
Questions to ponder:
Am I growing in humility, gentleness, patience, and love?
Am I always in a hurry?
Am I frequently anxious, angry, or defensive?
Do I avoid conflict?
_________________________________________________________________________
August 28th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Leader:Shift (Introduction)
Text: Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians 3:10
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,[a] he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Matthew 16:13-15
Trey asked me at dinner one night, “Dad, what do you worship?”
“I worship God,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
I had brushed off his question, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I do interviews for a living; thirty-five years of questions in fiftysomething languages. And the number one greatest question that I have ever been asked is “What do you worship?” And the second greatest question is “Are you sure?”
-Will Smith, “WILL”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,[a] because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Matthew 16:16-18
“God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.”
Ephesians 3:10
At the heart of the purpose of the Church is to demonstrate and declare the beautiful wisdom of God in every culture and generation.
Click here to see Image: First Baptist LYH
Click here to see Image: CHBC
Click here to see Image: RABC
Click here to see Image: GCR
Click here to see Image: GCCH
“Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Restore the years the locusts had stolen.”
Joel 2:25
______________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Title: Leader:Shift (Introduction)
Text: Luke 12: 13-21, Ephesians 4
Campus: College Hill
The questions we reflected on:
God, are we doing ministry as a church like you want us to?
Are there any specific callings you have for us a local church to serve our city and our world?
Our goal is to follow Jesus and be the healthy church that He calls us to be in His word.
Jesus, what kind of person do you call me to be in our culture today?
Jesus, what kind of people/church do you want us to be?
Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
“Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
“That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12: 13-21
We will miss out on the amazing opportunities that God has for each of us if we are consumed with being the kings of our own lives.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4
God, please make us one unified church body like you show us in Ephesians 4.
God, please open our eyes to our community and how we can serve them.
God, how can I/we use our possessions, time, and talents for you?
God, please give us opportunities to serve one another in love.
______________________________________________________________________
Series: Leader:Shift
Title: Leader:Shift (Introduction)
Text: Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians 3:10
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,[a] he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Matthew 16:13-15
Trey asked me at dinner one night, “Dad, what do you worship?”
“I worship God,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
I had brushed off his question, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I do interviews for a living; thirty-five years of questions in fiftysomething languages. And the number one greatest question that I have ever been asked is “What do you worship?” And the second greatest question is “Are you sure?”
-Will Smith, “WILL”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,[a] because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Matthew 16:16-18
“God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.”
Ephesians 3:10
At the heart of the purpose of the Church is to demonstrate and declare the beautiful wisdom of God in every culture and generation.
Click here to see Image: First Baptist LYH
Click here to see Image: CHBC
Click here to see Image: RABC
Click here to see Image: GCR
Click here to see Image: GCCH
“Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Restore the years the locusts had stolen.”
Joel 2:25
______________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Title: Leader:Shift (Introduction)
Text: Luke 12: 13-21, Ephesians 4
Campus: College Hill
The questions we reflected on:
God, are we doing ministry as a church like you want us to?
Are there any specific callings you have for us a local church to serve our city and our world?
Our goal is to follow Jesus and be the healthy church that He calls us to be in His word.
Jesus, what kind of person do you call me to be in our culture today?
Jesus, what kind of people/church do you want us to be?
Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
“Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
“That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12: 13-21
We will miss out on the amazing opportunities that God has for each of us if we are consumed with being the kings of our own lives.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4
God, please make us one unified church body like you show us in Ephesians 4.
God, please open our eyes to our community and how we can serve them.
God, how can I/we use our possessions, time, and talents for you?
God, please give us opportunities to serve one another in love.
______________________________________________________________________
August 21st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Give Heart and Soul (remix)
Text: John 10:10-11, 1 John 4:9-10
Campus: Rivermont
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
Our flourishing isn’t dependent upon what we have but on what we give.
The Genius of Generosity: In the face of scarcity, practice generosity, and we will experience abundance.
The Good Life is found in self-giving love.
“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
John 10:10
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
“You have given me authority over all flesh so that I might give eternal life to everyone you have given me. And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent - Jesus Christ.”
John 17:2-3
“As the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Abide in my love.”
John 15:9
“Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so that we could receive life through him. Here is what love is: It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sin.” (NIRV)
1 John 4:9-10
The Good Life is found in self-giving love.
Self giving love is what makes Jesus Good and what makes life good.
Jesus has come to give his life away in love for you, so that you might know him, and the power of his resurrection, the abundant life found in his presence, the hope found in his name.
To give my life to Jesus means I give my life away in love for the world.
“Whoever wants to keep their life will lose it. But whoever gives their life away for my sake will find it. What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul?”
Matthew 16:25-27
When we feel there’s not enough time, energy, or money, making a practice of giving in those ways cultivates generosity and creates abundance.
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Give (remix)
Text: Luke 10:30-37 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Four commitments of “belonging” at GCC:
Gather
Grow
Go
Give
Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a part of a church where people were so generous that whatever needs came up, we were able to address them?
We sacrifice our time, our money, and we use our gifts and resources for the glory of God and the good of others because Christ sacrificed himself for us.
Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Luke 10:30-37 (CSB)
Christlike generosity:
1) Rooted in love; God’s love for us and our love for God and people (v. 27)
2) Counter cultural (v. 33)
3) Rarely comfortable or convenient.
4) Costly.
Conclusion:
Christlike generosity is about our posture - stewardship and selflessness.
Giving Liturgy:
“Generous Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
All we have and all we need comes from you.
We bring before you our needs and the needs of others, and we ask for your provision.
Loving God, form in us grateful and generous hearts.
Make us a people determined to grow in generosity until it can be said that there is no need among us.
Take our gifts and multiply their effects for the sake of your kingdom.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
__________________________________________________________________
Title: Give Heart and Soul (remix)
Text: John 10:10-11, 1 John 4:9-10
Campus: Rivermont
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
Our flourishing isn’t dependent upon what we have but on what we give.
The Genius of Generosity: In the face of scarcity, practice generosity, and we will experience abundance.
The Good Life is found in self-giving love.
“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
John 10:10
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
“You have given me authority over all flesh so that I might give eternal life to everyone you have given me. And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent - Jesus Christ.”
John 17:2-3
“As the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Abide in my love.”
John 15:9
“Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so that we could receive life through him. Here is what love is: It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sin.” (NIRV)
1 John 4:9-10
The Good Life is found in self-giving love.
Self giving love is what makes Jesus Good and what makes life good.
Jesus has come to give his life away in love for you, so that you might know him, and the power of his resurrection, the abundant life found in his presence, the hope found in his name.
To give my life to Jesus means I give my life away in love for the world.
“Whoever wants to keep their life will lose it. But whoever gives their life away for my sake will find it. What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul?”
Matthew 16:25-27
When we feel there’s not enough time, energy, or money, making a practice of giving in those ways cultivates generosity and creates abundance.
________________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Give (remix)
Text: Luke 10:30-37 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Four commitments of “belonging” at GCC:
Gather
Grow
Go
Give
Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a part of a church where people were so generous that whatever needs came up, we were able to address them?
We sacrifice our time, our money, and we use our gifts and resources for the glory of God and the good of others because Christ sacrificed himself for us.
Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Luke 10:30-37 (CSB)
Christlike generosity:
1) Rooted in love; God’s love for us and our love for God and people (v. 27)
2) Counter cultural (v. 33)
3) Rarely comfortable or convenient.
4) Costly.
Conclusion:
Christlike generosity is about our posture - stewardship and selflessness.
Giving Liturgy:
“Generous Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
All we have and all we need comes from you.
We bring before you our needs and the needs of others, and we ask for your provision.
Loving God, form in us grateful and generous hearts.
Make us a people determined to grow in generosity until it can be said that there is no need among us.
Take our gifts and multiply their effects for the sake of your kingdom.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
__________________________________________________________________
August 14th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz and Brenton Lehman
Title: Heart & Soul: GO (remix)
Text: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Revelation 7:9-10
Campus: Rivermont Avenue
The Church is a Spirit-filled, gospel-centered, community living on mission with God.
GO: an individual, and collective, commitment to God’s global mission (the Great Commission).
Sing a new song to the Lord;
let the whole earth sing to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and is highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
bring an offering and enter his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
He judges the peoples fairly.”
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and all that fills it resound.
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
before the Lord, for he is coming—
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Psalm 96:1-6, 13 (CSB)
At Gospel Community, we believe that the mission of every follower of Jesus Christ is to demonstrate and declare the love of God and the hope of the resurrection.
Commission:
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of[a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[b] I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”
Matt. 28:18-20
Every member is a missionary: missio (latin for “sent”).
Again Jesus Said to them, “peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
Promise:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in your mortal bodies.
Romans 8:11
This promise of the Holy Spirit is at the heart of our purpose: Joining Jesus in the renewal of all things.
Result:
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Revelation 7:9-10
Go: Living on mission intentionally & strategically.
Next three weeks at College Hill:
Next Three Weeks @ Rivermont:
Contribute > Consume
Perspective: Mission > Preference
Corporate Prayer:
“Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant us to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”
Romans 15:5-6 (CSB)
Title: Heart & Soul: GO (remix)
Text: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Revelation 7:9-10
Campus: Rivermont Avenue
The Church is a Spirit-filled, gospel-centered, community living on mission with God.
GO: an individual, and collective, commitment to God’s global mission (the Great Commission).
Sing a new song to the Lord;
let the whole earth sing to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and is highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
bring an offering and enter his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
He judges the peoples fairly.”
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and all that fills it resound.
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
before the Lord, for he is coming—
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Psalm 96:1-6, 13 (CSB)
At Gospel Community, we believe that the mission of every follower of Jesus Christ is to demonstrate and declare the love of God and the hope of the resurrection.
Commission:
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of[a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[b] I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”
Matt. 28:18-20
Every member is a missionary: missio (latin for “sent”).
Again Jesus Said to them, “peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
Promise:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in your mortal bodies.
Romans 8:11
This promise of the Holy Spirit is at the heart of our purpose: Joining Jesus in the renewal of all things.
Result:
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Revelation 7:9-10
Go: Living on mission intentionally & strategically.
Next three weeks at College Hill:
- outdoor worship at 9am, followed by brunch (August 21 and 28).
- church at Riverside park with Rivermont congregation (September 4).
Next Three Weeks @ Rivermont:
- Students return on 8/21 (NEXT Begins)
- New Series on 8/28: LEADER:SHIFT
- Church at Riverside Park on 9/4 with College Hill
Contribute > Consume
Perspective: Mission > Preference
Corporate Prayer:
“Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant us to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”
Romans 15:5-6 (CSB)
August 7th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow (remix)
Text: Mark 10:28-30
Campus: Rivermont
“It is not good for humanity to be alone.”
Genesis 2:18
“We are in the midst of a global loneliness crisis that struck long before ‘social distancing’ entered our vernacular and our smiles were occluded by masks.”
~Noreena Hurtz
"Loneliness damages our physical health as well. Hard-wired to connect, our bodies go into a state of high alert when we are lonely — stress hormones course through our veins, our heart rate and blood pressure go up. Loneliness is worse for us than not exercising or being obese, as detrimental to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
~Noreena Hertz, LA Times, 2021
“It is not good for humanity to be alone.”
Genesis 2:18
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[a] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.
Mark 10:28-30
Into our lonely and anxious existence, God the Father invites us weary, exhausted, overly-medicated, overly-entertained, overly self-obsessed, orphans into the new Family of Jesus.
Click here to see image: Four Spaces of Belonging
Click here to see image: Be Known & Belong
Click here to see image: Gospel-Centered Community
The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20
Click here to see image: Concentric Circles of Relationship
Click here to see image: The Avocado Pit
_________________________________________________________
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow (remix)
Text: Mark 10:28-30
Campus: Rivermont
“It is not good for humanity to be alone.”
Genesis 2:18
“We are in the midst of a global loneliness crisis that struck long before ‘social distancing’ entered our vernacular and our smiles were occluded by masks.”
~Noreena Hurtz
"Loneliness damages our physical health as well. Hard-wired to connect, our bodies go into a state of high alert when we are lonely — stress hormones course through our veins, our heart rate and blood pressure go up. Loneliness is worse for us than not exercising or being obese, as detrimental to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
~Noreena Hertz, LA Times, 2021
“It is not good for humanity to be alone.”
Genesis 2:18
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[a] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.
Mark 10:28-30
Into our lonely and anxious existence, God the Father invites us weary, exhausted, overly-medicated, overly-entertained, overly self-obsessed, orphans into the new Family of Jesus.
Click here to see image: Four Spaces of Belonging
Click here to see image: Be Known & Belong
Click here to see image: Gospel-Centered Community
The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20
Click here to see image: Concentric Circles of Relationship
Click here to see image: The Avocado Pit
_________________________________________________________
July 31st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Gather
Text: Acts 4:32-35; Hebrews 10:19-25
Campus: Rivermont
Reader:
Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
So, in full view of the mercies of God: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as a living sacrifice. This is what true worship looks like. Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world anymore. Instead, fix your attention on God. And You’ll be transformed from the inside out. Be ready to recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
All: Bless the Lord, oh my soul. With all that is within me, bless His holy name. (Psalm 103:1.)
Offering Liturgy:
ALL: “Generous Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
All we have and all we need comes from your generous provision.
We bring before you our needs and the needs of others, and we ask for your provision.
Loving God, form in us grateful and generous hearts.
Make us a people determined to grow in generosity until it can be said that there is no need among us.
Take our gifts and multiply their effects for the sake of your kingdom.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
Responsive Reading:
ALL: Welcome one another as God in Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God (Romans 15:7)
Leader: Peace be with you.
All: And also with you.
“…I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18 (ESV)
Four G’s of belonging:
Gather, Grow, Give, Go
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (CSB)
The first century church was united in friendship and purpose (v. 32)
The first century church was committed to ongoing gospel proclamation (v. 33)
The first century church was overflowing with grace and generosity (vv. 32b, 33-35)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated[a] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19-25 (CSB)
A pathway for recovering the vitality of the early church:
1) Boldly draw near to God (v. 22)
2) Cling tightly to the hope that is anchored in the promises of God (v. 23)
3) Motivate one another to acts of love and good works (v. 24)
4) Don’t neglect to gather together (v. 25)
Our corporate gatherings are intended to help us draw near to God.
Our corporate gatherings are intended to be a funnel into deeper community and sacrificial service.
Our corporate gatherings are intended to equip us for mission.
Benediction & Commissioning
ALL: We are the people of God, rescued by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, our community, and our world.
ALL: We strive to love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ.
_______________________________________________________________________
Title: Heart and Soul: Gather
Text: Acts 4:32-35; Hebrews 10:19-25
Campus: Rivermont
Reader:
Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
So, in full view of the mercies of God: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as a living sacrifice. This is what true worship looks like. Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world anymore. Instead, fix your attention on God. And You’ll be transformed from the inside out. Be ready to recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
All: Bless the Lord, oh my soul. With all that is within me, bless His holy name. (Psalm 103:1.)
Offering Liturgy:
ALL: “Generous Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
All we have and all we need comes from your generous provision.
We bring before you our needs and the needs of others, and we ask for your provision.
Loving God, form in us grateful and generous hearts.
Make us a people determined to grow in generosity until it can be said that there is no need among us.
Take our gifts and multiply their effects for the sake of your kingdom.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
Responsive Reading:
ALL: Welcome one another as God in Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God (Romans 15:7)
Leader: Peace be with you.
All: And also with you.
“…I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18 (ESV)
Four G’s of belonging:
Gather, Grow, Give, Go
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (CSB)
The first century church was united in friendship and purpose (v. 32)
The first century church was committed to ongoing gospel proclamation (v. 33)
The first century church was overflowing with grace and generosity (vv. 32b, 33-35)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated[a] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19-25 (CSB)
A pathway for recovering the vitality of the early church:
1) Boldly draw near to God (v. 22)
2) Cling tightly to the hope that is anchored in the promises of God (v. 23)
3) Motivate one another to acts of love and good works (v. 24)
4) Don’t neglect to gather together (v. 25)
Our corporate gatherings are intended to help us draw near to God.
Our corporate gatherings are intended to be a funnel into deeper community and sacrificial service.
Our corporate gatherings are intended to equip us for mission.
Benediction & Commissioning
ALL: We are the people of God, rescued by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, our community, and our world.
ALL: We strive to love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 24th Sermon Notes
Sermon Notes: Nate Taylor
Title: Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control
Text: Galatians 5:22-25
Campus: Rivermont
The Beginning: Love God
Click here to see image: worship 1
Click here to see image: worship 2
Click here to see image: serving
“A 2018 investigative article in The New York Times found that only 15% of people possess humility. That means for every 10 CEOs, only one will exude humbleness, yet being humble may be the secret to succeeding in business.”
~Shama Hyder
“Without humility there can be no humanity.”
~John Buchan
The Son can do nothing of himself.
John 5:19
I can of mine own self do nothing: ... my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will
John 5:30
I receive not honor from men.
John 5:41
I came…not to do mine own will
John 6:38
My doctrine is not mine.
John 7:16
Neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 8:42
I seek not mine own glory
John 8:50
Now the works of the flesh are evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
Galatians 5:19-21
But, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Growing in Community
Click here to see image: community 1
Click here to see image: community leadership 2
Click here to see image: community 3
Click here to see image: community 4
Click here to see image: community leadership 5
Click here to see image: community 6
Click here to see image: community 7
Click here to see image: community leadership 8
“Perhaps your free spirit needs less freedom and more faithfulness.”
~Kevin DeYoung
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.
Philippians 2:5-8
Faithfulness is given to us from God as an invitation to follow him.
Ambition from God pursued diligently over time forms us into faithful people.
Reaching Out
Click here to see image: Reaching Out
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Uganda
Click here to see image: Reaching Out India
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Morocco
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Ukraine
“The greatest strength a man can achieve is gentleness.”
~ Monty Roberts
And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
John 8: 7-11
Serving Together
Click here to see image: Serving 1
Click here to see image: Serving 2
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
Proverbs 25:28
It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.
Proverbs 16:32
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?
Matthew 26: 53-54
“ Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint.”
~ James Russell Lowell
Empowering and Sending
Click here to see image: Empowering Leaders
Click here to see image: Sending
But, this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
Lamentations 3:21-24
_____________________________________________________________________________
Title: Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control
Text: Galatians 5:22-25
Campus: Rivermont
The Beginning: Love God
Click here to see image: worship 1
Click here to see image: worship 2
Click here to see image: serving
“A 2018 investigative article in The New York Times found that only 15% of people possess humility. That means for every 10 CEOs, only one will exude humbleness, yet being humble may be the secret to succeeding in business.”
~Shama Hyder
“Without humility there can be no humanity.”
~John Buchan
The Son can do nothing of himself.
John 5:19
I can of mine own self do nothing: ... my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will
John 5:30
I receive not honor from men.
John 5:41
I came…not to do mine own will
John 6:38
My doctrine is not mine.
John 7:16
Neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 8:42
I seek not mine own glory
John 8:50
Now the works of the flesh are evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
Galatians 5:19-21
But, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Growing in Community
Click here to see image: community 1
Click here to see image: community leadership 2
Click here to see image: community 3
Click here to see image: community 4
Click here to see image: community leadership 5
Click here to see image: community 6
Click here to see image: community 7
Click here to see image: community leadership 8
“Perhaps your free spirit needs less freedom and more faithfulness.”
~Kevin DeYoung
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.
Philippians 2:5-8
Faithfulness is given to us from God as an invitation to follow him.
Ambition from God pursued diligently over time forms us into faithful people.
Reaching Out
Click here to see image: Reaching Out
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Uganda
Click here to see image: Reaching Out India
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Morocco
Click here to see image: Reaching Out Ukraine
“The greatest strength a man can achieve is gentleness.”
~ Monty Roberts
And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
John 8: 7-11
Serving Together
Click here to see image: Serving 1
Click here to see image: Serving 2
- from 2019-2020, 10.1 million people had misused prescription opioids in the past year
- in 2019 14.5 million people in the U.S. suffered from Alcohol Use Disorder
- 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
Proverbs 25:28
It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.
Proverbs 16:32
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?
Matthew 26: 53-54
“ Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint.”
~ James Russell Lowell
Empowering and Sending
Click here to see image: Empowering Leaders
Click here to see image: Sending
But, this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
Lamentations 3:21-24
_____________________________________________________________________________
July 17th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Faith is a Life: Patience, Kindness, Goodness (Week 2)
Text: Galatians 5:22-25
Campus: Rivermont
But the fruit of the Spirit is…patience, kindness, goodness… - Galatians 5:22
“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.” -John 17:3
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. - 1 John 5:11-12
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. -Colossians 3:1-3
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“Why is it that we look upon our salvation as a moment that began our religious life? What if instead, salvation and faith was the daily life we receive from God, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus?
~ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines
“Spiritual Formation is the process of being formed in the image of Jesus for the sake of others.”
~ Robert Mulholland Jr., An Invitation to a Journey
We tend to do what we want to do. And what we do, overtime, forms who we become.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends.”
John 15:13
“This is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that God loved us and gave himself up for us as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you.
I thirst for you;
my body faints for you
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
My lips will glorify you
because your faithful love is better than life.
Psalm 63:1-3
Patience in three dimensions:
It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.
Romans 2:4
Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
Matthew 7:15-17
The invitation of the gospel is not to do better and try harder. The good news of the gospel is that Christ is sufficient for what is deficient in us.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Faith is a Life: Patience, Kindness, Goodness (Week 2)
Text: Galatians 5:22-25
Campus: Rivermont
But the fruit of the Spirit is…patience, kindness, goodness… - Galatians 5:22
“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.” -John 17:3
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. - 1 John 5:11-12
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. -Colossians 3:1-3
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
“Why is it that we look upon our salvation as a moment that began our religious life? What if instead, salvation and faith was the daily life we receive from God, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus?
~ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines
“Spiritual Formation is the process of being formed in the image of Jesus for the sake of others.”
~ Robert Mulholland Jr., An Invitation to a Journey
We tend to do what we want to do. And what we do, overtime, forms who we become.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends.”
John 15:13
“This is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that God loved us and gave himself up for us as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you.
I thirst for you;
my body faints for you
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
My lips will glorify you
because your faithful love is better than life.
Psalm 63:1-3
Patience in three dimensions:
- Personal: Not easily irritated when things don’t go as expected.
- Relational: Bearing with others in their weakness
- Spiritual: Enduring as we wait on God’s promises or undergo pain and suffering, yet not losing heart.
It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.
Romans 2:4
Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
Matthew 7:15-17
The invitation of the gospel is not to do better and try harder. The good news of the gospel is that Christ is sufficient for what is deficient in us.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne
______________________________________________________________________
July 10th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moros
Title: Fruit of the Spirit (Part 1)
Text: John 15:1-5, Galatians 5:16, 22-25 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me."
John 15:1-5
I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16, 22-25
In a world that is increasingly hostile and divided, the Spirit enables us to flourish and to model a different way of being.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a
The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus, convicts the world about sin, guides us in truth – glorifies God the Father and Jesus the Son (John 15 and 16).
The first indication of a Spirit-filled life is LOVE.
The Holy Spirit enables us to love one another, and to even love our enemies, with the same love that God loves us.
The second indicator of a Spirit-filled life is JOY.
Divine origin (and object) of joy:
“Christian joy is marked by celebration and expectation of God’s ultimate victory over the powers of sin and darkness, a victory actualized already in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who “for the joy set before him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2) but now has been exalted to the right hand of the Father whence he will come in power and great glory.”
~Timothy George, NAC
The third indicator of a Spirit-filled life is PEACE.
Jesus invites us to remain in him and in his love, which will allow us to bear fruit (John 15:4-8).
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33
What if we went all-in with Jesus and allowed the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives?
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Fruit of the Spirit (Part 1)
Text: John 15:1-5, Galatians 5:16, 22-25 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me."
John 15:1-5
I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16, 22-25
In a world that is increasingly hostile and divided, the Spirit enables us to flourish and to model a different way of being.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a
The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus, convicts the world about sin, guides us in truth – glorifies God the Father and Jesus the Son (John 15 and 16).
The first indication of a Spirit-filled life is LOVE.
The Holy Spirit enables us to love one another, and to even love our enemies, with the same love that God loves us.
The second indicator of a Spirit-filled life is JOY.
Divine origin (and object) of joy:
- rejoice “in the Lord” (Phil. 3:1)
- “rejoice in God” (Rom. 5:11)
- the kingdom of God is not “a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17)
“Christian joy is marked by celebration and expectation of God’s ultimate victory over the powers of sin and darkness, a victory actualized already in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who “for the joy set before him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2) but now has been exalted to the right hand of the Father whence he will come in power and great glory.”
~Timothy George, NAC
The third indicator of a Spirit-filled life is PEACE.
Jesus invites us to remain in him and in his love, which will allow us to bear fruit (John 15:4-8).
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33
What if we went all-in with Jesus and allowed the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives?
______________________________________________________________________
June 26th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Tim Griffin
Title: Walking in the Spirit
Text: Galatians 5:13-21
Campus: Rivermont
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Romans 7:14-20
Four manifestations of the same person.
1) The person that has not been saved. They are beings that are controlled totally by the flesh.
2) Then there comes salvation. At which point, there is spirit and flesh, because the flesh will always be there. The question is, what has control of our lives.
3) If it is the flesh, the spirit will always be there, but it will be tucked in a corner -- quenched.
4) What we want is for the Spirit to be on full display and the flesh to be tucked in a little corner.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:16-18
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.
Galatians 2:20
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship
Romans 12:1
“Present our bodies as a living sacrifice means complete and total surrender. It’s the difference between what a chicken and a pig bring to a bacon and egg breakfast, The chicken makes a contribution; the pig gives everything. What we often try to do with God is give an egg here and an egg there, but God wants sacrifice – the ham and bacon.”
~Tony Evans
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
John 16:7, 13-15
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
John 15:4
______________________________________________________________________
June 19th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Spirit-Filled Prayer
Text: Ephesians 1:17-23; Ephesians 6:19; Romans 8:11, 26-27
Campus: Rivermont
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. (Ephesians 1:17-23)
19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:11, 26-27)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God
three pillars of spirit-filled prayer:
The Holy Spirit’s Presence, Power, and Purpose in prayer.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[a] would give you the Spirit[b] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
Ephesians 1:17
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through[a] his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
“God is nearer to us than we are to ourselves…We are being called home from the noise that is around us to the joys that are silent. Why do we rush about looking for God who is present with us, if all we really want is to be with him? What to do then, but to draw a little nearer to the God who is already present in us?”
~St. Augustine
“The Spirit desires full possession of my life. We pray for more of the Spirit, and we pray well if alongside this prayer we hold the truth that the Spirit wants more of us.”
~Andrew Murray
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush is afire with [the presence of] God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pick blackberries.”
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.
He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church.
Ephesians 1:18-22
I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16-17
“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”
~Karl Barth
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a] with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
“Prayer is more than you could ever imagine, because God is so much beyond what you can conceive. We are surrounded with gods that are too small to be up to the task of holding our deepest personal longings, never mind the world’s most urgent problems.”
~David Brenner
“Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or as I suspect does no one believe a word of it?...it is madness to wear ladies’ straw hat and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should leash us to our pews.”
~Annie Dillard
He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Ephesians 1:20-23
“Spiritual formation is the process of being formed into the image of Christ, for the good of others.”
~ Robert Mullholland
“To truly encounter Jesus is to be knocked sideways, astonished, and overwhelmed. Mild interest means you have not yet met him.”
~Simon Ponsonby
“Prayer is the act by which we divest ourselves of all false belongings and become free to belong to God and God alone. We want to move closer to God, the source and goal of our existence, but at the same time we realize that the closer we come to God the stronger will be his demand to let go of the many “safe” structures we have built around ourselves. Prayer is such a radical act because it requires us to criticize our whole way of being in the world, to lay down our old selves and accept our new self, which is Christ…Prayer, therefore, is the act of dying to all that we consider to be our own and of being born again to a new existence which is not of this world.”
~Henri Nouwen
He has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Spirit-Filled Prayer
Text: Ephesians 1:17-23; Ephesians 6:19; Romans 8:11, 26-27
Campus: Rivermont
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. (Ephesians 1:17-23)
19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:11, 26-27)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
Congregation: Thanks be to God
three pillars of spirit-filled prayer:
The Holy Spirit’s Presence, Power, and Purpose in prayer.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[a] would give you the Spirit[b] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
Ephesians 1:17
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through[a] his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
“God is nearer to us than we are to ourselves…We are being called home from the noise that is around us to the joys that are silent. Why do we rush about looking for God who is present with us, if all we really want is to be with him? What to do then, but to draw a little nearer to the God who is already present in us?”
~St. Augustine
“The Spirit desires full possession of my life. We pray for more of the Spirit, and we pray well if alongside this prayer we hold the truth that the Spirit wants more of us.”
~Andrew Murray
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush is afire with [the presence of] God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pick blackberries.”
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.
He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church.
Ephesians 1:18-22
I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16-17
“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”
~Karl Barth
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a] with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
“Prayer is more than you could ever imagine, because God is so much beyond what you can conceive. We are surrounded with gods that are too small to be up to the task of holding our deepest personal longings, never mind the world’s most urgent problems.”
~David Brenner
“Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or as I suspect does no one believe a word of it?...it is madness to wear ladies’ straw hat and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should leash us to our pews.”
~Annie Dillard
He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Ephesians 1:20-23
“Spiritual formation is the process of being formed into the image of Christ, for the good of others.”
~ Robert Mullholland
“To truly encounter Jesus is to be knocked sideways, astonished, and overwhelmed. Mild interest means you have not yet met him.”
~Simon Ponsonby
“Prayer is the act by which we divest ourselves of all false belongings and become free to belong to God and God alone. We want to move closer to God, the source and goal of our existence, but at the same time we realize that the closer we come to God the stronger will be his demand to let go of the many “safe” structures we have built around ourselves. Prayer is such a radical act because it requires us to criticize our whole way of being in the world, to lay down our old selves and accept our new self, which is Christ…Prayer, therefore, is the act of dying to all that we consider to be our own and of being born again to a new existence which is not of this world.”
~Henri Nouwen
He has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
______________________________________________________________________
June 12th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: The Holy Spirit & Expectation
Text: John 16:7-15 (15:26-27)
Campus: Rivermont
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:7-15
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Click here to see Image: Pentecost
The way the church is born points to its nature and identity: Supernatural, transcultural, gospel-centered, and relational.
The Holy Spirit moves in supernatural ways, and without the Spirit, there is no gospel, there is no church, and there’s no us. Any attempt of knowing and following Jesus or doing church apart from the Spirit will be powerless and hollow.
The way Christians choose to love one another (across racial, economic, generational, and gender barriers) is evidence that Jesus is alive, and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us.
No Christian and no Church are born apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. A Christian and a church are Spirit-dependent things.
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you
John 16:7
When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
John 16:8
About sin, because they do not believe in me;
John 16:9
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;
John 16:10
and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
John 16:11
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:12-15
“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — he will testify about me. You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 15:26-27
By the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the new family of Jesus will witness Jesus and then witness to the world about Jesus by our life together and by our words and actions.
There is no act of faith or obedience to Jesus that is not seen and attended to by the Holy Spirit of God.
By his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus makes all things new, even us. The Spirit of God is the one who works that renewal into our lives, our relationships, our churches, and our world.
Holy Spirit *Expectation* as we Gather
the purpose of weekly gatherings is to be filled with the Spirit and formed as a family.
Hunger & Hospitality
God delights in filling up our emptiness - our named and acknowledged (even cultivated) emptiness and hunger. He delights to fill that space with more of himself.
Click here to see Image: Fire
Click here to see Image: Sail
Click here to see Image: Superbloom
Revival: the acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit overtime
Part of the expectation of the Spirit in hospitality is the belief that in my service to others, the Spirit will meet us both - us and them - and rekindle a hunger for God.
“How much more will your father give you the Holy Spirit, if you ask him to?”
Luke 11:13
Come, Holy Spirit. Revive us again.
COURAGE
______________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Keith Hoekman
Title: "Better" (Expectation)
Text: John 16:7-15 (15:26-27)
Campus: College Hill
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:7-15 CSB
For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
It is the Spirit that makes that new age a reality in our lives and gives us power to bring that kingdom authority and practice into the spheres where we live and work
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
The Kingdom of God is not a matter not a matter of food and drink but about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
Romans 14:17
In spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 1:6
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me
John 16:8-10
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.
Hebrews 10:14-15
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6
Click here to see image
https://storage.snappages.site/MK36D3/assets/images/7870358_1280x720_2500.png
“It is The work of sovereign Spirit to enable men and women in new situations and in cultural forms to find the ways in which the confession of Jesus as Lord may be made in the language of their own culture. The mission of the church is in fact the church’s obedient participation in the action of the Spirit by which the confession of Jesus as Lord becomes the authentic confession of every new people, each in its own tongue”
~ Lesslie Newbigin
“Christians experience the kingdom of God through the work of the Spirit even as we continue to give expression to its power in the various vocations of this age”
~ Matthew Tuininga
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
I Corinthians 2:12
Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
John 3:3
Click here to see image
___________________________________________________________________
Title: The Holy Spirit & Expectation
Text: John 16:7-15 (15:26-27)
Campus: Rivermont
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:7-15
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Click here to see Image: Pentecost
The way the church is born points to its nature and identity: Supernatural, transcultural, gospel-centered, and relational.
The Holy Spirit moves in supernatural ways, and without the Spirit, there is no gospel, there is no church, and there’s no us. Any attempt of knowing and following Jesus or doing church apart from the Spirit will be powerless and hollow.
The way Christians choose to love one another (across racial, economic, generational, and gender barriers) is evidence that Jesus is alive, and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us.
No Christian and no Church are born apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. A Christian and a church are Spirit-dependent things.
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you
John 16:7
When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
John 16:8
About sin, because they do not believe in me;
John 16:9
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;
John 16:10
and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
John 16:11
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:12-15
“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — he will testify about me. You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 15:26-27
By the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the new family of Jesus will witness Jesus and then witness to the world about Jesus by our life together and by our words and actions.
There is no act of faith or obedience to Jesus that is not seen and attended to by the Holy Spirit of God.
By his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus makes all things new, even us. The Spirit of God is the one who works that renewal into our lives, our relationships, our churches, and our world.
Holy Spirit *Expectation* as we Gather
the purpose of weekly gatherings is to be filled with the Spirit and formed as a family.
Hunger & Hospitality
God delights in filling up our emptiness - our named and acknowledged (even cultivated) emptiness and hunger. He delights to fill that space with more of himself.
Click here to see Image: Fire
Click here to see Image: Sail
Click here to see Image: Superbloom
Revival: the acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit overtime
Part of the expectation of the Spirit in hospitality is the belief that in my service to others, the Spirit will meet us both - us and them - and rekindle a hunger for God.
“How much more will your father give you the Holy Spirit, if you ask him to?”
Luke 11:13
Come, Holy Spirit. Revive us again.
COURAGE
______________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Keith Hoekman
Title: "Better" (Expectation)
Text: John 16:7-15 (15:26-27)
Campus: College Hill
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
John 16:7-15 CSB
For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
Click here to see image
It is the Spirit that makes that new age a reality in our lives and gives us power to bring that kingdom authority and practice into the spheres where we live and work
- The Spirit gives us Power
- The Spirit introduces us to the King
- The Spirit works the new age realities into our hearts
- The Spirit works through us to bring these realities to our spheres
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
- The Spirit gives us Power
- The Spirit introduces us to the King
- The Spirit works the new age realities into our hearts
- The Spirit works through us to bring these realities to our spheres
Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
- The Spirit gives us Power
- The Spirit introduces us to the King
- The Spirit works the new age realities into our hearts
- The Spirit works through us to bring these realities to our spheres
The Kingdom of God is not a matter not a matter of food and drink but about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
Romans 14:17
In spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 1:6
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me
John 16:8-10
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.
Hebrews 10:14-15
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6
Click here to see image
https://storage.snappages.site/MK36D3/assets/images/7870358_1280x720_2500.png
- The Spirit gives us Power
- The Spirit introduces us to the King
- The Spirit works the new age realities into our hearts
- The Spirit works through us to bring these realities to our spheres
“It is The work of sovereign Spirit to enable men and women in new situations and in cultural forms to find the ways in which the confession of Jesus as Lord may be made in the language of their own culture. The mission of the church is in fact the church’s obedient participation in the action of the Spirit by which the confession of Jesus as Lord becomes the authentic confession of every new people, each in its own tongue”
~ Lesslie Newbigin
“Christians experience the kingdom of God through the work of the Spirit even as we continue to give expression to its power in the various vocations of this age”
~ Matthew Tuininga
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
I Corinthians 2:12
Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
John 3:3
Click here to see image
___________________________________________________________________
June 5th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: The Holy Spirit
Text: Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-12
Campus: Rivermont
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While he was[a] with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:1-8 (CSB)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Click here to see image: Pentecost
The season of Pentecost in the life of our church for the next few weeks is about the Spirit’s work in our lives, and the kind of church family the Spirit creates.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues. ”They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:1-12
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Jerusalem: Comfort Zone
Judea: Like the suburb of Jerusalem, uncomfortable.
Samaria: Complex. We feel anxious, and out of place.
The end of the Earth: The nations.
The Spirit’s work in relational healing will mean transgressing cultural boundaries others may say, and we may feel, we ought not to cross.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12-14
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit moves in supernatural ways, and without the Spirit, there is no gospel, there is no church, and there’s no us. Any attempt of knowing and following Jesus or doing church apart from the Spirit will be powerless and hollow.
No Christian and no Church are born apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. A Christian and a church are Spirit-dependent things.
The way the church is born points to its nature and identity: Supernatural, transcultural, gospel-centered, and relational.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:5-8
Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.
Acts 2:9-11
Difference isn’t a consequence of sin, but division is.
“All the nations of the Earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:3
When God Almighty whispered the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 that, “In you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed”, he saw Pentecost.
They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:12
The work of the Spirit in the church increases oneness, brings relational healing, and bridges cultural barriers. This is part of what renewal in the church will look like.
The Spirit’s Work in Relational Healing:
The way Christians choose to love one another (across racial, economic, generational, and gender barriers) is evidence that Jesus is alive, and we are people of the resurrection.
Reflection and Prayer:
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Holy Spirit: Part 1
Text: Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-12
Campus: College Hill
What kind of God are we displaying to our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers?
Do our lives and commitments truly give evidence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
We are the people of God; saved by the Son and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, community, and world.
1) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - identify as the people of God.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 CSB
2) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - are saved by Jesus.
“Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 CSB
3) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - are empowered by the Spirit.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying,[b] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:1-12 (CSB)
The presence of the Spirit is disruptive and transformational.
When the Spirit of God shows up, and he’s embraced, lives are transformed.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (CSB)
4) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - live on mission in our homes, community, and world.
Conclusion:
We will never be able to accomplish the work that God has for us apart from the Holy Spirit.
How do we access the Spirit of God?
prayer (Acts 1:14)
repentance (Acts 2:38)
______________________________________________________________________
Title: The Holy Spirit
Text: Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-12
Campus: Rivermont
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While he was[a] with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:1-8 (CSB)
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Click here to see image: Pentecost
The season of Pentecost in the life of our church for the next few weeks is about the Spirit’s work in our lives, and the kind of church family the Spirit creates.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues. ”They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:1-12
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Jerusalem: Comfort Zone
Judea: Like the suburb of Jerusalem, uncomfortable.
Samaria: Complex. We feel anxious, and out of place.
The end of the Earth: The nations.
The Spirit’s work in relational healing will mean transgressing cultural boundaries others may say, and we may feel, we ought not to cross.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12-14
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit moves in supernatural ways, and without the Spirit, there is no gospel, there is no church, and there’s no us. Any attempt of knowing and following Jesus or doing church apart from the Spirit will be powerless and hollow.
No Christian and no Church are born apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. A Christian and a church are Spirit-dependent things.
The way the church is born points to its nature and identity: Supernatural, transcultural, gospel-centered, and relational.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:5-8
Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.
Acts 2:9-11
Difference isn’t a consequence of sin, but division is.
“All the nations of the Earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:3
When God Almighty whispered the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 that, “In you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed”, he saw Pentecost.
They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:12
The work of the Spirit in the church increases oneness, brings relational healing, and bridges cultural barriers. This is part of what renewal in the church will look like.
The Spirit’s Work in Relational Healing:
| In the New Testament (1st Century) | Today (21st Century) |
| Hebrews & Greeks (Ethnic) | Racial Hostility |
| Rich & Poor (Class) | Socio-Economic Class |
| Male & Female (Gender) | Gender & Sexuality |
| Slave & Free (Social) | Liberal & Conservative |
The way Christians choose to love one another (across racial, economic, generational, and gender barriers) is evidence that Jesus is alive, and we are people of the resurrection.
Reflection and Prayer:
- Let us pray for greater dependence on the Spirit to do what only he can do in your heart and in this church family.
- Would you pray that our church would increasingly reflect the kind of loving, diverse community for which only the Risen Jesus can take credit?
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Holy Spirit: Part 1
Text: Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-12
Campus: College Hill
What kind of God are we displaying to our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers?
Do our lives and commitments truly give evidence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
We are the people of God; saved by the Son and empowered by the Spirit to live on mission in our homes, community, and world.
1) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - identify as the people of God.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 CSB
2) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - are saved by Jesus.
“Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 CSB
3) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - are empowered by the Spirit.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying,[b] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:1-12 (CSB)
The presence of the Spirit is disruptive and transformational.
When the Spirit of God shows up, and he’s embraced, lives are transformed.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (CSB)
4) We - the Church of Jesus Christ - live on mission in our homes, community, and world.
Conclusion:
We will never be able to accomplish the work that God has for us apart from the Holy Spirit.
How do we access the Spirit of God?
prayer (Acts 1:14)
repentance (Acts 2:38)
______________________________________________________________________
May 29th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Title: Gospel Culture
Text: Luke 12:13-34
Campus: Rivermont
What does it look like for us as local church to be what Jesus calls us to be in our culture today?
The people of God (the church) are called to live for what is eternal over what is temporary.
Jesus shows us how we can live as radically selfless and generous people: because of the abundance that we have in Him.
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14“Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops?
18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:13-21
MY crops, MY grain, MY goods, MY barn”... “Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself”
The problem is that this man is acting like an owner, when he is actually a steward.
Steward = to be entrusted by an owner to manage, take care of, and keep an account of their property/duties
Click here to see image
We are secure in the love that God has for us, and He promises to give us everything we need.
22 Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? 29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.
Luke 12: 22-31
Jesus doesn’t relieve worry by telling us that He will provide every material desire. He relieves worry by pointing us what we already have: an eternal kingdom that He loves to give us.
32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:32-34
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.
Luke 9:24
Jesus, what/where is my treasure? And what does that say about my heart right now?
Jesus, help me to live for you and your kingdom, knowing that my security does not come from my earthly circumstances. My security comes from the fact that you have adopted me as your child, you love me, and you will give me what I need. I trust you, Jesus, please give me faith where my trust is lacking. Thank you for your grace, which covers worry, greed, selfishness, and every other sin, and which allows me to live freely as your child as I seek to be more like You. Amen.
__________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Psalm 61:1-8
Campus: College Hill
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Psalm 56:3-4a
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer.
I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength.
Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower in the face of the enemy.
I will dwell in your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
God, you have heard my vows;
you have given a heritage to those who fear your name.
Add days to the king’s life; may his years span many generations.
May he sit enthroned before God forever.
Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.
Then I will continually sing of your name, fulfilling my vows day by day.
Psalm 61:1-8 (CSB)
God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer.
When I’m far from anywhere, down to my last gasp,
I call out, “Guide me up High Rock Mountain!”
You’ve always given me breathing room,
a place to get away from it all,
A lifetime pass to your safe-house,
an open invitation as your guest.
You’ve always taken me seriously, God,
made me welcome among those who know and love you.
Let the days of the king add up to years and years of good rule.
Set his throne in the full light of God;
post Steady Love and Good Faith as lookouts,
And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory—
and live what I sing every day.
Psalm 61:1-8 (The Message)
Three Movements:
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before him.
God is our refuge. Selah
Psalm 62:8 (CSB)
Our Supplications:
-What requests do you personally have?
-Ask God to bless and use our church
-Ask God to heal our community and country
-Ask God to use the global church to share his love with those who are hurting
__________________________________________________________________
Title: Gospel Culture
Text: Luke 12:13-34
Campus: Rivermont
What does it look like for us as local church to be what Jesus calls us to be in our culture today?
The people of God (the church) are called to live for what is eternal over what is temporary.
Jesus shows us how we can live as radically selfless and generous people: because of the abundance that we have in Him.
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14“Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops?
18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:13-21
MY crops, MY grain, MY goods, MY barn”... “Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself”
The problem is that this man is acting like an owner, when he is actually a steward.
Steward = to be entrusted by an owner to manage, take care of, and keep an account of their property/duties
Click here to see image
We are secure in the love that God has for us, and He promises to give us everything we need.
22 Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? 29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.
Luke 12: 22-31
Jesus doesn’t relieve worry by telling us that He will provide every material desire. He relieves worry by pointing us what we already have: an eternal kingdom that He loves to give us.
32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:32-34
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.
Luke 9:24
Jesus, what/where is my treasure? And what does that say about my heart right now?
Jesus, help me to live for you and your kingdom, knowing that my security does not come from my earthly circumstances. My security comes from the fact that you have adopted me as your child, you love me, and you will give me what I need. I trust you, Jesus, please give me faith where my trust is lacking. Thank you for your grace, which covers worry, greed, selfishness, and every other sin, and which allows me to live freely as your child as I seek to be more like You. Amen.
__________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Psalm 61:1-8
Campus: College Hill
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Psalm 56:3-4a
- Acknowledge our fear (burdens/concerns)
- Actively place our trust in God
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer.
I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength.
Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower in the face of the enemy.
I will dwell in your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
God, you have heard my vows;
you have given a heritage to those who fear your name.
Add days to the king’s life; may his years span many generations.
May he sit enthroned before God forever.
Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.
Then I will continually sing of your name, fulfilling my vows day by day.
Psalm 61:1-8 (CSB)
God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer.
When I’m far from anywhere, down to my last gasp,
I call out, “Guide me up High Rock Mountain!”
You’ve always given me breathing room,
a place to get away from it all,
A lifetime pass to your safe-house,
an open invitation as your guest.
You’ve always taken me seriously, God,
made me welcome among those who know and love you.
Let the days of the king add up to years and years of good rule.
Set his throne in the full light of God;
post Steady Love and Good Faith as lookouts,
And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory—
and live what I sing every day.
Psalm 61:1-8 (The Message)
Three Movements:
- What’s going on inside of us? Naming fears and concerns.
- Bring our concerns to God.
- Bring our requests to God.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before him.
God is our refuge. Selah
Psalm 62:8 (CSB)
Our Supplications:
-What requests do you personally have?
-Ask God to bless and use our church
-Ask God to heal our community and country
-Ask God to use the global church to share his love with those who are hurting
__________________________________________________________________
May 22nd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: The Gift of Giving
Text: Proverbs 11:17, 24-25
Campus: Rivermont
Proverbs 11:17, 24-25
A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.
One person gives freely, yet gains more;
another withholds what is right,
only to become poor.
A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water
will receive water.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God
Click here to see image: Black Panther
A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.
Proverbs 11:17
One person gives freely,
yet gains more;
another withholds what is right,
only to become poor.
Proverbs 11:24
A generous person will flourish, and the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.
Romans 12:13
In every way, I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
Click here to see image: Human Flourishing
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
This is how we know what love is - that Christ laid down his life for us. In this same way, we also lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:13-14
Click here to see image: Reaching Out
“In our world full of strangers, estranged from their own past, culture and country, from their neighbors, friends and family, from their deepest self and their God, we witness a painful search for a hospitable place where life can be lived without fear and where community can be found.
Although many, we might even say most, strangers in this world become easily the victim of a fearful hostility, it is possible for men and women and obligatory for Christians to offer an open and hospitable space where strangers can cast off their strangeness and become our fellow human beings.
The movement from hostility to hospitality is hard and full of difficulties. Our society seems to be increasingly full of fearful, defensive, aggressive people anxiously clinging to their property and inclined to look at their surrounding world with suspicion, always expecting an enemy to suddenly appear, intrude and do harm. But still - that is our vocation: to convert the [stranger] to [family], the enemy into a guest, and the create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.”
~Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: God’s Kingdom of Renewal
Text: Acts 1:1-5; Luke 17:20-35
Campus: College Hill
The Lord's Prayer:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:1-3 (CSB)
The kingdom of God was never simply about recruiting more people into heaven - it was about the commencement of drawing a broken people into a genuine renewal with God, ourselves and the rest of the creation. The Christian story has always been about the renewal of all things.
Click here to see image: rapids
Click here to see image: headlines
The Kingdom of God has already been commenced by Jesus, but it has yet to be consummated as “all things new”.
—------------------------------------------------------------------
Commenced not consummated.
The in-breaking kingdom, here on earth, was never promised to be a cure for our suffering before its consummation, but what this Kingdom does promise is renewal in the midst of our suffering.
When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say,[h]‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
Luke 17:20-21 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets us in the reality of our struggles, and is ushering us into the newness of life
The clustered and covenanted people of God are his primary plan for expressing the prayer “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Then he told the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. They will say to you, ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day. But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Luke 17:22-25 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to make his life secure[j][k] will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:26-35 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counter-intuitive.
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:4-5 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
5. The in-breaking kingdom was extended by Jesus through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is mobilizing His church to be a sign and foretaste of God’s future in the present.
_____________________________________________________________________
Title: The Gift of Giving
Text: Proverbs 11:17, 24-25
Campus: Rivermont
Proverbs 11:17, 24-25
A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.
One person gives freely, yet gains more;
another withholds what is right,
only to become poor.
A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water
will receive water.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God
Click here to see image: Black Panther
A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.
Proverbs 11:17
One person gives freely,
yet gains more;
another withholds what is right,
only to become poor.
Proverbs 11:24
A generous person will flourish, and the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.
Romans 12:13
In every way, I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
Click here to see image: Human Flourishing
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
This is how we know what love is - that Christ laid down his life for us. In this same way, we also lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
- Slow our lives down to be present to God, ourselves, and others.
- Make loving commitments to love and serve others.
- Follow through on those commitments.
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:13-14
Click here to see image: Reaching Out
“In our world full of strangers, estranged from their own past, culture and country, from their neighbors, friends and family, from their deepest self and their God, we witness a painful search for a hospitable place where life can be lived without fear and where community can be found.
Although many, we might even say most, strangers in this world become easily the victim of a fearful hostility, it is possible for men and women and obligatory for Christians to offer an open and hospitable space where strangers can cast off their strangeness and become our fellow human beings.
The movement from hostility to hospitality is hard and full of difficulties. Our society seems to be increasingly full of fearful, defensive, aggressive people anxiously clinging to their property and inclined to look at their surrounding world with suspicion, always expecting an enemy to suddenly appear, intrude and do harm. But still - that is our vocation: to convert the [stranger] to [family], the enemy into a guest, and the create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.”
~Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: God’s Kingdom of Renewal
Text: Acts 1:1-5; Luke 17:20-35
Campus: College Hill
The Lord's Prayer:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:1-3 (CSB)
The kingdom of God was never simply about recruiting more people into heaven - it was about the commencement of drawing a broken people into a genuine renewal with God, ourselves and the rest of the creation. The Christian story has always been about the renewal of all things.
Click here to see image: rapids
Click here to see image: headlines
The Kingdom of God has already been commenced by Jesus, but it has yet to be consummated as “all things new”.
—------------------------------------------------------------------
Commenced not consummated.
The in-breaking kingdom, here on earth, was never promised to be a cure for our suffering before its consummation, but what this Kingdom does promise is renewal in the midst of our suffering.
When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say,[h]‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
Luke 17:20-21 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets us in the reality of our struggles, and is ushering us into the newness of life
The clustered and covenanted people of God are his primary plan for expressing the prayer “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Then he told the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. They will say to you, ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day. But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Luke 17:22-25 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to make his life secure[j][k] will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:26-35 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counter-intuitive.
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:4-5 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
5. The in-breaking kingdom was extended by Jesus through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is mobilizing His church to be a sign and foretaste of God’s future in the present.
_____________________________________________________________________
May 15th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: 4 Cultural Markers of Gospel Renewal
Text: Matthew 12:46-50
Campus: Rivermont
While he was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50
Click here for image: Hellerman Book Cover
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[b] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:23-31
To follow Jesus is to enter into the Kingdom of Jesus through the cross, by way of allegiance to Jesus and belonging to his family.
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time in a moment here and now
Click here for image: Dynamics of Spiritual Life
Multicultural Community
Courageous Witness
Beneath the Surface Transformation
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
Multicultural Community
“The way our lives are set up is broken. The structures, habits, practices, and values. Our city planning, markets, careers, laws, and entertainment—all have been designed with a false idea of what a human being is. Collectively we assume that to be a human is to belong only and ever to yourself. Thus, friendships can be a nice perk of a successful life, but friends can’t demand anything of you that you don’t choose to give. At any point, if a friendship is holding you back or bringing you down, you can bail. Because the only person you owe happiness to is yourself.
We lack the essential conditions for meaningful friendships: time, proximity, and priority.”
~Alan Noble, “Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age”
If the Spirit of God is going to bring revival to the church, we will see a movement of meaningful multicultural relationships.
Courageous Witness
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Click here for Image: Rainbow Flag on White House
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.
Galatians 5:13
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a shift in how Christians witness courageously and publicly to Jesus’ better and beautiful vision for human flourishing.
Beneath the surface transformation
Click here for Image: Iceberg
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a revival of spiritual practices that form us - body, mind, heart, and soul - into the image of Jesus.
My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19
Click here for Image: Resilient Disciples
Pew Research
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time, bringing more of the future Kingdom to this present moment, for God’s glory.
For this kind of work and ministry, we will need more prayer than we can comprehend.
form + fire
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:9, 13
______________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Romans 12
Text: Romans 12:3-8
Campus: College Hill
The Church is:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 (CSB)
The metaphor of the body communicates the uniqueness and usefulness of everyone who is a part of the church.
In relationship and proximity with local brothers and sisters our faith is formed, tested, sharpened and applied.
God has designed the local church to be an intimate community where everyone contributes according to their ability.
For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:3-8 (CSB)
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
Romans 12:4-5
God’s design for the church:
1) Union with Christ (v. 5)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
God’s design for the church:
2) United but not uniform (vv. 4, 6)
God has uniquely designed, and positioned, each one of us to be a blessing to each other and to the world.
God’s design for the church:
3) Everyone is useful (contributes) (vv. 6-8)
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
God has designed the local church to be an intimate community where everyone contributes according to their ability.
What if we embraced God’s vision for the church?
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 (CSB)
_____________________________________________________________________
Title: 4 Cultural Markers of Gospel Renewal
Text: Matthew 12:46-50
Campus: Rivermont
While he was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50
Click here for image: Hellerman Book Cover
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[b] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:23-31
To follow Jesus is to enter into the Kingdom of Jesus through the cross, by way of allegiance to Jesus and belonging to his family.
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time in a moment here and now
Click here for image: Dynamics of Spiritual Life
Multicultural Community
Courageous Witness
Beneath the Surface Transformation
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
Multicultural Community
“The way our lives are set up is broken. The structures, habits, practices, and values. Our city planning, markets, careers, laws, and entertainment—all have been designed with a false idea of what a human being is. Collectively we assume that to be a human is to belong only and ever to yourself. Thus, friendships can be a nice perk of a successful life, but friends can’t demand anything of you that you don’t choose to give. At any point, if a friendship is holding you back or bringing you down, you can bail. Because the only person you owe happiness to is yourself.
We lack the essential conditions for meaningful friendships: time, proximity, and priority.”
~Alan Noble, “Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age”
If the Spirit of God is going to bring revival to the church, we will see a movement of meaningful multicultural relationships.
Courageous Witness
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Click here for Image: Rainbow Flag on White House
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.
Galatians 5:13
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a shift in how Christians witness courageously and publicly to Jesus’ better and beautiful vision for human flourishing.
Beneath the surface transformation
Click here for Image: Iceberg
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a revival of spiritual practices that form us - body, mind, heart, and soul - into the image of Jesus.
My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19
Click here for Image: Resilient Disciples
Pew Research
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time, bringing more of the future Kingdom to this present moment, for God’s glory.
For this kind of work and ministry, we will need more prayer than we can comprehend.
form + fire
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:9, 13
______________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Romans 12
Text: Romans 12:3-8
Campus: College Hill
The Church is:
- a group of people who are rescued by the Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live on mission;
- the gathering of those people, in community, in various locations to celebrate the gospel and to be equipped to live out the gospel in the world.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 (CSB)
The metaphor of the body communicates the uniqueness and usefulness of everyone who is a part of the church.
In relationship and proximity with local brothers and sisters our faith is formed, tested, sharpened and applied.
God has designed the local church to be an intimate community where everyone contributes according to their ability.
For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:3-8 (CSB)
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
Romans 12:4-5
God’s design for the church:
1) Union with Christ (v. 5)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
God’s design for the church:
2) United but not uniform (vv. 4, 6)
God has uniquely designed, and positioned, each one of us to be a blessing to each other and to the world.
God’s design for the church:
3) Everyone is useful (contributes) (vv. 6-8)
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
God has designed the local church to be an intimate community where everyone contributes according to their ability.
What if we embraced God’s vision for the church?
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 (CSB)
_____________________________________________________________________
May 8th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Gospel Culture Part 2
Text: Matthew 12:46-50
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[b] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:23-31
Multicultural Community
Courageous Witness
Beneath the Surface Transformation
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
Multicultural Community
If the Spirit of God is going to bring revival to the church, we will see a movement of meaningful multicultural relationships.
Courageous Witness
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a shift in how Christians witness courageoulsy and publically to Jesus’ better and beautiful vision for human flourishing.
Beneath the surface transformation
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a revival of spiritual practices that form us - body, mind, heart, and soul - into the image of Jesus.
My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time, bringing more of the future Kingdom to this present moment, for God’s glory. For this kind of work and ministry, we will need more prayer than we can comprehend.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9
“ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:13
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: God’s Redemptive Story
Text: various
Campus: College Hill
Jesus offers compassion and redemption.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
Genesis 1:26-31 (CSB)
Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, “Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.” Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”
Revelation 19:6-9
Sarah was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.
Genesis 11:30
Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
Genesis 16:1-2
”Sin isnʼt only doing bad things; it’s more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.”
~ Tim Keller
Jesus is our source of healing and the bridge between our reality and our final destination.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (CSB)
-Love
I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
John 13:34
-Honor
Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.
Romans 12:10
-Serve
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
Galatians 5:13
-Forgive
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:32
-Speak the truth
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:15, 25
-Pray + Confess
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
James 5:16
If we believe Jesus - receive his compassion and embrace healthy Christian community, we get a taste of God’s Kingdom on earth.
“Where the ideal is lacking, grace abounds.”
~ Matt Chandler
_____________________________________________________________________
Title: Gospel Culture Part 2
Text: Matthew 12:46-50
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[b] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:23-31
Multicultural Community
Courageous Witness
Beneath the Surface Transformation
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
Multicultural Community
If the Spirit of God is going to bring revival to the church, we will see a movement of meaningful multicultural relationships.
Courageous Witness
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a shift in how Christians witness courageoulsy and publically to Jesus’ better and beautiful vision for human flourishing.
Beneath the surface transformation
A move of God in this cultural moment will mean a revival of spiritual practices that form us - body, mind, heart, and soul - into the image of Jesus.
My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19
Spirit-filled Prayer and Worship
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8
Revival is an acceleration of the normal work of the Spirit over time, bringing more of the future Kingdom to this present moment, for God’s glory. For this kind of work and ministry, we will need more prayer than we can comprehend.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9
“ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Luke 11:13
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: God’s Redemptive Story
Text: various
Campus: College Hill
Jesus offers compassion and redemption.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
Genesis 1:26-31 (CSB)
Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, “Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.” Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”
Revelation 19:6-9
Sarah was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.
Genesis 11:30
Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
Genesis 16:1-2
”Sin isnʼt only doing bad things; it’s more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.”
~ Tim Keller
Jesus is our source of healing and the bridge between our reality and our final destination.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (CSB)
-Love
I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
John 13:34
-Honor
Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.
Romans 12:10
-Serve
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
Galatians 5:13
-Forgive
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:32
-Speak the truth
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:15, 25
-Pray + Confess
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
James 5:16
If we believe Jesus - receive his compassion and embrace healthy Christian community, we get a taste of God’s Kingdom on earth.
“Where the ideal is lacking, grace abounds.”
~ Matt Chandler
_____________________________________________________________________
May 1st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: The Kingdom of God
Text: Acts 1:1-5; Luke 17:20-35
Campus: Rivermont
The Lord's Prayer:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:1-5 (CSB)
The kingdom of God was never simply about recruiting more people into heaven - it was about the commencement of drawing a broken people into a genuine renewal with God, ourselves and the rest of the creation. The Christian story has always been about the renewal of all things.
Click here to see slide
The Kingdom of God that has already been commenced by Jesus, but it has yet to be consummated as “all things new”.
_____________
Commenced not consummated.
The in-breaking kingdom, here on earth, was never promised to be a cure for our suffering before its consummation, but what it does promise is renewal in the midst of our suffering.
When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
Luke 17:20-21 (CSB)
1. The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
The clustered and covenanted people of God are his primary plan for expressing the prayer “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Then he told the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. They will say to you, ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day. But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Luke 17:22-25 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to make his life secure[j][k] will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:26-35 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:4-5 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
5. The in-breaking kingdom of Jesus was extended through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is mobilizing His church to be a sign and foretaste of God’s future in the present.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Spirit-filled Gospel Culture
Text: Acts 11:19-21, 26b
Campus: College Hill
GCC exists to glorify God by making disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out w/ the love of Christ.
The Church in Antioch began in the midst of adversity and anonymity, but it became ground zero for a Spirit-filled missional movement.
Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21, (CSB)
The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 26b
What does a Spirit-filled missional movement look like?
1) A Spirit-filled missional movement is established on the gospel of Jesus Christ and is marked by Christ himself (Acts 11:26).
and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 11:26
2) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by generosity (Acts 11:27-29).
In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius. Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11:27-30
3) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by diversity (Acts 13:1).
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13:1
4) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by dependence on the Spirit (Acts 13:2).
As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2
5) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by multiplication (Acts 13:3).
Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
Acts 13:3
We want to be a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, gospel community, living on mission in our homes, community, and world.
_____________________________________________________________________
Title: The Kingdom of God
Text: Acts 1:1-5; Luke 17:20-35
Campus: Rivermont
The Lord's Prayer:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:1-5 (CSB)
The kingdom of God was never simply about recruiting more people into heaven - it was about the commencement of drawing a broken people into a genuine renewal with God, ourselves and the rest of the creation. The Christian story has always been about the renewal of all things.
Click here to see slide
The Kingdom of God that has already been commenced by Jesus, but it has yet to be consummated as “all things new”.
_____________
Commenced not consummated.
The in-breaking kingdom, here on earth, was never promised to be a cure for our suffering before its consummation, but what it does promise is renewal in the midst of our suffering.
When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
Luke 17:20-21 (CSB)
1. The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
The clustered and covenanted people of God are his primary plan for expressing the prayer “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Then he told the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. They will say to you, ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day. But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Luke 17:22-25 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to make his life secure[j][k] will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:26-35 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:4-5 (CSB)
1 The in-breaking kingdom commenced with the person of Jesus.
2. The in-breaking kingdom meets you in the reality of your struggles, and is ushering you into the newness of life
3. The in-breaking kingdom is moving, subtly, but powerfully in the everyday lives of normal people. However, the consummation of this kingdom will come in cosmic power, plain and unconcealed for the world to see.
4. The in-breaking kingdom is counterintuitive.
5. The in-breaking kingdom of Jesus was extended through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is mobilizing His church to be a sign and foretaste of God’s future in the present.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Spirit-filled Gospel Culture
Text: Acts 11:19-21, 26b
Campus: College Hill
GCC exists to glorify God by making disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out w/ the love of Christ.
The Church in Antioch began in the midst of adversity and anonymity, but it became ground zero for a Spirit-filled missional movement.
Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21, (CSB)
The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 26b
What does a Spirit-filled missional movement look like?
1) A Spirit-filled missional movement is established on the gospel of Jesus Christ and is marked by Christ himself (Acts 11:26).
and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 11:26
2) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by generosity (Acts 11:27-29).
In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius. Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11:27-30
3) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by diversity (Acts 13:1).
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13:1
4) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by dependence on the Spirit (Acts 13:2).
As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2
5) A Spirit-filled missional movement is marked by multiplication (Acts 13:3).
Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
Acts 13:3
We want to be a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, gospel community, living on mission in our homes, community, and world.
_____________________________________________________________________
April 24th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Baptism Sunday
Text: 2 Chronicles 20:12b
Campus: Rivermont
What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
Romans 6:1-14 (CSB)
“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24
“Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What is God’s heart for this church?
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
2 Chronicles 20:12b
“So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking, receives; and he who keeps on seeking, finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
Luke 11:9-13
Title: Baptism Sunday
Text: 2 Chronicles 20:12b
Campus: Rivermont
What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
Romans 6:1-14 (CSB)
“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24
“Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What is God’s heart for this church?
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
2 Chronicles 20:12b
“So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking, receives; and he who keeps on seeking, finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
Luke 11:9-13
April 17th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Resurrection & Revival
Text: Luke 24:1-53, portions of Acts 1 & 2
Campus: Rivermont
Nobody believes in a bodily resurrection…until it happens.
What if Jesus really did rise from the dead?
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they[a] came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” And they remembered his words.
Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths.[b] So he went away, amazed at what had happened.
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they[d] were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having[e] with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked them.
So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow[f] to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Luke 24:1-35
The direction of our desires determines our capacity for delight.
“Pay attention! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.”
Revelation 3:20
As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.8 “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:36-38
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:39-45
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:46-53
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:4-8
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12-14
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[a] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
Acts 2:22-24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.
Acts 2:32-33
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Acts 2:37
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[a] generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.
Acts 2:38-41
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number[a] those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
The credibility of the message was evidenced by the integrity of their community.
A revived church that has encountered the resurrected Jesus becomes a courageous and compelling witness to a watching world.
The credibility of the message is determined by the integrity of the community.
The church is a community that demonstrates the gospel by our life together and love for one another, and declares the gospel in word and deed.
What if Jesus really did rise from the dead?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Resurrection Sunday
Text: Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 2:22-24, 32
Campus: College Hill
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.
The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news.
Matthew 28:1-8 (CSB)
Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Matthew 28:9-10
Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. For David says of him:
Acts 2:22-24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. “
Acts 2:32
Who is Jesus Christ?
“Immanuel” - which means “God with us.”
Jesus is God in the flesh, saying “I love you…”
God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
Acts 2:24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. “
Acts 2:32
The resurrection validates everything Jesus did and said.
Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38
Two responses to the gospel:
Title: Resurrection & Revival
Text: Luke 24:1-53, portions of Acts 1 & 2
Campus: Rivermont
Nobody believes in a bodily resurrection…until it happens.
What if Jesus really did rise from the dead?
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they[a] came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” And they remembered his words.
Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths.[b] So he went away, amazed at what had happened.
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they[d] were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having[e] with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked them.
So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow[f] to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Luke 24:1-35
The direction of our desires determines our capacity for delight.
“Pay attention! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.”
Revelation 3:20
As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.8 “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:36-38
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:39-45
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:46-53
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:4-8
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12-14
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[a] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
Acts 2:22-24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.
Acts 2:32-33
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Acts 2:37
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[a] generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.
Acts 2:38-41
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number[a] those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
The credibility of the message was evidenced by the integrity of their community.
A revived church that has encountered the resurrected Jesus becomes a courageous and compelling witness to a watching world.
The credibility of the message is determined by the integrity of the community.
The church is a community that demonstrates the gospel by our life together and love for one another, and declares the gospel in word and deed.
What if Jesus really did rise from the dead?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Resurrection Sunday
Text: Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 2:22-24, 32
Campus: College Hill
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.
The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news.
Matthew 28:1-8 (CSB)
Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Matthew 28:9-10
Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. For David says of him:
Acts 2:22-24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. “
Acts 2:32
Who is Jesus Christ?
“Immanuel” - which means “God with us.”
Jesus is God in the flesh, saying “I love you…”
God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
Acts 2:24
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. “
Acts 2:32
The resurrection validates everything Jesus did and said.
Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38
Two responses to the gospel:
- some mocked (Acts 2:13)
- but others accepted the message (Acts 2:41)
April 10th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewal (week 6)
Text: Joel 3:1-21
Campus: Rivermont
When God brings restoration and revival to his people, it spills out into the world around us, bringing justice and renewal to the culture.
Our Prayer: That God would bring healing to our hearts, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future that brings gospel-renewal to the culture.
“Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land.
Joel 3:1-2
They cast lots for my people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.”
Joel 3:3
the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David.
2 Chronicles 17:3
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah and they gathered to seek the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. He said:
“Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”
Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 20:5-11
Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.”
All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”
Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him. Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly
In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.”
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.
2 Chronicles 20:11-23
Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.
2 Chronicles 20:30
However the high places were not all taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 20:33
Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
Joel 3:12
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will cease their shining.
The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again.
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias.
Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah in whose land they shed innocent blood.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Joel 3:14-21
When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”
So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, and some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go.
They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Mark 11:1-11
One day, the whole world will be the way it is when Jesus enters broken spaces.
When Jesus brings restoration and revival to his people, it spills out into the world around us, bringing justice and renewal to the culture.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewal (week 6)
Text: Joel 3:1-21
Campus: College Hill
Joy restored is connected to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Joy restored is anchored in an ultimate future - a future where there is true justice and abundant blessing.
“Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.”
Joel 3:1-3 (CSB)
God doesn’t promise that everything will be back to normal, but he promises that justice and full restoration is possible and it is coming.
Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
Swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come and trample the grapes because the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is extreme.
Joel 3:12-13
“The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again.
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias.
Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah in whose land they shed innocent blood.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Joel 3:16-21
Those who take refuge in the Lord:
“The closing promise that Yahweh would dwell in Zion gives final vindication to the people of Jerusalem. After all of their sufferings of locusts, drought, and warfare, the vow that God would dwell eternally among them is the reassurance that they were not abandoned. In God they had an eternal home because God dwells among them.” ~Duane A. Garrett
Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
John 12:44-50 (CSB)
Jesus took the punishment for our sins, our judgement, upon himself.
Enduring joy is anchored in an ultimate future - a future where there is true justice and abundant blessing.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewal (week 6)
Text: Joel 3:1-21
Campus: Rivermont
When God brings restoration and revival to his people, it spills out into the world around us, bringing justice and renewal to the culture.
Our Prayer: That God would bring healing to our hearts, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future that brings gospel-renewal to the culture.
“Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land.
Joel 3:1-2
They cast lots for my people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.”
Joel 3:3
the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David.
2 Chronicles 17:3
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah and they gathered to seek the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. He said:
“Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”
Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 20:5-11
Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.”
All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”
Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him. Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly
In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.”
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.
2 Chronicles 20:11-23
Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.
2 Chronicles 20:30
However the high places were not all taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 20:33
Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
Joel 3:12
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will cease their shining.
The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again.
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias.
Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah in whose land they shed innocent blood.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Joel 3:14-21
When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”
So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, and some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go.
They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Mark 11:1-11
One day, the whole world will be the way it is when Jesus enters broken spaces.
When Jesus brings restoration and revival to his people, it spills out into the world around us, bringing justice and renewal to the culture.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewal (week 6)
Text: Joel 3:1-21
Campus: College Hill
Joy restored is connected to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Joy restored is anchored in an ultimate future - a future where there is true justice and abundant blessing.
“Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.”
Joel 3:1-3 (CSB)
God doesn’t promise that everything will be back to normal, but he promises that justice and full restoration is possible and it is coming.
Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
Swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come and trample the grapes because the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is extreme.
Joel 3:12-13
“The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again.
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias.
Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah in whose land they shed innocent blood.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Joel 3:16-21
Those who take refuge in the Lord:
- will live in the presence of God (v. 17)
- are safe and secure (v. 17)
- will experience abundance (v. 18)
- are assured that evil will be definitively punished (v. 19)
“The closing promise that Yahweh would dwell in Zion gives final vindication to the people of Jerusalem. After all of their sufferings of locusts, drought, and warfare, the vow that God would dwell eternally among them is the reassurance that they were not abandoned. In God they had an eternal home because God dwells among them.” ~Duane A. Garrett
Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
John 12:44-50 (CSB)
Jesus took the punishment for our sins, our judgement, upon himself.
Enduring joy is anchored in an ultimate future - a future where there is true justice and abundant blessing.
______________________________________________________________________
April 3rd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Revealed: Revival (week 5)
Text: Joel 2:28-32
Campus: Rivermont
FAITH
I want to write about faith, [sometimes easier to just talk about it]
about the way the moon rises
over cold snow, night after night,
faithful even as it fades from fullness,
slowly becoming that last curving and impossible
sliver of light before the final darkness. [cont. On, however small, even as the light of faith seems to dim as the nights go on]
But I have no faith myself, [at least it seems to me now]
I refuse it the smallest entry. [mind, too clouded by doubts, no room for anything esle]
Let this then, my small poem,
like a new moon, slender and barely open,
be the first prayer that opens me to faith.
‘FAITH’
From River Flow
New and Selected Poems
©David Whyte and Many Rivers Press
“Lord, increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.
I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32
“Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Return to the Lord your God with your whole heart.”
Joel 2:12
“You will know that I am present…and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.”
Joel 2:27
After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.
Joel 2:28-29
YHWH
Hebrew word for “Spirit” is ruach, which means breath or wind.
The personal presence of God, the person we call Holy Spirit, is his presence manifested, made known, actively bringing the Kingdom of God to bear in and around us.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:14-16
And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.
I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:17-21
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.”
Acts 2:22-24
One day, the whole world will be the way it is when Jesus enters broken spaces.
Salvation in the language of the Bible is healing and freedom in every dimension of life - relational, spiritual, emotional, psychological
The Spirit-empowered church is a community of impossibility.
"The working power of the Spirit was the distinguishing factor that identified Christians in the book of Acts."
~Ben Witherington III
A church experiencing revival becomes a demonstration community - the Spirit of God at work in and through us to bring healing and freedom in every domain of life, drawing people to Jesus.
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:
Acts 2:32-33
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”
Acts 2:36-40
Jesus wants to signal Ultimate Restoration now by his presence and power now in and through the Body of Christ.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: James Hobson
Title: Joy Revealed (week 5)
Text: Joel 2:28-32
Campus: College Hill
After this
I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.
I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,
among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Revealed: Revival (week 5)
Text: Joel 2:28-32
Campus: Rivermont
FAITH
I want to write about faith, [sometimes easier to just talk about it]
about the way the moon rises
over cold snow, night after night,
faithful even as it fades from fullness,
slowly becoming that last curving and impossible
sliver of light before the final darkness. [cont. On, however small, even as the light of faith seems to dim as the nights go on]
But I have no faith myself, [at least it seems to me now]
I refuse it the smallest entry. [mind, too clouded by doubts, no room for anything esle]
Let this then, my small poem,
like a new moon, slender and barely open,
be the first prayer that opens me to faith.
‘FAITH’
From River Flow
New and Selected Poems
©David Whyte and Many Rivers Press
“Lord, increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.
I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32
“Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Return to the Lord your God with your whole heart.”
Joel 2:12
“You will know that I am present…and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.”
Joel 2:27
After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.
Joel 2:28-29
YHWH
Hebrew word for “Spirit” is ruach, which means breath or wind.
The personal presence of God, the person we call Holy Spirit, is his presence manifested, made known, actively bringing the Kingdom of God to bear in and around us.
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:14-16
And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.
I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:17-21
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.”
Acts 2:22-24
One day, the whole world will be the way it is when Jesus enters broken spaces.
Salvation in the language of the Bible is healing and freedom in every dimension of life - relational, spiritual, emotional, psychological
The Spirit-empowered church is a community of impossibility.
"The working power of the Spirit was the distinguishing factor that identified Christians in the book of Acts."
~Ben Witherington III
A church experiencing revival becomes a demonstration community - the Spirit of God at work in and through us to bring healing and freedom in every domain of life, drawing people to Jesus.
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:
Acts 2:32-33
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”
Acts 2:36-40
Jesus wants to signal Ultimate Restoration now by his presence and power now in and through the Body of Christ.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: James Hobson
Title: Joy Revealed (week 5)
Text: Joel 2:28-32
Campus: College Hill
After this
I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
I will even pour out my Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.
I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,
among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32
______________________________________________________________________
March 27th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Revealed: The Path to Restored Joy (Week 4)
Text: Joel 2:26-27
Campus: Rivermont
Restoring Joy: We’re asking God to bring healing to our lives, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future.
Joel 1:1-2:11 // Reckon: Name the Problem
Indeed, human joy has dried up.
Joel 1:12
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
Joel 2:12-17 // Repentance: The Practice
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Revival tarries until God has our full attention.
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all the generations to come.
A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them.
Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses.
They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war. Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.
They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course.
They do not push each other; each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.
The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.
The Lord makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large; those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful—who can endure it?
Even now—this is the Lord’s declaration—turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
Joel 2:1-13
Adoration: being spontaneously caught up in the beauty of another; selfless
Our circumstances are on fire with the presence of God. And Worship, then, is awakening to the wonder of the proximity of God. Losing ourselves in the beauty of God.
Joel 2:18-25 // Restoration: God’s Promise
Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people.
The Lord answered his people: “Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—my great army that I sent against you.”
Joel 2:18-25
Seeking God with our whole heart is the only reasonable response to God’s passionate love for us.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.
My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
Joel 2:26-27
Reconciliation: The Path to Restoration
There is no restoration without reconciliation.
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
"Hearing God is one of the most astounding yet confusing things you will ever learn to do. (And it’s probably already happening more than you realize)."
~ Pete Greig, How To Hear God
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Title: Joy Revealed (Week 4)
Text: Joel 2:26-27
Campus: College Hill
I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—my great army that I sent against you.
You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame.
You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame
Joel 2:25-27
“Joy has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with happiness and pleasure— the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again… All joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still “about to be.”
~ C.S. Lewis
Restoration: The act of returning something to a former owner, place or condition.
Our story didn’t start in Genesis three. It started in Genesis one when we were created in the image of God.
“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”
~ Mother Teresa
You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.
Joel 2:27
“Guilt is about the what; shame is about the who. Guilt says ‘what I did was bad.’ Shame says ‘I am bad.’ Guilt thinks to itself, ‘what I did was unloving and I need to make it right.’ Shame thinks ‘I am unlovable, and there’s no hope for me.’ Guilt is a gentle hint we need to repair something. It’s also a part of how we mature into people of love.”
~ John Mark Comer
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
Revelation 21:1-4
I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.
They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:22-27
Two Practical Takeaways
1. God can heal your brokenness
2. Live in Community
Three Questions
1. Where is there lingering shame in your life that is pushing you from God and those
around you?
2. Have you accepted the freedom and forgiveness found in a God who longs to be WITH
you?
3. Who in your life do you need to remind that they are not alone?
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Revealed: The Path to Restored Joy (Week 4)
Text: Joel 2:26-27
Campus: Rivermont
Restoring Joy: We’re asking God to bring healing to our lives, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future.
Joel 1:1-2:11 // Reckon: Name the Problem
Indeed, human joy has dried up.
Joel 1:12
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
Joel 2:12-17 // Repentance: The Practice
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Revival tarries until God has our full attention.
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all the generations to come.
A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them.
Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses.
They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war. Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.
They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course.
They do not push each other; each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.
The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.
The Lord makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large; those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful—who can endure it?
Even now—this is the Lord’s declaration—turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
Joel 2:1-13
Adoration: being spontaneously caught up in the beauty of another; selfless
Our circumstances are on fire with the presence of God. And Worship, then, is awakening to the wonder of the proximity of God. Losing ourselves in the beauty of God.
Joel 2:18-25 // Restoration: God’s Promise
Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people.
The Lord answered his people: “Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—my great army that I sent against you.”
Joel 2:18-25
Seeking God with our whole heart is the only reasonable response to God’s passionate love for us.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.
My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
Joel 2:26-27
Reconciliation: The Path to Restoration
There is no restoration without reconciliation.
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
"Hearing God is one of the most astounding yet confusing things you will ever learn to do. (And it’s probably already happening more than you realize)."
~ Pete Greig, How To Hear God
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zachary Foster
Title: Joy Revealed (Week 4)
Text: Joel 2:26-27
Campus: College Hill
I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—my great army that I sent against you.
You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame.
You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame
Joel 2:25-27
“Joy has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with happiness and pleasure— the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again… All joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still “about to be.”
~ C.S. Lewis
Restoration: The act of returning something to a former owner, place or condition.
Our story didn’t start in Genesis three. It started in Genesis one when we were created in the image of God.
“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”
~ Mother Teresa
You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.
Joel 2:27
“Guilt is about the what; shame is about the who. Guilt says ‘what I did was bad.’ Shame says ‘I am bad.’ Guilt thinks to itself, ‘what I did was unloving and I need to make it right.’ Shame thinks ‘I am unlovable, and there’s no hope for me.’ Guilt is a gentle hint we need to repair something. It’s also a part of how we mature into people of love.”
~ John Mark Comer
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
Revelation 21:1-4
I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.
They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:22-27
Two Practical Takeaways
1. God can heal your brokenness
2. Live in Community
Three Questions
1. Where is there lingering shame in your life that is pushing you from God and those
around you?
2. Have you accepted the freedom and forgiveness found in a God who longs to be WITH
you?
3. Who in your life do you need to remind that they are not alone?
______________________________________________________________________
March 20th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewed Vision (week 3)
Text: Joel 2:18-25
Campus: Rivermont
Restoring Joy: We’re asking God to bring healing to our lives, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future.
indeed, human joy has dried up (Joel 1:12b)
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home
Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
Joel 2:16
Revival tarries until God has our full attention.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. The Lord answered his people:
“Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.”
Joel 2:18-24
I will restore the years the swarming locusts ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust - my great army that I sent against you.
Joel 2:25
Return to me with your whole heart…return to the Lord your God (Joel 2:12-13).
Seeking God with our whole heart is the only reasonable response to God’s passionate love for us.
The Kingdom of God flourishes even in exile and when nothing else does.
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
Mark 10:28
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[a] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.
Mark 10:29-30
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
Taking Ownership:
Sermon Notes:Austin Whiteheart
Title: Joy Restored (week 3)
Text: Joel 2:18-25
Campus: College Hill
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, restoration, revival and renewal.
Their sense of normal was disrupted, their worship was disrupted (1:9), and we are told that the people’s joy had dried up (1:12).
the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails (Joel 1:10)
Repentance is the consistent practice of recognizing where our hearts are not aligned with God, seeking His forgiveness and resting in the grace of Jesus, and making a commitment to change.
Tear your hearts, and not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
Joel 2:13
God meets our surrender with restoration in Christ, and He gives us more than we could have ever imagined.
Then the Lord became jealous for His land and spared His people.
Joel 2:18
Jealous = zeal, passion, desire, devotion, committed pursuit
God remembers His deep love and desire for His people, and He remembers His promises with them.
The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
Joel 2:19
God makes a promise to His people to restore that which was lost.
Today as the people of God, Jesus promises to satisfy our need, renew our worship, and restore our joy.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Joel 2:20
The people did not just need their physical needs met through grain and food, they needed their spiritual need for God’s forgiveness to be satisfied.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things. Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
Joel; 2:21-23
God doesn’t stop at simply restoring what was lost; He exceeds their expectations and goes above and beyond to give them an abundance!
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— my great army that I sent against you.
Joel 2:24-25
This is the goodness of God, that He would come to us Himself as Jesus to save us from our own sin and the judgment we deserved through His death and resurrection, that He would meet our need for forgiveness, renew our worship in Him as Lord, and restore our joy to it’s maximum fullness by bringing us into a relationship with Him and creating a new people of God, a new family in Christ: the church.
Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.”
Mark 10:29-30
This is what we are promised: We aren’t only given forgiveness from our sins, we are also given a family!
Through Jesus’ and His gift of being a new family under Him, we are satisfied, we worship together, and our joy overflows as Jesus fills us and we live life with one another.
_____________________________________________________
Title: Restoring Joy: Renewed Vision (week 3)
Text: Joel 2:18-25
Campus: Rivermont
Restoring Joy: We’re asking God to bring healing to our lives, revival to our church, and a renewed vision for the future.
indeed, human joy has dried up (Joel 1:12b)
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home
Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
Joel 2:16
Revival tarries until God has our full attention.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. The Lord answered his people:
“Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.”
Joel 2:18-24
I will restore the years the swarming locusts ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust - my great army that I sent against you.
Joel 2:25
Return to me with your whole heart…return to the Lord your God (Joel 2:12-13).
Seeking God with our whole heart is the only reasonable response to God’s passionate love for us.
The Kingdom of God flourishes even in exile and when nothing else does.
Peter began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
Mark 10:28
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[a] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.
Mark 10:29-30
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
Taking Ownership:
- Become a member. 01:DISCOVER + 02:BELONG.
- Practice the 4 G’s in community.
- Join us in seeking God for restored joy and renewed vision via the feedback form, prayer guide/journal/card/board.
Sermon Notes:Austin Whiteheart
Title: Joy Restored (week 3)
Text: Joel 2:18-25
Campus: College Hill
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, restoration, revival and renewal.
Their sense of normal was disrupted, their worship was disrupted (1:9), and we are told that the people’s joy had dried up (1:12).
the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails (Joel 1:10)
Repentance is the consistent practice of recognizing where our hearts are not aligned with God, seeking His forgiveness and resting in the grace of Jesus, and making a commitment to change.
Tear your hearts, and not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
Joel 2:13
God meets our surrender with restoration in Christ, and He gives us more than we could have ever imagined.
Then the Lord became jealous for His land and spared His people.
Joel 2:18
Jealous = zeal, passion, desire, devotion, committed pursuit
God remembers His deep love and desire for His people, and He remembers His promises with them.
The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
Joel 2:19
God makes a promise to His people to restore that which was lost.
Today as the people of God, Jesus promises to satisfy our need, renew our worship, and restore our joy.
I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
Joel 2:20
The people did not just need their physical needs met through grain and food, they needed their spiritual need for God’s forgiveness to be satisfied.
Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things. Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
Joel; 2:21-23
God doesn’t stop at simply restoring what was lost; He exceeds their expectations and goes above and beyond to give them an abundance!
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— my great army that I sent against you.
Joel 2:24-25
This is the goodness of God, that He would come to us Himself as Jesus to save us from our own sin and the judgment we deserved through His death and resurrection, that He would meet our need for forgiveness, renew our worship in Him as Lord, and restore our joy to it’s maximum fullness by bringing us into a relationship with Him and creating a new people of God, a new family in Christ: the church.
Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.”
Mark 10:29-30
This is what we are promised: We aren’t only given forgiveness from our sins, we are also given a family!
Through Jesus’ and His gift of being a new family under Him, we are satisfied, we worship together, and our joy overflows as Jesus fills us and we live life with one another.
_____________________________________________________
March 13th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Restored: Repent (week 2)
Text: Joel 2:12-17
Campus: Rivermont
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
JOEL 2:12-17
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
JOEL 2:13b
Adoration: being spontaneously caught up in the beauty of another; selfless
Our circumstances are on fire with the presence of God. And Worship, then, is awakening to the wonder of the proximity of God.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.
JOEL 2:12-13a
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
JOEL 2:16
Revival tarries until God has our full attention
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
JOEL 2:17
Intercession: praying on behalf of someone else.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Restored: Repentance (week 2)
Text: Joel 2:12-17
Campus: College Hill
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, reconciliation, revival and renewal.
Review - Joel 1
1) everyone’s sense of “normal” and sense of security had been disrupted.
2) worship had been disrupted (1:9, 13b).
3) joy had dried up (1:12).
Joel invites the people to grieve and to mourn their loss, and to cry out to God through prayer and fasting.
Repentance is a necessary step on our journey of recovering joy.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
Joel 2:12-17 (CSB)
There is no shortage of grace with God.
God desires to renew our lives and restore our joy (v. 12).
Restoration always begins with our hearts (v. 12).
Repentance is about yielding our hearts and lives to God (vv. 12-13).
Repentance is an individual and corporate practice (vv. 15-17)
Repentance is a necessary step on our journey of recovering joy.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:5-9 (CSB)
God is just, but his justice is never absent of grace.
What could joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?
We cannot bypass repentance on our way to restoration.
“He has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
Personal repentance – Justice:
Have I loved my neighbors as I love myself?
Has my heart been broken for the needs of others or has it been insulated and cold?
Have I been self-absorbed, indifferent, or inattentive toward God or others?
Personal repentance - Faithfulness (kindness):
Have I spoken, thought or acted unkindly toward anyone?
Have I been impatient and irritable?
Have I avoided people or tasks that I know I should face?
Have I been attentive and obedient to God’s voice?
Personal repentance - Humility:
Have I looked down on anyone or considered myself more significant?
Have I worked hard to keep up a good image of myself?
Am I living for God’s glory and the good of others or am I being driven by fears, approval, love of comfort, need for control, hunger for attention and power, or the fear of man?
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Restored: Repent (week 2)
Text: Joel 2:12-17
Campus: Rivermont
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
JOEL 2:12-17
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
JOEL 2:13b
Adoration: being spontaneously caught up in the beauty of another; selfless
Our circumstances are on fire with the presence of God. And Worship, then, is awakening to the wonder of the proximity of God.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.
JOEL 2:12-13a
Repentance: Returning to God with all of my heart; coming home.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
JOEL 2:16
Revival tarries until God has our full attention
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
JOEL 2:17
Intercession: praying on behalf of someone else.
What could restored joy look like in my life and in our church?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Restored: Repentance (week 2)
Text: Joel 2:12-17
Campus: College Hill
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, reconciliation, revival and renewal.
Review - Joel 1
1) everyone’s sense of “normal” and sense of security had been disrupted.
2) worship had been disrupted (1:9, 13b).
3) joy had dried up (1:12).
Joel invites the people to grieve and to mourn their loss, and to cry out to God through prayer and fasting.
Repentance is a necessary step on our journey of recovering joy.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
Joel 2:12-17 (CSB)
There is no shortage of grace with God.
God desires to renew our lives and restore our joy (v. 12).
Restoration always begins with our hearts (v. 12).
Repentance is about yielding our hearts and lives to God (vv. 12-13).
Repentance is an individual and corporate practice (vv. 15-17)
Repentance is a necessary step on our journey of recovering joy.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:5-9 (CSB)
God is just, but his justice is never absent of grace.
What could joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?
We cannot bypass repentance on our way to restoration.
“He has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
Personal repentance – Justice:
Have I loved my neighbors as I love myself?
Has my heart been broken for the needs of others or has it been insulated and cold?
Have I been self-absorbed, indifferent, or inattentive toward God or others?
Personal repentance - Faithfulness (kindness):
Have I spoken, thought or acted unkindly toward anyone?
Have I been impatient and irritable?
Have I avoided people or tasks that I know I should face?
Have I been attentive and obedient to God’s voice?
Personal repentance - Humility:
Have I looked down on anyone or considered myself more significant?
Have I worked hard to keep up a good image of myself?
Am I living for God’s glory and the good of others or am I being driven by fears, approval, love of comfort, need for control, hunger for attention and power, or the fear of man?
______________________________________________________________________
March 6th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Restored: Human Joy Has Dried Up (week 1)
Text: Joel 1:1-2:11
Campus: Rivermont
The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
“Hear this, you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days
or in the days of your ancestors?
Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten.”
Joel 1:1-4
“Wake up and weep. You drunkards and wine drinkers, wail because the sweet wine has been taken from your mouth.”
Joel 1:5
What will it take for us to wake up to what God is doing?
“For a nation has invaded my land,
powerful and without number;
its teeth are the teeth of a lion,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.
It has devastated my grapevine
and splintered my fig tree.
It has stripped off its bark and thrown it away;
its branches have turned white.
Grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth,
mourning for the husband of her youth.
Grain and drink offerings have been cut off
from the house of the Lord;
the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.
The fields are destroyed;
the land grieves;
indeed, the grain is destroyed;
the new wine is dried up;
and the fresh oil fails.
Be ashamed, you farmers,
wail, you vinedressers,
over the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field has perished.”
Joel 1:6-11
How is God coming to me in my losses?
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
“The grapevine is dried up,
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple—
all the trees of the orchard—have withered.
Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Dress in sackcloth and lament, you priests;
wail, you ministers of the altar.
Come and spend the night in sackcloth,
you ministers of my God,
because grain and drink offerings
are withheld from the house of your God.
Announce a sacred fast;
proclaim a solemn assembly!
Gather the elders
and all the residents of the land
at the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.”
Joel 1:13-14
Four Basic Human Desires/Needs: To Be-
Woe because of that day!
For the day of the Lord is near
and will come as devastation from the Almighty.
Hasn’t the food been cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
The seeds lie shriveled in their casings.
The storehouses are in ruin,
and the granaries are broken down,
because the grain has withered away.
How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle wander in confusion
since they have no pasture.
Even the flocks of sheep and goats suffer punishment.
I call to you, Lord,
for fire has consumed
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flames have devoured
all the trees of the orchard.
Joel 1:15-19
“the day of the Lord”
past events when God saved his people and confronted evil.
future time when God will finally defeat evil and heal the world.
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming;
in fact, it is near—
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people appears,
such as never existed in ages past
and never will again
in all the generations to come.
Joel 2:1-3
At just the right time, Christ died for undeserving people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. It is unusual for anyone to die even for a good person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we still prefered sin instead of him, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Christ can be trusted to hold our pain, because he bore our sin.
What could joy restored look like in my life and in our church?
→ Meditate on Scripture.
→ Get quiet and still before God in prayer.
→ Listen for God in prayer with our heart, soul, mind, and strength:
→ Where there is oneness of heart and soul among individuals, then there may be a word from God for the church.
What losses do I need to name before God in prayer? Where has joy dried up in my heart? And how might God want to restore that joy?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Restored (week 1)
Text: Joel 1
Campus: College Hill
What could joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?
Lent invites us to pay attention to our idol’s - the things that consume our lives and the objects of our love.
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, reconciliation, revival and renewal.
God shows his people how disruptions in their lives can help to reorient and realign them with himself.
The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
"Hear this, you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days
or in the days of your ancestors?
Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten."
Joel 1:1-4 (CSB)
What has been the effect of all this loss?
1) everyone’s sense of normal, and sense of security, has been disrupted.
2) worship has been disrupted (vv. 9, 13b)
3) joy has dried up (vv. 12, 16b)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
1) Pay attention to what has been lost; name the loss (v. 1ff)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
2) Grieve (v. 8)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
3) Lament (v. 13)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
4) Fast and pray (v. 14)
Fasting deepens our hunger for God, prayer deepens our dependence on God;
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Restored: Human Joy Has Dried Up (week 1)
Text: Joel 1:1-2:11
Campus: Rivermont
The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
“Hear this, you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days
or in the days of your ancestors?
Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten.”
Joel 1:1-4
“Wake up and weep. You drunkards and wine drinkers, wail because the sweet wine has been taken from your mouth.”
Joel 1:5
What will it take for us to wake up to what God is doing?
“For a nation has invaded my land,
powerful and without number;
its teeth are the teeth of a lion,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.
It has devastated my grapevine
and splintered my fig tree.
It has stripped off its bark and thrown it away;
its branches have turned white.
Grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth,
mourning for the husband of her youth.
Grain and drink offerings have been cut off
from the house of the Lord;
the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.
The fields are destroyed;
the land grieves;
indeed, the grain is destroyed;
the new wine is dried up;
and the fresh oil fails.
Be ashamed, you farmers,
wail, you vinedressers,
over the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field has perished.”
Joel 1:6-11
How is God coming to me in my losses?
Every loss and transition is an opportunity to experience the presence of God.
“The grapevine is dried up,
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple—
all the trees of the orchard—have withered.
Indeed, human joy has dried up.”
Joel 1:12
“Dress in sackcloth and lament, you priests;
wail, you ministers of the altar.
Come and spend the night in sackcloth,
you ministers of my God,
because grain and drink offerings
are withheld from the house of your God.
Announce a sacred fast;
proclaim a solemn assembly!
Gather the elders
and all the residents of the land
at the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.”
Joel 1:13-14
Four Basic Human Desires/Needs: To Be-
- Safe - absence of threat.
- Seen - understood, valued, & a compassionate witness
- Soothed - When in pain, to be comforted.
- Secure - if things do go wrong, there’s enough/extra/someone will come.
Woe because of that day!
For the day of the Lord is near
and will come as devastation from the Almighty.
Hasn’t the food been cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
The seeds lie shriveled in their casings.
The storehouses are in ruin,
and the granaries are broken down,
because the grain has withered away.
How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle wander in confusion
since they have no pasture.
Even the flocks of sheep and goats suffer punishment.
I call to you, Lord,
for fire has consumed
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flames have devoured
all the trees of the orchard.
Joel 1:15-19
“the day of the Lord”
past events when God saved his people and confronted evil.
future time when God will finally defeat evil and heal the world.
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming;
in fact, it is near—
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people appears,
such as never existed in ages past
and never will again
in all the generations to come.
Joel 2:1-3
At just the right time, Christ died for undeserving people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. It is unusual for anyone to die even for a good person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we still prefered sin instead of him, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Christ can be trusted to hold our pain, because he bore our sin.
What could joy restored look like in my life and in our church?
→ Meditate on Scripture.
→ Get quiet and still before God in prayer.
→ Listen for God in prayer with our heart, soul, mind, and strength:
- Strength = body. Pay attention to what is happening in my body right now.
- Mind = thoughts. Capture the thoughts that come to mind.
- Heart = feelings. Name the feelings I’m experiencing right now.
- Soul = What Scriptures come to mind?
→ Where there is oneness of heart and soul among individuals, then there may be a word from God for the church.
What losses do I need to name before God in prayer? Where has joy dried up in my heart? And how might God want to restore that joy?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Restored (week 1)
Text: Joel 1
Campus: College Hill
What could joy restored look like in my life and in the life of our church?
Lent invites us to pay attention to our idol’s - the things that consume our lives and the objects of our love.
Joel leads God’s people through a journey of reckoning with loss and into repentance, reconciliation, revival and renewal.
God shows his people how disruptions in their lives can help to reorient and realign them with himself.
The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
"Hear this, you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days
or in the days of your ancestors?
Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten."
Joel 1:1-4 (CSB)
What has been the effect of all this loss?
1) everyone’s sense of normal, and sense of security, has been disrupted.
2) worship has been disrupted (vv. 9, 13b)
3) joy has dried up (vv. 12, 16b)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
1) Pay attention to what has been lost; name the loss (v. 1ff)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
2) Grieve (v. 8)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
3) Lament (v. 13)
How do we position ourselves for healing and for restoration of joy?
4) Fast and pray (v. 14)
Fasting deepens our hunger for God, prayer deepens our dependence on God;
______________________________________________________________________
February 27th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Revealed: Jesus, The Source of Joy
Text: John 15:1-11
Campus: Rivermont
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:1-11
It’s impossible to follow Jesus and be in a hurry.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
John 15:1
“Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.
John 15:2
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
John 15:3-10
Where is my sense of joy?
To what sources of life and joy am I turning?
What would it look like for me to come home, and abide in Jesus?
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
John 15:9-10
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:11
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-3
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Revealed (week 4)
Text: John 15:1-11
Campus: College Hill
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:1-11
How are we sustained and how is our joy cultivated, in the midst of hardship and pain?
Ch. 13 - by loving and serving each other.
Ch. 14 - eternal perspective, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.
Ch. 15 - abiding in Jesus (staying, continuing with Jesus).
God’s word (v. 7) and God’s love (vv. 9-10) sustains us and leads us to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Revealed: Jesus, The Source of Joy
Text: John 15:1-11
Campus: Rivermont
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:1-11
It’s impossible to follow Jesus and be in a hurry.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
John 15:1
“Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.
John 15:2
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
John 15:3-10
Where is my sense of joy?
To what sources of life and joy am I turning?
What would it look like for me to come home, and abide in Jesus?
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
John 15:9-10
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:11
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-3
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Revealed (week 4)
Text: John 15:1-11
Campus: College Hill
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 15:1-11
How are we sustained and how is our joy cultivated, in the midst of hardship and pain?
Ch. 13 - by loving and serving each other.
Ch. 14 - eternal perspective, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.
Ch. 15 - abiding in Jesus (staying, continuing with Jesus).
God’s word (v. 7) and God’s love (vv. 9-10) sustains us and leads us to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
February 20th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy Revealed: Jesus, Our Joy in Shame
Text: John 21:1-14
Campus: Rivermont
The gospel is so beautiful, so true - that it will speak to our deepest desires, our greatest pain, and open wide our capacity for joy.
“This is the great epiphany: Christ enlightens everything and everyone, draws our fragmented and shadowed lives into an experienced wholeness.”
~Eugene Peterson
After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way:
Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.
“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.
“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”
“No,” they answered.
“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.
John 21:1-6
As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”
When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets[c] began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”
Luke 5:1-8
“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 1Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
Luke 5:10b-11
Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
“Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.
Matthew 26:31-35
Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”
“I am not,” he said. Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not.”
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”
John 18:15-18, 25-26
Peter ran outside and wept bitterly
Luke 22:62
The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
John 21:7a
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.
John 21:7b-8
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
“Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
John 21:9-12
The Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes the Good News that in delight and in doubt, in strength and in weakness, in sickness and in health, even when our hearts grow cold and can’t hold on to Christ any longer, God in Christ will hold on to us. In his goodness and mercy he’s chasing us down with all the love that our hearts can stand.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Revealed: Joy and Shame
Text: John 8
Campus: College Hill
“This is the great epiphany: Christ enlightens everything and everyone, draws our fragmented and shadowed lives into an experienced wholeness.”
~Eugene Peterson
Do you remember the last time you felt ashamed? How did it affect your joy?
In order for us to be healed from our shame, and be uninhibited in our joy, we don’t just have to heal emotionally from our childhood wounds, we have to heal spiritually.
At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.
Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, Lord, she answered.
“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
John 8:2-11 (CSB)
Can we trust this story?
We can trust this story because:
Head knowledge without heart transformation produces legalism.
“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
John 8:4-5
What are you afraid that others will know about you that could lead to condemnation and rejection?
The gospel offers a way forward; an opportunity to experience wholeness.
Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.
John 8:6b-8
God is exceedingly gracious, but he’s not interested in us remaining in our cycles of brokenness.
Jesus is demonstrating his power over shame and foreshadowing that his blood will atone for sin and will cover all of our shame.
Jesus knows you, loves you, and wants to extend compassion toward you.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Joy Revealed: Jesus, Our Joy in Shame
Text: John 21:1-14
Campus: Rivermont
The gospel is so beautiful, so true - that it will speak to our deepest desires, our greatest pain, and open wide our capacity for joy.
“This is the great epiphany: Christ enlightens everything and everyone, draws our fragmented and shadowed lives into an experienced wholeness.”
~Eugene Peterson
After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way:
Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.
“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.
“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”
“No,” they answered.
“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.
John 21:1-6
As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”
When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets[c] began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”
Luke 5:1-8
“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 1Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
Luke 5:10b-11
Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
“Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.
Matthew 26:31-35
Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”
“I am not,” he said. Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not.”
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”
John 18:15-18, 25-26
Peter ran outside and wept bitterly
Luke 22:62
The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
John 21:7a
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.
John 21:7b-8
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
“Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
John 21:9-12
The Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes the Good News that in delight and in doubt, in strength and in weakness, in sickness and in health, even when our hearts grow cold and can’t hold on to Christ any longer, God in Christ will hold on to us. In his goodness and mercy he’s chasing us down with all the love that our hearts can stand.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Joy Revealed: Joy and Shame
Text: John 8
Campus: College Hill
“This is the great epiphany: Christ enlightens everything and everyone, draws our fragmented and shadowed lives into an experienced wholeness.”
~Eugene Peterson
Do you remember the last time you felt ashamed? How did it affect your joy?
In order for us to be healed from our shame, and be uninhibited in our joy, we don’t just have to heal emotionally from our childhood wounds, we have to heal spiritually.
At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.
Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, Lord, she answered.
“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
John 8:2-11 (CSB)
Can we trust this story?
We can trust this story because:
- it was accepted by early church fathers (like Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine).
- it’s consistent with other stories that are recorded in places (Luke 7).
- it’s consistent with the character of Jesus.
Head knowledge without heart transformation produces legalism.
“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
John 8:4-5
What are you afraid that others will know about you that could lead to condemnation and rejection?
The gospel offers a way forward; an opportunity to experience wholeness.
Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.
John 8:6b-8
God is exceedingly gracious, but he’s not interested in us remaining in our cycles of brokenness.
Jesus is demonstrating his power over shame and foreshadowing that his blood will atone for sin and will cover all of our shame.
Jesus knows you, loves you, and wants to extend compassion toward you.
______________________________________________________________________
February 13th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Jesus, Joy of Nations
Text: John 4:1-42
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), he left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria; so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
John 4:1-9
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
“Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
“Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.”
“I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
John 4:10-20
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
John 4:21-26
The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
John 4:36
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Joy: Revealed (week 2)
Text: John 4:1-42
Campus: College Hill
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
He had to travel through Samaria; so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.
John 4:4-6 (CSB)
God’s people are called to take the joyous Gospel into the seemingly most undesirable places
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
“Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
John 4:7-15 (CSB)
Trust God that transformation lies beyond our encounters with Jesus.
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
3. Joy Revealed (Vs. 16-30)
“Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.
“I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’”Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
They left the town and made their way to him.
John 4:16-30 (CSB)
Sin Hidden = Joy Hidden
Sin Revealed = Joy Revealed
Click here to see keep moving forward slide:
There is nothing more joyless than an unsatisfied soul.
“We most achingly long for that which is beautiful, good, true and joyful.”
~Curt Thompson M.D., Soul of Desire
“Desire is the source of affliction, but it is also the very element that can lead to a life of fulfillment, beauty and joy.”
~Curt Thompson M.D., Soul of Desire
1. Where are you looking for your desires to be satisfied?
2. What future outcomes are you tied to?
Our attachment to future outcomes will be the death of our joy.
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
3. Joy Revealed (Vs. 16-30)
4. Joy to the Nations (Vs. 39-42)
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. Many more believed because of what he said. And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”
John 4:39-42 (CSB)
In Christ there is belonging,
In Christ, there is satisfaction of being known,
In Christ, Joy is restored.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Jesus, Joy of Nations
Text: John 4:1-42
Campus: Rivermont
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), he left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria; so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
John 4:1-9
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
“Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
“Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.”
“I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
John 4:10-20
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
John 4:21-26
The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
John 4:36
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Joy: Revealed (week 2)
Text: John 4:1-42
Campus: College Hill
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
He had to travel through Samaria; so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.
John 4:4-6 (CSB)
God’s people are called to take the joyous Gospel into the seemingly most undesirable places
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
“Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
John 4:7-15 (CSB)
Trust God that transformation lies beyond our encounters with Jesus.
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
3. Joy Revealed (Vs. 16-30)
“Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.
“I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’”Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
They left the town and made their way to him.
John 4:16-30 (CSB)
Sin Hidden = Joy Hidden
Sin Revealed = Joy Revealed
Click here to see keep moving forward slide:
There is nothing more joyless than an unsatisfied soul.
“We most achingly long for that which is beautiful, good, true and joyful.”
~Curt Thompson M.D., Soul of Desire
“Desire is the source of affliction, but it is also the very element that can lead to a life of fulfillment, beauty and joy.”
~Curt Thompson M.D., Soul of Desire
1. Where are you looking for your desires to be satisfied?
2. What future outcomes are you tied to?
Our attachment to future outcomes will be the death of our joy.
1. The Nations Need for Joy (Vs. 4-6)
2. Joy Hidden (Vs. 7-15)
3. Joy Revealed (Vs. 16-30)
4. Joy to the Nations (Vs. 39-42)
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. Many more believed because of what he said. And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”
John 4:39-42 (CSB)
In Christ there is belonging,
In Christ, there is satisfaction of being known,
In Christ, Joy is restored.
______________________________________________________________________
February 6th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Jesus, Lord of Joy
Text: John 2:1-11
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:11
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy their work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and drink and enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24
I know that there is nothing better for us than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all their efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
What do we do when joy runs out?
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11
On this mountain, the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.
On this mountain he will swallow up the burial shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations.
When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:6-8
What do we do when joy runs out?
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
John 2:4
When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
John 19:33-34
If Jesus is alive, then joy is never really impossible.
The path to Joy starts with acknowledging emptiness, grieving the pain, and asking Jesus to help.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Lord of Joy
Text: John 2
Campus: College Hill
Epiphany: we celebrate the glory of God which is unveiled (revealed) to us in Christ.
As we gain a clearer picture of God, it allows us to see ourselves rightly and puts us in a position to receive the abundant life that God has for us in Christ.
Jesus is the Lord of joy - he enters into our ordinary lives and leads us toward joy by displaying God’s love and power.
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this, he went down to Capernaum, together with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.
John 2:1-12 (CSB)
This is a “sign” which is intended to reveal (or unveil) something about the person and purpose of Jesus Christ.
He causes grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, producing food from the earth, wine that makes human hearts glad - making his face shine with oil - and bread that sustains human hearts.
Psalms 104:14-15
Jesus isn’t just Mary’s son, he’s God’s Son and he’s on mission with God.
What does all of this mean?
1) Jesus is the true master of the banquet (T. Keller).
2) Ordinary things matter to God.
3) Jesus doesn’t just make things different, he makes things better.
Our greatest challenges and deficiencies are opportunities for God to display his glory in our lives.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Jesus, Lord of Joy
Text: John 2:1-11
Campus: Rivermont
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:11
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy their work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and drink and enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24
I know that there is nothing better for us than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all their efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
What do we do when joy runs out?
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11
On this mountain, the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.
On this mountain he will swallow up the burial shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations.
When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:6-8
What do we do when joy runs out?
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
John 2:4
When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
John 19:33-34
If Jesus is alive, then joy is never really impossible.
The path to Joy starts with acknowledging emptiness, grieving the pain, and asking Jesus to help.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Lord of Joy
Text: John 2
Campus: College Hill
Epiphany: we celebrate the glory of God which is unveiled (revealed) to us in Christ.
As we gain a clearer picture of God, it allows us to see ourselves rightly and puts us in a position to receive the abundant life that God has for us in Christ.
Jesus is the Lord of joy - he enters into our ordinary lives and leads us toward joy by displaying God’s love and power.
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this, he went down to Capernaum, together with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.
John 2:1-12 (CSB)
This is a “sign” which is intended to reveal (or unveil) something about the person and purpose of Jesus Christ.
He causes grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, producing food from the earth, wine that makes human hearts glad - making his face shine with oil - and bread that sustains human hearts.
Psalms 104:14-15
Jesus isn’t just Mary’s son, he’s God’s Son and he’s on mission with God.
What does all of this mean?
1) Jesus is the true master of the banquet (T. Keller).
2) Ordinary things matter to God.
3) Jesus doesn’t just make things different, he makes things better.
Our greatest challenges and deficiencies are opportunities for God to display his glory in our lives.
______________________________________________________________________
January 30th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Times and Seasons: A Time to Listen
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:7-8; 5:1-2, 7
Campus: Rivermont
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (CSB)
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him.
Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
Pay attention when you enter the house of God. Go there to listen rather than to offer foolish sacrifices in ignorance. Do not be quick to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech in God’s presence. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
7 For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, stand in awe of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, 7
Being in silence and solitude before the Lord, listening to and for his voice is the pathway to discerning times and seasons.
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of glory thunders—the Lord, above the vast water,
the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare. In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29
God is always speaking, revealing himself, most clearly through the Scriptures and the person of Jesus, but also by his Spirit and through the world around us
To listen to and recognize God’s voice, we need silence, solitude, and quiet, so that our hearts can be tuned to his sound.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:8-11
Choosing not to be with God in silence & solitude, listening for his voice, is a form of hiding from God and our shame.
“...What have you done?”
Genesis 3:13
Where/How are you?
What have you been listening to?
What have you done?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Times and Seasons: Time to Listen (week 4)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13
Campus: College Hill
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (CSB)
I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-13
God is present in our seasons and joy is a gift from God.
We exist to know and love God, and to make him known in our world,
God doesn’t just allow us to experience the seasons that we WANT, but he leads us into the seasons that we NEED in order to mature us into the people that he wants us to become.
In order to recognize God’s presence, and discern where God is leading, it’s critical to slow down and listen.
Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words. When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? For many dreams bring futility; so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-7
Direction from God comes only as we slow down and quiet ourselves before him.
God speaks, but we must learn to recognize his voice.
One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:2-10
God speaks most clearly to us through his Word.
“Listening prayer turns us away from elaborate internal commentaries, noisy inner chaos and catastrophic thinking… It invites us to let go of dramatic internal dialogues and listen to a voice besides our own or that of the evil one.”
~ Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
The five movements of lectio divina:
1. Silence - a moment of quiet preparation of the heart.
2. Read the Word - slowly; when a word or phrase catches our attention, pause and attend to what God is saying to us.
3. Meditate - read the passage a second time; listening for any invitations that God may be extending through his word.
4. Respond - read the Scripture a third time and now begin to dialogue with God more actively.
5. Contemplate - end by resting and waiting in the presence of God; allowing the word of God to sink deeply into your soul.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:14-15, 27-30 CSB
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Times and Seasons: A Time to Listen
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:7-8; 5:1-2, 7
Campus: Rivermont
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (CSB)
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him.
Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
Pay attention when you enter the house of God. Go there to listen rather than to offer foolish sacrifices in ignorance. Do not be quick to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech in God’s presence. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
7 For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, stand in awe of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, 7
Being in silence and solitude before the Lord, listening to and for his voice is the pathway to discerning times and seasons.
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of glory thunders—the Lord, above the vast water,
the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare. In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29
God is always speaking, revealing himself, most clearly through the Scriptures and the person of Jesus, but also by his Spirit and through the world around us
To listen to and recognize God’s voice, we need silence, solitude, and quiet, so that our hearts can be tuned to his sound.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:8-11
Choosing not to be with God in silence & solitude, listening for his voice, is a form of hiding from God and our shame.
“...What have you done?”
Genesis 3:13
Where/How are you?
What have you been listening to?
What have you done?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Times and Seasons: Time to Listen (week 4)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13
Campus: College Hill
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (CSB)
I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-13
God is present in our seasons and joy is a gift from God.
We exist to know and love God, and to make him known in our world,
God doesn’t just allow us to experience the seasons that we WANT, but he leads us into the seasons that we NEED in order to mature us into the people that he wants us to become.
In order to recognize God’s presence, and discern where God is leading, it’s critical to slow down and listen.
Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words. When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? For many dreams bring futility; so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-7
Direction from God comes only as we slow down and quiet ourselves before him.
God speaks, but we must learn to recognize his voice.
One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:2-10
God speaks most clearly to us through his Word.
“Listening prayer turns us away from elaborate internal commentaries, noisy inner chaos and catastrophic thinking… It invites us to let go of dramatic internal dialogues and listen to a voice besides our own or that of the evil one.”
~ Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
The five movements of lectio divina:
1. Silence - a moment of quiet preparation of the heart.
2. Read the Word - slowly; when a word or phrase catches our attention, pause and attend to what God is saying to us.
3. Meditate - read the passage a second time; listening for any invitations that God may be extending through his word.
4. Respond - read the Scripture a third time and now begin to dialogue with God more actively.
5. Contemplate - end by resting and waiting in the presence of God; allowing the word of God to sink deeply into your soul.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:14-15, 27-30 CSB
______________________________________________________________________
January 23rd SermonGuides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Times and Seasons (week 3)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3
Campus: Rivermont
Our lives are not aimless and every season has a purpose.
We exist to know and love God, and to make him known in our world.
During “Epiphany” we’re asking God to reveal himself to us, so we can confidently follow him, no matter the cost.
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes. 3:1-8 (CSB)
The Teacher is using these different statements to mark time and to bring awareness to different seasons.
Jesus modeled life in community, along with the essential spiritual discipline of solitude.
I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-13
How can we continue to cultivate contentment, peace, and joy in every season?
1) look for beauty in every season (v. 11)
2) embrace the mystery (v. 11)
3) cultivate an eternal perspective (look at the bigger picture) (v. 11)
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:25-34 (CSB)
Jesus is graciously inviting us to lay down our false security at his altar and to fully trust him.
If we prioritize the pursuit of God and his kingdom, and live out the values of his kingdom:
our awareness of God's presence will grow,
our faith will grow,
our contentment will grow.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Epiphany: Times & Seasons (Week 3)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Campus: College Hill
There is a time & there is a season for everything
The Holy Spirit can use disruption to lead us in a new direction for the next leg of life.
How is Jesus manifesting himself to our church and to you in this current season?
The church has traditionally noticed epiphany as a season to both celebrate and reflect on the manifestation of Jesus Christ. It’s the celebration of Jesus being revealed to the gentiles (to the world).
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 (ESV)
Mankind is a slave to seasonal cycles, enslaved by time itself.
We tend to find ourselves placing our fleeting hope in an attempt to control the pleasurable outcomes of life.
But it’s all futile.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 (ESV)
God is the source of this time order, and he orchestrates our seasons to be beautiful in its time.
The chaos that sprouted from the garden has not overwhelmed our sovereign God in the past or the present because God is orchestrating everything to be suitable in its time.
We participate in a reality where God both conceals and reveals, and God has revealed what is suitable for us to be fully satisfied in Him.
What has God Revealed to us?
How is Jesus manifesting himself to our church and to you in this current season?
____________________________________________________________________________
Title: Times and Seasons (week 3)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3
Campus: Rivermont
Our lives are not aimless and every season has a purpose.
We exist to know and love God, and to make him known in our world.
During “Epiphany” we’re asking God to reveal himself to us, so we can confidently follow him, no matter the cost.
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes. 3:1-8 (CSB)
The Teacher is using these different statements to mark time and to bring awareness to different seasons.
Jesus modeled life in community, along with the essential spiritual discipline of solitude.
I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-13
How can we continue to cultivate contentment, peace, and joy in every season?
1) look for beauty in every season (v. 11)
2) embrace the mystery (v. 11)
3) cultivate an eternal perspective (look at the bigger picture) (v. 11)
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:25-34 (CSB)
Jesus is graciously inviting us to lay down our false security at his altar and to fully trust him.
If we prioritize the pursuit of God and his kingdom, and live out the values of his kingdom:
our awareness of God's presence will grow,
our faith will grow,
our contentment will grow.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Epiphany: Times & Seasons (Week 3)
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Campus: College Hill
There is a time & there is a season for everything
The Holy Spirit can use disruption to lead us in a new direction for the next leg of life.
How is Jesus manifesting himself to our church and to you in this current season?
The church has traditionally noticed epiphany as a season to both celebrate and reflect on the manifestation of Jesus Christ. It’s the celebration of Jesus being revealed to the gentiles (to the world).
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 (ESV)
Mankind is a slave to seasonal cycles, enslaved by time itself.
We tend to find ourselves placing our fleeting hope in an attempt to control the pleasurable outcomes of life.
But it’s all futile.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 (ESV)
God is the source of this time order, and he orchestrates our seasons to be beautiful in its time.
The chaos that sprouted from the garden has not overwhelmed our sovereign God in the past or the present because God is orchestrating everything to be suitable in its time.
We participate in a reality where God both conceals and reveals, and God has revealed what is suitable for us to be fully satisfied in Him.
What has God Revealed to us?
- By trusting Him as sovereign creator, we are enabled to enjoy the things that were once seen as vanity.
- New creation is breaking free here on earth through the person of the resurrected Jesus.
How is Jesus manifesting himself to our church and to you in this current season?
____________________________________________________________________________
January 16th Sermon Guide
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Times and Seasons: Grief & Joy
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:4 (etc)
Campus: Rivermont
Our church’s prayer in this season: “Jesus, reveal yourself to us so that we might follow You wherever You lead, no matter the cost.”
The words of the Teacher son of David, king in Jerusalem.
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
What does a person gain for all his efforts
that he labors at under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:1-3
I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-13a
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”
I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
Ecclesiastes 1:14-18
When I considered all that I had accomplished[d] and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
In pursuit of the Good Life, as we’re trying to make meaning of our lives, we will tend to become overly attached to results or outcomes.
The more attached I am to an outcome, the more I will suffer
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Eccl. 2:22-23
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
He has made everything beautiful in its time …
Ecclesiastes 3:11
There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
Ecclesiastes 5:13-17
Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Grief is a gift from God, beautiful in it’s time, to help us metabolize loss.
Jesus wept
John 11:35
Question for reflection: What have I lost that I need to grieve?
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me - nevertheless not my will, [not my desired outcomes,] but yours be done.”
Luke 22:41
Question for reflection: To what outcomes am I attached? What dreams or desires do I need to surrender to Jesus?
When we grieve well, our capacity for joy will increase.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Times and Seasons: Grief & Joy
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:4 (etc)
Campus: Rivermont
Our church’s prayer in this season: “Jesus, reveal yourself to us so that we might follow You wherever You lead, no matter the cost.”
The words of the Teacher son of David, king in Jerusalem.
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
What does a person gain for all his efforts
that he labors at under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:1-3
I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-13a
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”
I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
Ecclesiastes 1:14-18
When I considered all that I had accomplished[d] and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
In pursuit of the Good Life, as we’re trying to make meaning of our lives, we will tend to become overly attached to results or outcomes.
The more attached I am to an outcome, the more I will suffer
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Eccl. 2:22-23
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
He has made everything beautiful in its time …
Ecclesiastes 3:11
There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
Ecclesiastes 5:13-17
Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Grief is a gift from God, beautiful in it’s time, to help us metabolize loss.
Jesus wept
John 11:35
Question for reflection: What have I lost that I need to grieve?
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me - nevertheless not my will, [not my desired outcomes,] but yours be done.”
Luke 22:41
Question for reflection: To what outcomes am I attached? What dreams or desires do I need to surrender to Jesus?
When we grieve well, our capacity for joy will increase.
______________________________________________________________________
2022
January 9th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Seeking God in Times & Seasons
Text: Portions of Ecclesiastes 1, 2, 3, & 5
Campus: Rivermont
Our church’s prayer in this season: “Jesus, reveal yourself to us so that we might follow You wherever You lead, no matter the cost.”
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecclesiastes 1:1
In addition to the Teacher being wise, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs. The Teacher sought to find words of delight and to write words of truth with integrity. The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods, and words from masters of wisdom like firmly embedded nails. The words are spoken by a Shepherd.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-11
I said, “I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:
“Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.
In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you.
Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor. Selah
Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them.
“Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
Rescue me from all my transgressions; do not make me the taunt of fools.
I am speechless; I do not open my mouth because of what you have done.
Remove your torment from me. Because of the force of your hand I am finished.
You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity, consuming like a moth what is precious to him; yes, every human being is only a vapor. Selah
“Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help; do not be silent at my tears.
For I am here with you as an alien, a temporary resident like all my ancestors.
Turn your angry gaze from me so that I may be cheered up before I die and am gone.”
Psalm 39
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
Ecclesiastes 1:2
What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:3
A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it hurries back to the place where it rises.
Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.
Ecclesiastes 1:4-11
Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor[f] be like? He will do what has already been done. And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.
Ecclesiastes 2:12-13
And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:13-15
For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.
Ecclesiastes 2:16-18
When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor[f] be like? He[g] will do what has already been done. And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.
The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile. For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
There is a season for everything, and a time for every activity under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
What time is it?
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:2-8
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-15
God works so that we will be in awe of Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong. Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, stand in awe of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:7
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11
“I am the Bread of Life” Jesus said. “Anyone who comes to me will never go hungry, and anyone who believes in me will not go thirsty.”
John 6:35
The good news of the gospel: by his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus is sufficient for what is deficient in us.
What time is it in my life?
In what season is our church family?
What needs to die, what needs to be healed and brought back to life?
What needs to be planted, cultivated, & built up, & what needs to be uprooted and torn down?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Baptism and Prayer
Text: Acts 1:9:14; Acts 2:1-4
Campus: College Hill
The whole Bible tells the story of God’s love, redemption, and grace.
For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
Baptism is a public declaration of an inward decision.
Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:4-10
What’s new?
The Church is a gospel centered community on mission.
After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven."
Acts 1:9-11 (CSB)
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.
14 They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12, 14 (CSB)
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4 (CSB)
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.
My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.
So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands.
You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches because you are my helper;
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
I follow close to you; your right hand holds on to me.
Psalm 63:1-8
Prayer Prompt:
Title: Seeking God in Times & Seasons
Text: Portions of Ecclesiastes 1, 2, 3, & 5
Campus: Rivermont
Our church’s prayer in this season: “Jesus, reveal yourself to us so that we might follow You wherever You lead, no matter the cost.”
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecclesiastes 1:1
In addition to the Teacher being wise, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs. The Teacher sought to find words of delight and to write words of truth with integrity. The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods, and words from masters of wisdom like firmly embedded nails. The words are spoken by a Shepherd.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-11
I said, “I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:
“Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.
In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you.
Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor. Selah
Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them.
“Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
Rescue me from all my transgressions; do not make me the taunt of fools.
I am speechless; I do not open my mouth because of what you have done.
Remove your torment from me. Because of the force of your hand I am finished.
You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity, consuming like a moth what is precious to him; yes, every human being is only a vapor. Selah
“Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help; do not be silent at my tears.
For I am here with you as an alien, a temporary resident like all my ancestors.
Turn your angry gaze from me so that I may be cheered up before I die and am gone.”
Psalm 39
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
Ecclesiastes 1:2
What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:3
A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it hurries back to the place where it rises.
Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.
Ecclesiastes 1:4-11
Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor[f] be like? He will do what has already been done. And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.
Ecclesiastes 2:12-13
And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:13-15
For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.
Ecclesiastes 2:16-18
When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor[f] be like? He[g] will do what has already been done. And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.
The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile. For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
There is a season for everything, and a time for every activity under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
What time is it?
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:2-8
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-15
God works so that we will be in awe of Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong. Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, stand in awe of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:7
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11
“I am the Bread of Life” Jesus said. “Anyone who comes to me will never go hungry, and anyone who believes in me will not go thirsty.”
John 6:35
The good news of the gospel: by his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus is sufficient for what is deficient in us.
What time is it in my life?
In what season is our church family?
What needs to die, what needs to be healed and brought back to life?
What needs to be planted, cultivated, & built up, & what needs to be uprooted and torn down?
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Baptism and Prayer
Text: Acts 1:9:14; Acts 2:1-4
Campus: College Hill
The whole Bible tells the story of God’s love, redemption, and grace.
For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
Baptism is a public declaration of an inward decision.
Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:4-10
What’s new?
- New identity.
- New family.
- New power.
The Church is a gospel centered community on mission.
After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven."
Acts 1:9-11 (CSB)
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.
14 They all were continually united in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:12, 14 (CSB)
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4 (CSB)
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.
My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.
So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands.
You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches because you are my helper;
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
I follow close to you; your right hand holds on to me.
Psalm 63:1-8
Prayer Prompt:
- Read Psalm 63:1-8
- Praise and thank God for his goodness and grace.
- Pray for direction (for individuals and for our church).
- Pray for patience while we wait for God’s leadership in our lives.
- Ask God for fresh anointing and power.
- Pray for the needs that are represented in this room.
Christmas Eve Worship Liturgy
Brenton Lehman
Christmas Eve Worship Liturgy
Scriptures and Prayers for Lighting the Christ Candle
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3
Prayer:
Creator God, the One who hovered over the dark and formless void, and brought order out of chaos, and light into darkness. There is so much darkness in our hearts and in our world.
But have not left us alone in the darkness of our sin, but rather you came into the world again, not as the Spirit hovering over the void, but as a human being, in a manger. Born of a woman, raised in obscurity, to bear the sin of the world.
Tonight, we remember Your word, Your first advent, Your presence with us now, and Your promise to return and make all things new. Meet with us here, as we are, in the quiet of this hour.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Responsive Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
All: The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them.
Leader: Lord, you will make your people flourish.
You will increase their joy.
They will show you how glad they are.
They will be as glad as people are at harvest time.
They will be as glad as warriors are when they share the things they’ve taken after a battle.
You set Israel free from Midian long ago.
In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs your people down.
You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders.
You will break the rods of those who strike them down.
Every soldier's boot worn in battle will be burned up.
So will every piece of clothing covered with blood.
All of them will be thrown into the fire.
All: A child will be born to us.
A son will be given to us.
He will rule over us.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.
He will also be called Everlasting Father
and Prince of Peace.
Leader: There will be no limit to how great his authority is.
The peace he brings will never end.
He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom.
He will make the kingdom strong and secure.
His justice and righteousness will rule forever.
All: By the Lord’s great love, his Kingdom will last forever.
This is the Word of God.
Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness. They will have that light. They will have life.”
John 8:12
Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all. Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth. But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7
At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. 9 The light produces what is completely good, right and true.
Ephesians 5:8
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill can’t be hidden. Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
This is the Word of God.
Responsive Prayer
In John 20:21 Jesus said, “May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. And in the same way, now I am sending you.”
Leader: Father, You make this holy night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ, the Light of our life.
All: We welcome Him as Lord, the true Light from Light.
Leader: Jesus, we pray that You bring more of Your Kingdom into our lives and our world. Let your will be done, and your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.
All: Yours, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours.
Yours is the dominion, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
Leader: O Christ, illuminate the dark nights of our soul, push back the darkness of evil and injustice in the world, and teach us to walk in the light, just as you are in the light.
All: Jesus, we worship and adore you, the Great Light of the World.
Amen.
_________________________________________________________________
Christmas Eve Worship Liturgy
Scriptures and Prayers for Lighting the Christ Candle
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3
Prayer:
Creator God, the One who hovered over the dark and formless void, and brought order out of chaos, and light into darkness. There is so much darkness in our hearts and in our world.
But have not left us alone in the darkness of our sin, but rather you came into the world again, not as the Spirit hovering over the void, but as a human being, in a manger. Born of a woman, raised in obscurity, to bear the sin of the world.
Tonight, we remember Your word, Your first advent, Your presence with us now, and Your promise to return and make all things new. Meet with us here, as we are, in the quiet of this hour.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Responsive Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
All: The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them.
Leader: Lord, you will make your people flourish.
You will increase their joy.
They will show you how glad they are.
They will be as glad as people are at harvest time.
They will be as glad as warriors are when they share the things they’ve taken after a battle.
You set Israel free from Midian long ago.
In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs your people down.
You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders.
You will break the rods of those who strike them down.
Every soldier's boot worn in battle will be burned up.
So will every piece of clothing covered with blood.
All of them will be thrown into the fire.
All: A child will be born to us.
A son will be given to us.
He will rule over us.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.
He will also be called Everlasting Father
and Prince of Peace.
Leader: There will be no limit to how great his authority is.
The peace he brings will never end.
He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom.
He will make the kingdom strong and secure.
His justice and righteousness will rule forever.
All: By the Lord’s great love, his Kingdom will last forever.
This is the Word of God.
Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness. They will have that light. They will have life.”
John 8:12
Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all. Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth. But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7
At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. 9 The light produces what is completely good, right and true.
Ephesians 5:8
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill can’t be hidden. Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
This is the Word of God.
Responsive Prayer
In John 20:21 Jesus said, “May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. And in the same way, now I am sending you.”
Leader: Father, You make this holy night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ, the Light of our life.
All: We welcome Him as Lord, the true Light from Light.
Leader: Jesus, we pray that You bring more of Your Kingdom into our lives and our world. Let your will be done, and your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.
All: Yours, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours.
Yours is the dominion, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
Leader: O Christ, illuminate the dark nights of our soul, push back the darkness of evil and injustice in the world, and teach us to walk in the light, just as you are in the light.
All: Jesus, we worship and adore you, the Great Light of the World.
Amen.
_________________________________________________________________
December 19th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Tim Geisland
Title: Advent 4: Love
Text: Psalm 136
Campus: Rivermont
"We are most alive when we are in love."
~John Updike
“Life is the flower for which love is the honey.”
~ Victor Hugo
“All you need is love.”
~ Paul McCartney
“Love is more than a noun – it is a verb…”
~ William Arthur Ward
“To love is to burn, to be on fire.”
~ Jane Austen
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
~ C.S. Lewis
“Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.”
~ St. Augustine
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”
~ Zora Neale Hurston
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness.
Exodus 34:6
God’s love is overflowing with loyal love!
In Psalm 136, we praise God,
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
He alone does great wonders.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-4
He made the heavens skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
He spread the land on the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
He made the great lights:
His faithful love endures forever.
the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
the moon and stars to rule by night.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:5-9
'He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians
His faithful love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
with a strong hand and outstretched arm.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:10-12
He divided the Red Sea
His faithful love endures forever.
and led Israel through,
His faithful love endures forever.
but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:13-15
He led his people in the wilderness.
His faithful love endures forever.
He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
and slaughtered famous kings —
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:16-18
Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan —
His faithful love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
an inheritance to Israel his servant.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:19 – 22
He remembered us in our humiliation
His faithful love endures forever.
and rescued us from our foes.
His faithful love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven!
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:23 – 26
God expresses His love for us in many ways.
Click here to see Photo of Deacons
In what ways will deacons serve at GCC?
Deacons will focus on caring for others in several primary ways including:
LIFE AT GCC > CARE
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zach Foster
Title: Advent 4: All You Need is Love
Text: Psalm 136
Campus: College Hill
The Big Idea: God’s Love is the Only Gift You Need
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders.
His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights:
His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.
His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians
His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.
His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea
His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through,
His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.
His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.
His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation
His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes.
His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136 (CSB)
Question #1: What is Love?
Jesus didn’t come to explain love, He came to define love
First key takeaway: God’s love doesn't depend on me, it depends on His faithful character.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5; 10-14
Question #2: How do we receive this love?
We will never understand how to give love until we understand how to receive love
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
Ephesians 2:1-4
Second key takeaway: Love that is earned is a transaction; love undeserved is transcendent
“Christ was sent not to mend wounded people or wake sleepy people or advise confused people or inspire bored people or spur on lazy people or educate ignorant people, but to raise dead people… Our sins are less like an otherwise healthy man occasionally tripping up and more like a man who is disease-ridden from head to foot— or if we take the language of Ephesians 2 seriously, dead… We didn’t just occasionally slip into the passions of our flesh; we “lived in” those passions. It was the air we breathed. What water is to fish, inordinate ugliness of desire was to us.”
~Dane Ortlund—Gentle and Lowly
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:5-9
Question #3: How do we give love?
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:7-9
Third key takeaway: Love that is withheld, withers; love that is given, grows
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones describes God’s love as “A never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and
forever love.”
Closing Questions:
Title: Advent 4: Love
Text: Psalm 136
Campus: Rivermont
"We are most alive when we are in love."
~John Updike
“Life is the flower for which love is the honey.”
~ Victor Hugo
“All you need is love.”
~ Paul McCartney
“Love is more than a noun – it is a verb…”
~ William Arthur Ward
“To love is to burn, to be on fire.”
~ Jane Austen
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
~ C.S. Lewis
“Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.”
~ St. Augustine
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”
~ Zora Neale Hurston
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness.
Exodus 34:6
God’s love is overflowing with loyal love!
In Psalm 136, we praise God,
- As great and good in Himself (v. 1-4)
- As the Creator of the world (v. 5-9)
- As Israel's God and Savior (v. 10-22)
- As our Redeemer (v. 23, 24)
- As God over all, blessed for evermore (v. 25, 26)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
He alone does great wonders.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-4
He made the heavens skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
He spread the land on the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
He made the great lights:
His faithful love endures forever.
the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
the moon and stars to rule by night.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:5-9
'He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians
His faithful love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
with a strong hand and outstretched arm.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:10-12
He divided the Red Sea
His faithful love endures forever.
and led Israel through,
His faithful love endures forever.
but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:13-15
He led his people in the wilderness.
His faithful love endures forever.
He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
and slaughtered famous kings —
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:16-18
Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan —
His faithful love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
an inheritance to Israel his servant.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:19 – 22
He remembered us in our humiliation
His faithful love endures forever.
and rescued us from our foes.
His faithful love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven!
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:23 – 26
God expresses His love for us in many ways.
Click here to see Photo of Deacons
In what ways will deacons serve at GCC?
Deacons will focus on caring for others in several primary ways including:
- Active engagement with those pursuing GCC covenant membership
- Emergency and Crisis Response
- Grief and Mental Health
- Benevolence
- Visitation
- Meals and Emergency Child Care
- Prayer and Encouragement
LIFE AT GCC > CARE
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Zach Foster
Title: Advent 4: All You Need is Love
Text: Psalm 136
Campus: College Hill
The Big Idea: God’s Love is the Only Gift You Need
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders.
His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights:
His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.
His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians
His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.
His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea
His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through,
His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.
His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.
His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation
His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes.
His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136 (CSB)
Question #1: What is Love?
Jesus didn’t come to explain love, He came to define love
First key takeaway: God’s love doesn't depend on me, it depends on His faithful character.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5; 10-14
Question #2: How do we receive this love?
We will never understand how to give love until we understand how to receive love
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
Ephesians 2:1-4
Second key takeaway: Love that is earned is a transaction; love undeserved is transcendent
“Christ was sent not to mend wounded people or wake sleepy people or advise confused people or inspire bored people or spur on lazy people or educate ignorant people, but to raise dead people… Our sins are less like an otherwise healthy man occasionally tripping up and more like a man who is disease-ridden from head to foot— or if we take the language of Ephesians 2 seriously, dead… We didn’t just occasionally slip into the passions of our flesh; we “lived in” those passions. It was the air we breathed. What water is to fish, inordinate ugliness of desire was to us.”
~Dane Ortlund—Gentle and Lowly
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:5-9
Question #3: How do we give love?
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:7-9
Third key takeaway: Love that is withheld, withers; love that is given, grows
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones describes God’s love as “A never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and
forever love.”
Closing Questions:
- Do you truly know what love is?
- Have you experienced the life transforming love of God?
- What are you doing with that love?
December 12th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Joy at Midnight
Text: Psalm 30
Campus: Rivermont
“Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have lifted me up
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me up from Sheol;
you spared me from among those
going down[a] to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:1-4
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Psalm 130:1-2
God, listen to my prayer
And do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my compliant
Psalm 55:1-2
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have drawn me out of the depths
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Psalm 30:1-2
“Those who are close to their tears are close to their joy.”
~ Dr. Dan Allender
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:4
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
When I was secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain;
when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Psalm 30:6-7
Lord, I called to you;
I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30:8-12
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have drawn me out of the depths...
Psalm 30:1
The Well of Grief
by David Whyte
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief,
turning down through its black water
to the place we cannot breathe,
will never know the source from which we drink,
the secret water, cold and clear,
nor find in the darkness glimmering,
the small round coins,
thrown by those who wished for something else.
“What gain is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my helper.”
Psalm 30:9-10
You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30:11-12
Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
Romans 6:3-5
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
O CHRIST,
All thy ways of mercy tend to and end in my delight.
Thou didst weep, sorrow, suffer that I might rejoice.
For my joy thou hast sent the Comforter,
multiplied thy promises,
shown me my future happiness,
given me a living fountain.
Thou art preparing joy for me and me for joy;
I pray for joy, wait for joy, long for joy;
give me more than I can hold, desire, or think of.
Measure out to me my times and degrees of joy,
at my work, business, duties.
If I weep at night, give me joy in the morning.
Let me rest in the thought of thy love,
pardon for sin, my title to heaven,
my future unspotted state.
I am an unworthy recipient of thy grace.
I often disesteem thy blood and slight thy love,
but can in repentance draw water
from the wells of thy joyous forgiveness.
Let my heart leap towards the eternal sabbath,
where the work of redemption, sanctification,
preservation, glorification is finished
and perfected for ever,
where thou wilt rejoice over me with joy.
There is no joy like the joy of heaven,
for in that state are no sad divisions,
unchristian quarrels,
contentions, evil designs,
weariness, hunger, cold,
sadness, sin, suffering,
persecutions, toils of duty.
O healthful place where none are sick!
O happy land where all are kings!
O holy assembly where all are priests!
How free a state where none are servants except to thee!
Bring me speedily to the land of joy.
“Joy” From the Valley of Vision
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Advent 3: Joy
Text: Psalm 30
Campus: College Hill
Christian joy is not based on circumstances.
Enduring joy
Apostle Paul practiced contentment and found joy in every circumstance because the risen, and living, Christ was his joy.
I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30 (CSB)
David is exalting God, for three primary reasons:
God is both the object of David’s praise and the source of his praise.
Knowledge about God is not enough to sustain us in the dark night of the soul.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
but there is joy in the morning.
Read Psalm 30:4-5
God’s people are invited to collectively celebrate God’s mercy and grace, and to cultivate joy.
“Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.”
Micah 7:18
When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
Psalm 30:6-10
God needs to be the source of our strength and joy in favorable circumstances, as much as we rely on him in challenging circumstances.
Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’
“Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father’s family, and from my father’s sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And out of all my sons—for the Lord has given me many sons—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.’
1 Chronicles 28:2-7 (CSB)
Many of the Old Testament prophets were actually pointing us to Jesus the Messiah.
“When Jesus said that his resurrected body is the true temple, he was saying something like this: “In all temples around the world, priests offer sacrifices and do rituals aiming to bridge the chasm you feel between yourself and God. But I am the sacrifice that ends all sacrifices. I am the priest who ends your need for priests. It was I who went under the sword (Genesis 3:24). I am the one who brings heaven to earth, because I am not just the bridge over the gap to God’s glory. I am God’s glory.””
~ Tim Keller, Surprised by Hope
When we are healed from our sins, our lives become a testimony of God’s presence and goodness and our bodies become a living temple for God’s Holy Spirit
(1 Cor. 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16).
Conclusion:
Title: Joy at Midnight
Text: Psalm 30
Campus: Rivermont
“Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have lifted me up
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me up from Sheol;
you spared me from among those
going down[a] to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:1-4
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Psalm 130:1-2
God, listen to my prayer
And do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my compliant
Psalm 55:1-2
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have drawn me out of the depths
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Psalm 30:1-2
“Those who are close to their tears are close to their joy.”
~ Dr. Dan Allender
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:4
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
When I was secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain;
when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Psalm 30:6-7
Lord, I called to you;
I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30:8-12
I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have drawn me out of the depths...
Psalm 30:1
The Well of Grief
by David Whyte
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief,
turning down through its black water
to the place we cannot breathe,
will never know the source from which we drink,
the secret water, cold and clear,
nor find in the darkness glimmering,
the small round coins,
thrown by those who wished for something else.
“What gain is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my helper.”
Psalm 30:9-10
You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30:11-12
Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
Romans 6:3-5
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
O CHRIST,
All thy ways of mercy tend to and end in my delight.
Thou didst weep, sorrow, suffer that I might rejoice.
For my joy thou hast sent the Comforter,
multiplied thy promises,
shown me my future happiness,
given me a living fountain.
Thou art preparing joy for me and me for joy;
I pray for joy, wait for joy, long for joy;
give me more than I can hold, desire, or think of.
Measure out to me my times and degrees of joy,
at my work, business, duties.
If I weep at night, give me joy in the morning.
Let me rest in the thought of thy love,
pardon for sin, my title to heaven,
my future unspotted state.
I am an unworthy recipient of thy grace.
I often disesteem thy blood and slight thy love,
but can in repentance draw water
from the wells of thy joyous forgiveness.
Let my heart leap towards the eternal sabbath,
where the work of redemption, sanctification,
preservation, glorification is finished
and perfected for ever,
where thou wilt rejoice over me with joy.
There is no joy like the joy of heaven,
for in that state are no sad divisions,
unchristian quarrels,
contentions, evil designs,
weariness, hunger, cold,
sadness, sin, suffering,
persecutions, toils of duty.
O healthful place where none are sick!
O happy land where all are kings!
O holy assembly where all are priests!
How free a state where none are servants except to thee!
Bring me speedily to the land of joy.
“Joy” From the Valley of Vision
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Advent 3: Joy
Text: Psalm 30
Campus: College Hill
Christian joy is not based on circumstances.
Enduring joy
- is a gift from God
- is found in the presence and promises of God
- comes from Jesus Christ
Apostle Paul practiced contentment and found joy in every circumstance because the risen, and living, Christ was his joy.
I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30 (CSB)
David is exalting God, for three primary reasons:
- Deliverance from enemies (v. 1)
- Answered prayers (v. 2)
- Preservation of life (v. 3)
God is both the object of David’s praise and the source of his praise.
Knowledge about God is not enough to sustain us in the dark night of the soul.
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
but there is joy in the morning.
Read Psalm 30:4-5
God’s people are invited to collectively celebrate God’s mercy and grace, and to cultivate joy.
“Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.”
Micah 7:18
When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
“What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
Psalm 30:6-10
God needs to be the source of our strength and joy in favorable circumstances, as much as we rely on him in challenging circumstances.
Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’
“Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father’s family, and from my father’s sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And out of all my sons—for the Lord has given me many sons—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.’
1 Chronicles 28:2-7 (CSB)
Many of the Old Testament prophets were actually pointing us to Jesus the Messiah.
“When Jesus said that his resurrected body is the true temple, he was saying something like this: “In all temples around the world, priests offer sacrifices and do rituals aiming to bridge the chasm you feel between yourself and God. But I am the sacrifice that ends all sacrifices. I am the priest who ends your need for priests. It was I who went under the sword (Genesis 3:24). I am the one who brings heaven to earth, because I am not just the bridge over the gap to God’s glory. I am God’s glory.””
~ Tim Keller, Surprised by Hope
When we are healed from our sins, our lives become a testimony of God’s presence and goodness and our bodies become a living temple for God’s Holy Spirit
(1 Cor. 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16).
Conclusion:
- God is always with us - our source of enduring joy.
- We display God’s presence in our world - as heralds of enduring joy.
December 5th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Peace at Midnight
Text: Psalm 55
Campus: Rivermont
God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,
because of the enemy’s words, because of the pressure of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger.
Psalm 55:1-3
Now it is not an enemy who insults me—otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—otherwise I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend!
We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
My friend acts violently against those at peace with him;
he violates his covenant.
His buttery words are smooth, but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.
Psalm 55:12-14, 20-1
My heart shudders within me;
terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55:4-5
We tend to overestimate our ability to achieve peace on our own
Click Here to see Image: Christmas in Bethlehem
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest.
How far away I would flee;
I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”
Psalm 55:6-8
Let death take them by surprise;
let them go down to Sheol alive, because evil is in their homes and within them.
God, you will bring them down to the Pit of destruction;
Psalm 55:15, 23a
But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.
I complain and groan morning, noon, and night, and he hears my voice.
Though many are against me, he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.
God, the one enthroned from long ago, will hear and will humiliate them Selah
because they do not change and do not fear God.
men of bloodshed and treachery will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 55:16-19, 23b
The Bible teaches that peace is not the absence of pain or conflict, but the presence of God, no matter the circumstance.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
Psalm 130:1-2
God, listen to my prayer
And do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my compliant
Psalm 55:1-2
Christ has come. Our savior has come. And he’s coming again. And in the meantime, through his life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, peace is possible.
God is closer than you think. Peace is more possible than we ever imagined.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
CHRISTMAS BELLS
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
Ultimately, it is not the changing of our circumstances that makes peace possible again. The presence of Jesus is the promise and possibility of peace.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
Colossians 1:21-23
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Psalm 55
Campus: College Hill
The season of Advent helps us to understand the true meaning of Christmas and to anchor our hope, love, peace, and joy in Jesus.
God’s people don’t ignore the painful realities of our lives but, in all circumstances, we anchor ourselves in the hope that is found in the Lord.
Advent helps us to honestly name our darkness and to cultivate peace that transcends our circumstances.
God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, because of the enemy’s words, because of the pressure of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger.
My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me; horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”
Now it is not an enemy who insults me—otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—otherwise I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend!
We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
God, you will bring them down to the Pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and treachery will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 55:1-8, 12-14,22-23 (CSB)
A lament expresses grief and sorrow.
1) A lament is usually a direct address to God (v. 1)
2) A lament expresses specific complaints (vv. 2-3, 12-14, 20-21)
3) A lament has elements of confession, assertion of innocence, and imprecation (cursing).
4) A lament expresses confidence in God and typically ends with surrender or praise (vv. 16, 22-23).
A lament is a journey through grief and sorrow.
Grief is a journey that we cannot take apart from God.
Psalms of lament help us to understand that we shouldn’t minimize grief and pain.
When God seems far away, and peace feels out of reach, there is always a temptation to escape.
The Bible teaches us that peace is not found in the absence of pain or conflict, but in the presence of God.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
Read Luke 2:9-20 (CSB)
Jesus was crushed for our iniquities and his wounds have paved the way for our healing.
The Greek word for salvation (soteria) means healing.
It was the presence of Jesus which made shalom real for the disciples, and Jesus makes it real for us.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Peace at Midnight
Text: Psalm 55
Campus: Rivermont
God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,
because of the enemy’s words, because of the pressure of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger.
Psalm 55:1-3
Now it is not an enemy who insults me—otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—otherwise I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend!
We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
My friend acts violently against those at peace with him;
he violates his covenant.
His buttery words are smooth, but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.
Psalm 55:12-14, 20-1
My heart shudders within me;
terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55:4-5
We tend to overestimate our ability to achieve peace on our own
Click Here to see Image: Christmas in Bethlehem
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest.
How far away I would flee;
I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”
Psalm 55:6-8
Let death take them by surprise;
let them go down to Sheol alive, because evil is in their homes and within them.
God, you will bring them down to the Pit of destruction;
Psalm 55:15, 23a
But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.
I complain and groan morning, noon, and night, and he hears my voice.
Though many are against me, he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.
God, the one enthroned from long ago, will hear and will humiliate them Selah
because they do not change and do not fear God.
men of bloodshed and treachery will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 55:16-19, 23b
The Bible teaches that peace is not the absence of pain or conflict, but the presence of God, no matter the circumstance.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
Psalm 130:1-2
God, listen to my prayer
And do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my compliant
Psalm 55:1-2
Christ has come. Our savior has come. And he’s coming again. And in the meantime, through his life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, peace is possible.
God is closer than you think. Peace is more possible than we ever imagined.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
CHRISTMAS BELLS
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
Ultimately, it is not the changing of our circumstances that makes peace possible again. The presence of Jesus is the promise and possibility of peace.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
Colossians 1:21-23
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Psalm 55
Campus: College Hill
The season of Advent helps us to understand the true meaning of Christmas and to anchor our hope, love, peace, and joy in Jesus.
God’s people don’t ignore the painful realities of our lives but, in all circumstances, we anchor ourselves in the hope that is found in the Lord.
Advent helps us to honestly name our darkness and to cultivate peace that transcends our circumstances.
God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, because of the enemy’s words, because of the pressure of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger.
My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me; horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”
Now it is not an enemy who insults me—otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—otherwise I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend!
We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
God, you will bring them down to the Pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and treachery will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 55:1-8, 12-14,22-23 (CSB)
A lament expresses grief and sorrow.
1) A lament is usually a direct address to God (v. 1)
2) A lament expresses specific complaints (vv. 2-3, 12-14, 20-21)
3) A lament has elements of confession, assertion of innocence, and imprecation (cursing).
4) A lament expresses confidence in God and typically ends with surrender or praise (vv. 16, 22-23).
A lament is a journey through grief and sorrow.
Grief is a journey that we cannot take apart from God.
Psalms of lament help us to understand that we shouldn’t minimize grief and pain.
When God seems far away, and peace feels out of reach, there is always a temptation to escape.
The Bible teaches us that peace is not found in the absence of pain or conflict, but in the presence of God.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
Read Luke 2:9-20 (CSB)
Jesus was crushed for our iniquities and his wounds have paved the way for our healing.
The Greek word for salvation (soteria) means healing.
It was the presence of Jesus which made shalom real for the disciples, and Jesus makes it real for us.
______________________________________________________________________
November 28th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Hope in the Night (Advent 1)
Text: Psalm 130
Campus: Rivermont
Click to see family picture
During the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the global church looks beyond cultural Christmas and intently focuses on Jesus.
Psalms speak honestly about the way sin affects our lives, they name the darkness, but they also deeply root our faith in the greatness and glory of God.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 130 (CSB)
“Help, God - the bottom has fallen out of my life.”
~The Message, E. Peterson
We’re never going to be able to get the help that we need until we acknowledge that we have a need, and we won’t get the help that we need unless we turn to the right solution.
Despair can make us feel isolated from God and others but it can also be the very thing that prompts us to turn to God and get the help that we need.
Advent is an invitation to be honest and to face our pain with God.
Hesed describes God’s faithfulness, love, mercy, and grace, as well as his kindness and loyalty.
All of the darkness and pain that is present in our lives can be traced back to sin - our sin and the sin of others.
Turning ourselves and our concerns over to our kind and generous God, fills us with the strength that we need to endure the night.
We wait for God to display his hesed love and apply it to our wounds, and we wait for him to rescue us.
Our hope is not unfounded. We know the morning is coming.
Another way that we are sustained in the darkness is by speaking the truth about God to others.
Our grief and tears may last the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Advent guide: you’re going to be invited to be honest, to grieve what needs to be grieved, to surrender, and to receive the gift of God’s presence which leads to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Title: Advent Week 1: Hope
Text: Psalm 130
Campus: College Hill
During the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the global church looks beyond cultural Christmas and intently focuses on Jesus.
Psalms speak honestly about the way sin affects our lives, they name the darkness, but they also deeply root our faith in the greatness and glory of God.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 130 (CSB)
We’re never going to be able to get the help that we need until we acknowledge that we have a need, and we won’t get the help that we need unless we turn to the right solution.
Despair can make us feel isolated from God and others but it can also be the very thing that prompts us to turn to God and get the help that we need.
Advent is an invitation to be honest and to face our pain with God.
Hesed describes God’s faithfulness, love, mercy, and grace, as well as his kindness and loyalty.
All of the darkness and pain that is present in our lives can be traced back to sin - our sin and the sin of others.
Turning ourselves and our concerns over to our kind and generous God, fills us with the strength that we need to endure the night.
We wait for God to display his hesed love and apply it to our wounds, and we wait for him to rescue us.
Our hope is not unfounded. We know the morning is coming.
Another way that we are sustained in the darkness is by speaking the truth about God to others.
Our grief and tears may last the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Advent guide: you’re going to be invited to be honest, to grieve what needs to be grieved, to surrender, and to receive the gift of God’s presence which leads to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Hope in the Night (Advent 1)
Text: Psalm 130
Campus: Rivermont
Click to see family picture
During the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the global church looks beyond cultural Christmas and intently focuses on Jesus.
Psalms speak honestly about the way sin affects our lives, they name the darkness, but they also deeply root our faith in the greatness and glory of God.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 130 (CSB)
“Help, God - the bottom has fallen out of my life.”
~The Message, E. Peterson
We’re never going to be able to get the help that we need until we acknowledge that we have a need, and we won’t get the help that we need unless we turn to the right solution.
Despair can make us feel isolated from God and others but it can also be the very thing that prompts us to turn to God and get the help that we need.
Advent is an invitation to be honest and to face our pain with God.
Hesed describes God’s faithfulness, love, mercy, and grace, as well as his kindness and loyalty.
All of the darkness and pain that is present in our lives can be traced back to sin - our sin and the sin of others.
Turning ourselves and our concerns over to our kind and generous God, fills us with the strength that we need to endure the night.
We wait for God to display his hesed love and apply it to our wounds, and we wait for him to rescue us.
Our hope is not unfounded. We know the morning is coming.
Another way that we are sustained in the darkness is by speaking the truth about God to others.
Our grief and tears may last the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Advent guide: you’re going to be invited to be honest, to grieve what needs to be grieved, to surrender, and to receive the gift of God’s presence which leads to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Title: Advent Week 1: Hope
Text: Psalm 130
Campus: College Hill
During the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the global church looks beyond cultural Christmas and intently focuses on Jesus.
Psalms speak honestly about the way sin affects our lives, they name the darkness, but they also deeply root our faith in the greatness and glory of God.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 130 (CSB)
We’re never going to be able to get the help that we need until we acknowledge that we have a need, and we won’t get the help that we need unless we turn to the right solution.
Despair can make us feel isolated from God and others but it can also be the very thing that prompts us to turn to God and get the help that we need.
Advent is an invitation to be honest and to face our pain with God.
Hesed describes God’s faithfulness, love, mercy, and grace, as well as his kindness and loyalty.
All of the darkness and pain that is present in our lives can be traced back to sin - our sin and the sin of others.
Turning ourselves and our concerns over to our kind and generous God, fills us with the strength that we need to endure the night.
We wait for God to display his hesed love and apply it to our wounds, and we wait for him to rescue us.
Our hope is not unfounded. We know the morning is coming.
Another way that we are sustained in the darkness is by speaking the truth about God to others.
Our grief and tears may last the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Advent guide: you’re going to be invited to be honest, to grieve what needs to be grieved, to surrender, and to receive the gift of God’s presence which leads to abundance.
______________________________________________________________________
November 21st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Called to Belong: Household Codes and Spiritual Battle
Text: Ephesians 5:22-6:9
Campus: Rivermont
Aristotle, Politics, 1:3: “Seeing then that the state is made up of households, before speaking of the state we must speak of the management of the household… Now we should begin by examining everything in its fewest possible elements; and the first and fewest possible parts of a family are master and slave, husband and wife, father and children.” (Same groups Paul is going to address).
Aristotle, Politics, 1:12: “Of household management we have seen that there are three parts- one is the rule of a master over slaves, which has been discussed already, another of a father, and the third of a husband. A husband and father, we saw, rules over wife and children, both free, but the rule differs; the rule over his children being royal, and the rule over his wife is based on natural constitution. For although there may be exceptions to the order of nature, the male is by nature fitter for command than the female, just as the elder and full-grown is superior to the younger and more immature.”
And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:18-22
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be being filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (v. 19)
creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (v.19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (v. 20)
submitting to (Grk: hupotassō, to be placed under, “socially outranked”) one another in reverence for Christ, (v. 21)
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord… (v. 22)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Ephesians 6:5-9
Outline of Spiritual Battle (Eph. 6:10-20)
1. Our Real Enemy (The Powers)
2. Our Mode of Battle (Counter-Formation)
3. Our Armor (The Gospel)
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Pay careful attention to how you live - not as unwise people but as wise - be liberating the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
When we do not believe in the devil, we will turn every person or institution who does evil into the devil.
Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:14-17
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but there is darkness;
for brightness, but we live in the night.
We grope along a wall like the blind;
we grope like those without eyes.
We stumble at noon as though it were twilight;
we are like the dead among those who are healthy.
We all growl like bears
and moan like doves.
We hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions have multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us.
For our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
transgression and deception against the Lord,
turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
Truth is missing,
and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and he was offended.
He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding;
so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him.
He put on righteousness as body armor,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
So he will repay according to their deeds:
fury to his enemies, retribution to his foes,
and he will repay the coasts and islands.
They will fear the name of the Lord in the west
and his glory in the east;
for he will come like a rushing stream
driven by the wind of the Lord.
“The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Isaiah 59:9-20
Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a Spirit of counsel and strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight will be in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge
by what he sees with his eyes,
he will not execute justice
by what he hears with his ears,
but he will judge the poor righteously
and execute justice for the oppressed of the land.
He will strike the land
with a scepter from his mouth,
and he will kill the wicked
with a command from his lips.
Righteousness will be a belt around his hips;
faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.
The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat.
The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together,
and a child will lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young ones will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like cattle.
An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit,
and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.
They will not harm or destroy each other
on my entire holy mountain,
for the land will be as full
of the knowledge of the Lord
as the sea is filled with water.
Isaiah 11:1-9
In Jesus, The fruit of our fight is peace.
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
The voices of your watchmen—
they lift up their voices,
shouting for joy together;
for every eye will see
when the Lord returns to Zion.
Be joyful, rejoice together,
you ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has displayed his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 52:7-10
Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a young plant
and like a root out of dry ground.
He didn’t have an impressive form
or majesty that we should look at him,
no appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.
He was like someone people turned away from;
he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,
and he carried our pains;
but we in turn regarded him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.
We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment,
and who considered his fate?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
but he was with a rich man at his death,
because he had done no violence
and had not spoken deceitfully.
Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely.
When you make him a guilt offering,
he will see his seed, he will prolong his days,
and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
After his anguish,
he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will carry their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him the many as a portion,
and he will receive the mighty as spoil,
because he willingly submitted to death,
and was counted among the rebels;
yet he bore the sin of many
and interceded for the rebels.
Isaiah 53:1-12
We do battle against the schemes of our very real spiritual enemy by laying our lives down in love for others, just like Jesus.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 14)
Text: Ephesians 6
Campus: College Hill
“…the very constitution of the soul has shown us the way; in it one part naturally rules, and the other is subject, and the virtue of the ruler we in maintain to be different from that of the subject… almost all things rule and are ruled according to nature. But the kind of rule differs; the freeman rules over the slave after another manner from that in which the male rules over the female, or the man over the child; although the parts of the soul are present in all of them, they are present in different degrees. For the slave has no deliberative faculty at all; the woman has, but it is without authority, and the child has, but it is immature. So it must necessarily be supposed to be with the moral virtues also; all should partake of them, but only in such manner and degree as is required by each for the fulfillment of his duty.” - Aristotle
In Jesus’ teachings, the weak and vulnerable were elevated and those who were strong were invited to lay down their lives for those who are weak.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (CSB)
How do you engage with people inside and outside the home?
submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:21
First century Christians didn’t have the authority to totally redefine the household codes, but they could show how Christ refined the household codes.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Ephesians 6:1-9
To “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” means that parents get to teach and model godliness to their children.
Apostle Paul humanizes slaves and puts slaves and masters on an equal playing field in relation to God (v. 9).
Slavery is a violation of God’s design and is incompatible with the gospel.
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (CSB)
Our only hope in life and death, and the battle in between, is God himself.
What do we “put on” for the battle?
What do you need in order to be a faithful warrior?
Title: Called to Belong: Household Codes and Spiritual Battle
Text: Ephesians 5:22-6:9
Campus: Rivermont
Aristotle, Politics, 1:3: “Seeing then that the state is made up of households, before speaking of the state we must speak of the management of the household… Now we should begin by examining everything in its fewest possible elements; and the first and fewest possible parts of a family are master and slave, husband and wife, father and children.” (Same groups Paul is going to address).
Aristotle, Politics, 1:12: “Of household management we have seen that there are three parts- one is the rule of a master over slaves, which has been discussed already, another of a father, and the third of a husband. A husband and father, we saw, rules over wife and children, both free, but the rule differs; the rule over his children being royal, and the rule over his wife is based on natural constitution. For although there may be exceptions to the order of nature, the male is by nature fitter for command than the female, just as the elder and full-grown is superior to the younger and more immature.”
And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:18-22
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be being filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (v. 19)
creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (v.19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (v. 20)
submitting to (Grk: hupotassō, to be placed under, “socially outranked”) one another in reverence for Christ, (v. 21)
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord… (v. 22)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Ephesians 6:5-9
Outline of Spiritual Battle (Eph. 6:10-20)
1. Our Real Enemy (The Powers)
2. Our Mode of Battle (Counter-Formation)
3. Our Armor (The Gospel)
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Pay careful attention to how you live - not as unwise people but as wise - be liberating the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
When we do not believe in the devil, we will turn every person or institution who does evil into the devil.
Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:14-17
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but there is darkness;
for brightness, but we live in the night.
We grope along a wall like the blind;
we grope like those without eyes.
We stumble at noon as though it were twilight;
we are like the dead among those who are healthy.
We all growl like bears
and moan like doves.
We hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions have multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us.
For our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
transgression and deception against the Lord,
turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
Truth is missing,
and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and he was offended.
He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding;
so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him.
He put on righteousness as body armor,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
So he will repay according to their deeds:
fury to his enemies, retribution to his foes,
and he will repay the coasts and islands.
They will fear the name of the Lord in the west
and his glory in the east;
for he will come like a rushing stream
driven by the wind of the Lord.
“The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Isaiah 59:9-20
Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a Spirit of counsel and strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight will be in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge
by what he sees with his eyes,
he will not execute justice
by what he hears with his ears,
but he will judge the poor righteously
and execute justice for the oppressed of the land.
He will strike the land
with a scepter from his mouth,
and he will kill the wicked
with a command from his lips.
Righteousness will be a belt around his hips;
faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.
The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat.
The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together,
and a child will lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young ones will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like cattle.
An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit,
and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.
They will not harm or destroy each other
on my entire holy mountain,
for the land will be as full
of the knowledge of the Lord
as the sea is filled with water.
Isaiah 11:1-9
In Jesus, The fruit of our fight is peace.
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
The voices of your watchmen—
they lift up their voices,
shouting for joy together;
for every eye will see
when the Lord returns to Zion.
Be joyful, rejoice together,
you ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has displayed his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 52:7-10
Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a young plant
and like a root out of dry ground.
He didn’t have an impressive form
or majesty that we should look at him,
no appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.
He was like someone people turned away from;
he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,
and he carried our pains;
but we in turn regarded him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.
We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment,
and who considered his fate?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
but he was with a rich man at his death,
because he had done no violence
and had not spoken deceitfully.
Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely.
When you make him a guilt offering,
he will see his seed, he will prolong his days,
and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
After his anguish,
he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will carry their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him the many as a portion,
and he will receive the mighty as spoil,
because he willingly submitted to death,
and was counted among the rebels;
yet he bore the sin of many
and interceded for the rebels.
Isaiah 53:1-12
We do battle against the schemes of our very real spiritual enemy by laying our lives down in love for others, just like Jesus.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 14)
Text: Ephesians 6
Campus: College Hill
“…the very constitution of the soul has shown us the way; in it one part naturally rules, and the other is subject, and the virtue of the ruler we in maintain to be different from that of the subject… almost all things rule and are ruled according to nature. But the kind of rule differs; the freeman rules over the slave after another manner from that in which the male rules over the female, or the man over the child; although the parts of the soul are present in all of them, they are present in different degrees. For the slave has no deliberative faculty at all; the woman has, but it is without authority, and the child has, but it is immature. So it must necessarily be supposed to be with the moral virtues also; all should partake of them, but only in such manner and degree as is required by each for the fulfillment of his duty.” - Aristotle
In Jesus’ teachings, the weak and vulnerable were elevated and those who were strong were invited to lay down their lives for those who are weak.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (CSB)
How do you engage with people inside and outside the home?
- follow God’s lead, look to Jesus,
- remember your position as a child of God and prioritize sacrificial love.
submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:21
First century Christians didn’t have the authority to totally redefine the household codes, but they could show how Christ refined the household codes.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Ephesians 6:1-9
To “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” means that parents get to teach and model godliness to their children.
Apostle Paul humanizes slaves and puts slaves and masters on an equal playing field in relation to God (v. 9).
Slavery is a violation of God’s design and is incompatible with the gospel.
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (CSB)
Our only hope in life and death, and the battle in between, is God himself.
- God himself strengthens us for the battle.
- God has exposed our enemy.
- God has given us tools for the battle.
What do we “put on” for the battle?
- truth
- righteousness
- peace
- faith
- Helmet of salvation
- The sword of the Spirit
- Prayer
What do you need in order to be a faithful warrior?
- awareness of the battle
- strength of the Lord/endurance
- utilize the tools
November 14th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: We Won’t Move Without You
Text: Mark 6:45-52 (Exodus 33:1-5, 12-16, 34:5-9)
Campus: Rivermont
When we see need, God sees abundance.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning[b] he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:45-52
“Jesus saw them” and yet he waited. (v. 48)
“they cried out” afraid. Panicked. Anxious. Legitimate. Like the loaves, there wasn’t enough, they were in over their heads. (v. 49)
Is there a part of me that feels in over my head, out of control in my life?
“He got into the boat with them” (v. 51)
When we need the provision of God, the hand of God, we need to seek the presence of God.
“because they had not understood the loaves and their hearts were hard.” (v. 52)
Every need is an invitation to intimacy with Jesus.
What will have our attention for what lies ahead? Will it be the wind and waves, the potential threats, our own desired outcomes? Or will it be Jesus, the Lord of the loaves and the storm, the Lord of all?
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring. I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.” When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.
For the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.”
Exodus 33:1-5
Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.”
And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
“If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”
Exodus 33:12-16
The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed his name, “the Lord.” The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed:
The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
Moses immediately knelt low on the ground and worshiped. Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor with you, my Lord, please go with us (even though this is a stiff-necked people), forgive our iniquity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession.”
Exodus 34:5-9
Corporate Prayer: For What Comes Next
Jesus, You are the Lord, Our God. We won’t move without You. We will not move forward in our own strength. We will not cling to our desired outcomes, but to your presence and guidance.
Lord Jesus, we are your people. Our needs, our lives, are in your hands. Teach us your ways. Show us your glory. Do not leave us alone. For the glory of your name, lead us by your presence daily into what is to come.
Amen.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:19-33
Campus: College Hill
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phillippians 4:6-7 (CSB)
God’s global mission, which starts in our neighborhoods and takes us to nations, has always been really important to Gospel Community Church.
“In the coming weeks, we don’t know how the corona virus will shape our lives and our church, but we know that there will be lots of opportunities to encounter God through prayer and intentional acts of generosity. Let’s keep our hearts soft and eyes open.”
- March 2020
The church of Jesus Christ exists to know Christ and to make him known.
All Christians, everywhere, regardless of their personal or cultural situations are called to love God and to love people.
Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:19-21, 24 (CSB)
Jesus invites us to choose the right master.
Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span[a] by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”
Matthew 6:25-31 (CSB)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33 (CSB)
Instead of being consumed by worry, we’re invited to prioritize God’s presence and the values of his Kingdom; and to be sustained by him in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
Personal Evaluation and Confession:
Where are you storing your treasure? What is your treasure?
Prayer Prompts:
-What are you worried about?
-What are you thankful for?
-Pray for the peace of God to consume and guard your heart.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: We Won’t Move Without You
Text: Mark 6:45-52 (Exodus 33:1-5, 12-16, 34:5-9)
Campus: Rivermont
When we see need, God sees abundance.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning[b] he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:45-52
“Jesus saw them” and yet he waited. (v. 48)
“they cried out” afraid. Panicked. Anxious. Legitimate. Like the loaves, there wasn’t enough, they were in over their heads. (v. 49)
Is there a part of me that feels in over my head, out of control in my life?
“He got into the boat with them” (v. 51)
When we need the provision of God, the hand of God, we need to seek the presence of God.
“because they had not understood the loaves and their hearts were hard.” (v. 52)
Every need is an invitation to intimacy with Jesus.
What will have our attention for what lies ahead? Will it be the wind and waves, the potential threats, our own desired outcomes? Or will it be Jesus, the Lord of the loaves and the storm, the Lord of all?
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring. I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.” When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.
For the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.”
Exodus 33:1-5
Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.”
And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
“If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”
Exodus 33:12-16
The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed his name, “the Lord.” The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed:
The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
Moses immediately knelt low on the ground and worshiped. Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor with you, my Lord, please go with us (even though this is a stiff-necked people), forgive our iniquity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession.”
Exodus 34:5-9
Corporate Prayer: For What Comes Next
Jesus, You are the Lord, Our God. We won’t move without You. We will not move forward in our own strength. We will not cling to our desired outcomes, but to your presence and guidance.
Lord Jesus, we are your people. Our needs, our lives, are in your hands. Teach us your ways. Show us your glory. Do not leave us alone. For the glory of your name, lead us by your presence daily into what is to come.
Amen.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Text: Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:19-33
Campus: College Hill
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phillippians 4:6-7 (CSB)
God’s global mission, which starts in our neighborhoods and takes us to nations, has always been really important to Gospel Community Church.
“In the coming weeks, we don’t know how the corona virus will shape our lives and our church, but we know that there will be lots of opportunities to encounter God through prayer and intentional acts of generosity. Let’s keep our hearts soft and eyes open.”
- March 2020
The church of Jesus Christ exists to know Christ and to make him known.
All Christians, everywhere, regardless of their personal or cultural situations are called to love God and to love people.
Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:19-21, 24 (CSB)
Jesus invites us to choose the right master.
Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span[a] by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”
Matthew 6:25-31 (CSB)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33 (CSB)
Instead of being consumed by worry, we’re invited to prioritize God’s presence and the values of his Kingdom; and to be sustained by him in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
Personal Evaluation and Confession:
Where are you storing your treasure? What is your treasure?
Prayer Prompts:
-What are you worried about?
-What are you thankful for?
-Pray for the peace of God to consume and guard your heart.
______________________________________________________________________
November 7th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Keith Hoekman
Global Focus Launch
Text: Romans 15:18-24, Revelation 5:8-9
Campus: Rivermont
We endeavor to preach the gospel where Christ is not known so that God can be worshiped by all peoples
And again, ”praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by work and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God- so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it mand thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
Romans 15:11, 18-21
Central to Christ’s saving work accomplished on the cross is that this salvation will ransom a people for God from every nation, tribe and language
235 times the Bible uses the word “peoples”, to convey this idea of people groups. And it uses it in the very specific contexts of the way that God deals with the earth in terms of His work in the spread of the gospel.
Yet his purpose and process for bringing this salvation to the people of the world is not simply to have many people believe, but rather it has a targeted purpose of gathering a people for himself from each of the peoples of the earth.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelation 5:9
1. It is a revelation or picture of the momentum of Grace.
2. Jesus loves you, died for you, adopts you into his family but his work on grace toward you does not terminate in you.
3. The multi-ethnic church in its variety of color displays the multi-color beauty of God’s wisdom.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles (Ethnos- the nations) the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 3:8-10
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
Mathew 28:18-20
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
There are roughly 17,000 distinct ethono linguistic people groups scattered around the world
There are 7,398 unreached people groups.
An unreached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.
But such is the paradox of grace. Death is the doorway to life. Hopelessness is the entrance to hope. Weakness is the place to find strength. Injustice is where mercy flows. Life comes to those who deserve death. Defeat is actually a victory. The end is really a beginning. Out of sorrow comes eternal celebration. The tomb is the place where new life begins. Hope is sung to suffering’s tune. God composes hope from tragedy’s notes.
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through him to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by work and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God
Romans 15:18-19
“..I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Acts 26:17-18
___________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Global Focus Launch
Text: Romans 15:18-24, Revelation 5:8-9, Romans 10:9-15
Campus: College Hill
Unreached:
a person or group with NO ACCESS to the Gospel of Jesus, and they will not have access unless someone gives it to them
People Group:
an ethnolinguistic group with it’s own language, history, culture, and identity
“For evangelization purposes, a people group is the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance"
~1982 Lausanne Committee Chicago meeting
Ethnos:
people group
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all Ethnos
Matthew 28:19
This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all Ethnos, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit.
Romans 15:18-19
As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain.
Romans 15: 18-24
Click here to see New Testament world slide
Click here to see slide
Click here to see Progress of the Gospel by People Group slide
When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:8-10
I know that you can do anything and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted
Job 42:2
This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Romans 10: 8b-15
God invites His people to obey Him and join in His mission of going into the world to make disciples.
God has wired each of us as GOers and SENDers
We need people to GO take the Gospel to the unreached people groups of the world, because this is God’s plan for reaching the ends of the earth. We need people to SEND workers to the field, because cross-cultural missions is difficult and requires spiritual, financial, and emotional support.
1. Learn
2. Send
3. Go
All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (ethnos – people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
___________________________________________________________________
Global Focus Launch
Text: Romans 15:18-24, Revelation 5:8-9
Campus: Rivermont
We endeavor to preach the gospel where Christ is not known so that God can be worshiped by all peoples
And again, ”praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by work and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God- so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it mand thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
Romans 15:11, 18-21
Central to Christ’s saving work accomplished on the cross is that this salvation will ransom a people for God from every nation, tribe and language
235 times the Bible uses the word “peoples”, to convey this idea of people groups. And it uses it in the very specific contexts of the way that God deals with the earth in terms of His work in the spread of the gospel.
Yet his purpose and process for bringing this salvation to the people of the world is not simply to have many people believe, but rather it has a targeted purpose of gathering a people for himself from each of the peoples of the earth.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelation 5:9
1. It is a revelation or picture of the momentum of Grace.
2. Jesus loves you, died for you, adopts you into his family but his work on grace toward you does not terminate in you.
3. The multi-ethnic church in its variety of color displays the multi-color beauty of God’s wisdom.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles (Ethnos- the nations) the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 3:8-10
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
Mathew 28:18-20
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
There are roughly 17,000 distinct ethono linguistic people groups scattered around the world
There are 7,398 unreached people groups.
An unreached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.
But such is the paradox of grace. Death is the doorway to life. Hopelessness is the entrance to hope. Weakness is the place to find strength. Injustice is where mercy flows. Life comes to those who deserve death. Defeat is actually a victory. The end is really a beginning. Out of sorrow comes eternal celebration. The tomb is the place where new life begins. Hope is sung to suffering’s tune. God composes hope from tragedy’s notes.
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through him to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by work and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God
Romans 15:18-19
“..I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Acts 26:17-18
___________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Austin Whiteheart
Global Focus Launch
Text: Romans 15:18-24, Revelation 5:8-9, Romans 10:9-15
Campus: College Hill
Unreached:
a person or group with NO ACCESS to the Gospel of Jesus, and they will not have access unless someone gives it to them
People Group:
an ethnolinguistic group with it’s own language, history, culture, and identity
“For evangelization purposes, a people group is the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance"
~1982 Lausanne Committee Chicago meeting
Ethnos:
people group
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all Ethnos
Matthew 28:19
This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all Ethnos, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit.
Romans 15:18-19
As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain.
Romans 15: 18-24
Click here to see New Testament world slide
Click here to see slide
Click here to see Progress of the Gospel by People Group slide
When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:8-10
I know that you can do anything and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted
Job 42:2
This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Romans 10: 8b-15
God invites His people to obey Him and join in His mission of going into the world to make disciples.
God has wired each of us as GOers and SENDers
We need people to GO take the Gospel to the unreached people groups of the world, because this is God’s plan for reaching the ends of the earth. We need people to SEND workers to the field, because cross-cultural missions is difficult and requires spiritual, financial, and emotional support.
1. Learn
2. Send
3. Go
All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (ethnos – people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
___________________________________________________________________
October 31st Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Matt Bradner
Title: Called to Belong (Week 13)
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
Campus: Rivermont
Gods vision for Christian marriage is that we express privately to our spouse and publicly before others what we first have experienced personally.
Christian marriage does not begin with what you do and how you love, it begins with what’s been done for you and how you’ve been loved.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.
In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body.
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:28-30
To be Nourished & Cherished is to know that
God is consistently making you like Jesus
while constantly loving you like Jesus.
To Love our spouse just as Christ loves us is to both Nourish & Cherish.
To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
God’s vision of marriage isn’t a collision of demands on each other; rather, it’s a collision of desire for each other.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: The Illustration of Marriage
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
Campus: College Hill
This mystery is profound, but I’m talking about Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:32
“Seeing then that the state is made up of households, before speaking of the state we must speak of the management of the household… Now we should begin by examining everything in its fewest possible elements; and the first and fewest possible parts of a family are master and slave, husband and wife, father and children.”
~ Aristotle, Politics, 1:3
“Of household management we have seen that there are three parts- one is the rule of a master over slaves, which has been discussed already, another of a father, and the third of a husband. A husband and father, we saw, rules over wife and children, both free, but the rule differs; the rule over his children being royal, and the rule over his wife is based on natural constitution. For although there may be exceptions to the order of nature, the male is by nature fitter for command than the female, just as the elder and full-grown is superior to the younger and more immature.”
~ Aristotle, Politics, 1:12
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be being filled by the Spirit:
Ephesians 5:18
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: odē = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill),
creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:19
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 5:20
submitting to (Grk: hupotassō, to be placed under, “socially outranked”) one another in reverence for Christ,
Ephesians 5:21
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord…
Ephesians 5:22
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ,
Ephesians 5:21
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:22
because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, he being the deliverer of the Body.
Ephesians 5:23
But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in every way.
Ephesians 5:24
husbands, be loving your wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself on her behalf,
Ephesians 5:25
so that He could set her apart having purified her with the washing of water with a word
Ephesians 5;26
so that He could present the church to Himself glorious, having no stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be sacred and blameless.
Ephesians 5:27
In this way, the husbands are obligated to love their own wives as their own bodies; the one who loves his own wife, loves himself.
Ephesians 5:28
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and nurtures it, just as Christ does for the church,
Ephesians 5:29
because we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:30
For this reason, a man will leave the father and mother and he will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:31
This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:32
Nevertheless, each one of you all should love his own wife in this way, and the wife should revere her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
Paul in Ephesians is not trying to shape the moral practices of a religious community. He’s testifying to how the world really works, as revealed in Jesus, and how to bring more of his kingdom to this world.
The gospel according to Paul in the letter of Ephesians:
In Christ, God is bringing all things together, in heaven and on earth. And liberating a captive and enslaved humanity from sin, death, evil, by bringing us into his kingdom of life, peace, and goodness through his own life, death, and resurrection.
Marriage is missional.
A loving marriage modeled after Jesus is one of our tactics of war against the darkness.
Our liberation, our freedom, and the liberation of others around us, is found in serving, giving our lives away to others.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Called to Belong (Week 13)
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
Campus: Rivermont
Gods vision for Christian marriage is that we express privately to our spouse and publicly before others what we first have experienced personally.
Christian marriage does not begin with what you do and how you love, it begins with what’s been done for you and how you’ve been loved.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.
In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body.
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:28-30
To be Nourished & Cherished is to know that
God is consistently making you like Jesus
while constantly loving you like Jesus.
To Love our spouse just as Christ loves us is to both Nourish & Cherish.
To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
God’s vision of marriage isn’t a collision of demands on each other; rather, it’s a collision of desire for each other.
____________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: The Illustration of Marriage
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
Campus: College Hill
This mystery is profound, but I’m talking about Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:32
“Seeing then that the state is made up of households, before speaking of the state we must speak of the management of the household… Now we should begin by examining everything in its fewest possible elements; and the first and fewest possible parts of a family are master and slave, husband and wife, father and children.”
~ Aristotle, Politics, 1:3
“Of household management we have seen that there are three parts- one is the rule of a master over slaves, which has been discussed already, another of a father, and the third of a husband. A husband and father, we saw, rules over wife and children, both free, but the rule differs; the rule over his children being royal, and the rule over his wife is based on natural constitution. For although there may be exceptions to the order of nature, the male is by nature fitter for command than the female, just as the elder and full-grown is superior to the younger and more immature.”
~ Aristotle, Politics, 1:12
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be being filled by the Spirit:
Ephesians 5:18
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: odē = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill),
creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:19
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 5:20
submitting to (Grk: hupotassō, to be placed under, “socially outranked”) one another in reverence for Christ,
Ephesians 5:21
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord…
Ephesians 5:22
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ,
Ephesians 5:21
wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:22
because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, he being the deliverer of the Body.
Ephesians 5:23
But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in every way.
Ephesians 5:24
husbands, be loving your wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself on her behalf,
Ephesians 5:25
so that He could set her apart having purified her with the washing of water with a word
Ephesians 5;26
so that He could present the church to Himself glorious, having no stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be sacred and blameless.
Ephesians 5:27
In this way, the husbands are obligated to love their own wives as their own bodies; the one who loves his own wife, loves himself.
Ephesians 5:28
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and nurtures it, just as Christ does for the church,
Ephesians 5:29
because we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:30
For this reason, a man will leave the father and mother and he will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:31
This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:32
Nevertheless, each one of you all should love his own wife in this way, and the wife should revere her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
Paul in Ephesians is not trying to shape the moral practices of a religious community. He’s testifying to how the world really works, as revealed in Jesus, and how to bring more of his kingdom to this world.
The gospel according to Paul in the letter of Ephesians:
In Christ, God is bringing all things together, in heaven and on earth. And liberating a captive and enslaved humanity from sin, death, evil, by bringing us into his kingdom of life, peace, and goodness through his own life, death, and resurrection.
Marriage is missional.
A loving marriage modeled after Jesus is one of our tactics of war against the darkness.
Our liberation, our freedom, and the liberation of others around us, is found in serving, giving our lives away to others.
______________________________________________________________________
October 24th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Liberating the Time, Being Filled by the Spirit
Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Campus: Rivermont
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21
Therefore, pay careful attention to how you all live - not as unwise people but as wise (15)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (16)
So don’t be foolish, but discern what the Lord’s will is. (17)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (18)
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: ode = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill), creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (20)
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (21)
Paul is giving us three ways of imagining how to live as if everything he has said about Jesus and his kingdom is true (Ephesians 4:17-5:2, 5:3-14, 5:15-21).
Paul in Ephesians is not trying to shape the moral practices of a religious community. He’s testifying to how the world really works, as revealed in Jesus, and how to bring more of his kingdom to this world.
Therefore, pay careful attention to how you all live - not as unwise people but as wise (v. 15)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (v. 16)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (v. 16)
So don’t be foolish, but discern what the Lord’s will is. (v. 17)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
I pray that you all may be strengthened by the Spirit in you all’s inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts...to comprehend the love of Christ which surpasses understanding, so that you all might be filled up with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians: 3:16-17, 19
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: ode = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill), creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (v. 19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (v. 20)
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (v. 21)
By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the life for which we were made in God and his good world is possible, by grace through faith.
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (20)
Obscenity, foolish talk, and crude joking have no place among you all. Instead, be [practice] grateful giving of thanks [to God].
Ephesians 5:4
How to Live a Life:
"Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
~Mary Oliver, Poet.
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (21)
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 12)
Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Campus: College Hill
Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
Psalm 90:12
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Read Eph. 5:15-21 (CSB)
Spirit-filled intentionality honors God and bears fruit in our lives and relationships.
1. Spirit-filled intentionality entails a commitment to honest self-examination and self-awareness (v. 15).
2. Spirit-filled intentionality is evidenced by good stewardship (v. 16).
3. Spirit-filled intentionality is the fruit of self-control and ongoing yielding to God’s Spirit (v. 18).
We yield ourselves to God and his Spirit when we continually surrender our independence, repent of our sins, and ask him to rule and reign in our lives.
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Read Eph. 5:19-21 (CSB)
Spirit-filled, men and women, declare God’s truth to each other in their speech and through our songs.
Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ humble themselves and treat each other with reverence and respect because Christ is the ultimate authority over us.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Liberating the Time, Being Filled by the Spirit
Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Campus: Rivermont
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21
Therefore, pay careful attention to how you all live - not as unwise people but as wise (15)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (16)
So don’t be foolish, but discern what the Lord’s will is. (17)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (18)
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: ode = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill), creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (20)
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (21)
Paul is giving us three ways of imagining how to live as if everything he has said about Jesus and his kingdom is true (Ephesians 4:17-5:2, 5:3-14, 5:15-21).
Paul in Ephesians is not trying to shape the moral practices of a religious community. He’s testifying to how the world really works, as revealed in Jesus, and how to bring more of his kingdom to this world.
Therefore, pay careful attention to how you all live - not as unwise people but as wise (v. 15)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (v. 16)
redeeming (Gk: “exagorazo” = liberating) the time, because the days are evil. (v. 16)
So don’t be foolish, but discern what the Lord’s will is. (v. 17)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
And don’t be drunk with wine, in which is recklessness, but be filled by the Spirit: (v. 18)
I pray that you all may be strengthened by the Spirit in you all’s inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts...to comprehend the love of Christ which surpasses understanding, so that you all might be filled up with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians: 3:16-17, 19
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual poems (Grk: ode = poem, inspired by something beautiful, it is itself crafted with great beauty and skill), creating music and singing from your heart to the Lord, (v. 19)
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (v. 20)
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (v. 21)
By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the life for which we were made in God and his good world is possible, by grace through faith.
giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (20)
Obscenity, foolish talk, and crude joking have no place among you all. Instead, be [practice] grateful giving of thanks [to God].
Ephesians 5:4
How to Live a Life:
"Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
~Mary Oliver, Poet.
submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. (21)
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 12)
Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Campus: College Hill
Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
Psalm 90:12
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Read Eph. 5:15-21 (CSB)
Spirit-filled intentionality honors God and bears fruit in our lives and relationships.
1. Spirit-filled intentionality entails a commitment to honest self-examination and self-awareness (v. 15).
2. Spirit-filled intentionality is evidenced by good stewardship (v. 16).
3. Spirit-filled intentionality is the fruit of self-control and ongoing yielding to God’s Spirit (v. 18).
We yield ourselves to God and his Spirit when we continually surrender our independence, repent of our sins, and ask him to rule and reign in our lives.
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Read Eph. 5:19-21 (CSB)
Spirit-filled, men and women, declare God’s truth to each other in their speech and through our songs.
Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ humble themselves and treat each other with reverence and respect because Christ is the ultimate authority over us.
______________________________________________________________________
October 17th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Called to Belong (Week 11)
Text: Ephesians 5:1-14 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
1 Ephesians 5:1-2
You are a dearly loved child of God.
Tension with the Christian Ethic? Questions to ponder:
As beloved children of God, we lead our lives from an authentic place of love, because in doing so, we imitate the very object of our faith - Christ.
But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Ephesians 5:3-5
Click here to see slide
Two warnings for Christians:
A life committed to things that bring decay cannot inherit the flourishing and abundant life.
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—testing what is pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:6-10
Refusing partnership with the world isn’t about separation, it’s about distinction.
Oftentimes, the withering and decay that takes place in our soul won’t come from a direct sin act, but rather comes from a habitual routine of failing to discern what is pleasing to God.
Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible, for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Ephesians 5:11-14
You are so deeply loved by God.
Sermon Notes: Matt Bradner
Title: Called to Belong (Week 11)
Text: Ephesians 5:1-14 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
______________________________________________________________
Title: Called to Belong (Week 11)
Text: Ephesians 5:1-14 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
1 Ephesians 5:1-2
You are a dearly loved child of God.
Tension with the Christian Ethic? Questions to ponder:
- Do I really believe that God knows what's best for me?
- Do I really believe that God wants me to flourish?
- Are God’s commands really motivated by his love for me?
As beloved children of God, we lead our lives from an authentic place of love, because in doing so, we imitate the very object of our faith - Christ.
But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Ephesians 5:3-5
Click here to see slide
Two warnings for Christians:
- Don’t let these sins be heard or even “hinted at” among the saints
- Those who practice these actions have no inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
A life committed to things that bring decay cannot inherit the flourishing and abundant life.
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—testing what is pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:6-10
Refusing partnership with the world isn’t about separation, it’s about distinction.
Oftentimes, the withering and decay that takes place in our soul won’t come from a direct sin act, but rather comes from a habitual routine of failing to discern what is pleasing to God.
Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible, for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Ephesians 5:11-14
You are so deeply loved by God.
- We imitate the love of Christ, because of the great love that God has for us.
- Beware of the sins of this world that have no place for practice within the body of Christ.
- Our ethical worldview is formed by “What is pleasing to the Lord.”
- Allow the light of Christ to expose the darkness in us and in those around us.
Sermon Notes: Matt Bradner
Title: Called to Belong (Week 11)
Text: Ephesians 5:1-14 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
We love because he first loved us.
Ephesians 5:1-2
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
What we do is a result of who we are.
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.
What we do is a result of who we are.
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.
Matthew 15:8-9
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Psalm 112 is related to Psalm 111 as the moon does to the sun; while the first declares the glory of God, the second speaks of the reflection of the divine brightness in men born from above.”
~Charles Spurgeon
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Ephesians 5:8-9
What we do is a result of who we are.
When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are speaking rightly since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Psalm 112 is related to Psalm 111 as the moon does to the sun; while the first declares the glory of God, the second speaks of the reflection of the divine brightness in men born from above.”
~Charles Spurgeon
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Ephesians 5:8-9
What we do is a result of who we are.
When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are speaking rightly since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.
John 13:12-15
Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet.
John 13:3-5
What we do is a result of who we are.
As a Christian,
God does not love me any more or less because of what I do.
There is a difference between knowing I have God's full love and fully knowing it.
What we do or don't do positions us to know more of the full love of God we have in Christ.
And this is certain: Knowing Matters!
Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet.
John 13:3-5
What we do is a result of who we are.
As a Christian,
God does not love me any more or less because of what I do.
There is a difference between knowing I have God's full love and fully knowing it.
What we do or don't do positions us to know more of the full love of God we have in Christ.
And this is certain: Knowing Matters!
October 10th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Called to Belong: Spiritual Formation for a New Humanity
Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I say this, and testify in the Lord You should no longer live as the Nations live in the futility of their thoughts.
Ephesians 4:17
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, and because of the hardness of their hearts.
Ephesians 4:18
They became callous and gave themselves over to a lack of self control, resulting in the practice of every kind of impurity and a desire for more and more.
Ephesians 4:19
There is a hunger for God and the good world he made in every human being.
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
Ephesians 4:20-21
to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Obeying the commands of the Bible is not about religious duty, but about coming home to the life for which I was made, which is life in God and His Kingdom.
There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.
1 John 4:18
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Click here to see Old vs New Self
Has following Jesus become exhausting attempts at doing religious lists?
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves."
~Mary Oliver
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 10)
Text: Ephesians 4:17-32 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Biblical Christianity is about a renewal of heart and mind, and a restructuring of life, through an encounter with Jesus.
Jesus equips us to cultivate relational harmony and peace by practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because[a] of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
Ephesians 4:17-24
Apart from Christ, our understanding is limited and our heart is hard (v. 18).
When Self is god, worship becomes the pursuit of happiness, pleasure, and security.
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:25-32
If your thought patterns and heart passions don’t change, your forced behavioral changes will be short-lived.
Christians tell the truth - we don’t beat people down with the truth, we build people up with the truth (vv. 25, 29, 31).
Christians pay attention to their feelings and respond appropriately (vv. 26-27, 31).
Christians engage others with integrity, generosity, kindness, and compassion (vv. 28, 31-32)
We should be so in love with Jesus, and so intimately connected with him, that we reject the “former way of life” and allow Jesus to renew us from the inside out.
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Called to Belong: Spiritual Formation for a New Humanity
Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I say this, and testify in the Lord You should no longer live as the Nations live in the futility of their thoughts.
Ephesians 4:17
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, and because of the hardness of their hearts.
Ephesians 4:18
They became callous and gave themselves over to a lack of self control, resulting in the practice of every kind of impurity and a desire for more and more.
Ephesians 4:19
There is a hunger for God and the good world he made in every human being.
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
Ephesians 4:20-21
to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Obeying the commands of the Bible is not about religious duty, but about coming home to the life for which I was made, which is life in God and His Kingdom.
There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.
1 John 4:18
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Click here to see Old vs New Self
Has following Jesus become exhausting attempts at doing religious lists?
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves."
~Mary Oliver
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong (Week 10)
Text: Ephesians 4:17-32 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Biblical Christianity is about a renewal of heart and mind, and a restructuring of life, through an encounter with Jesus.
Jesus equips us to cultivate relational harmony and peace by practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because[a] of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
Ephesians 4:17-24
Apart from Christ, our understanding is limited and our heart is hard (v. 18).
When Self is god, worship becomes the pursuit of happiness, pleasure, and security.
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:25-32
If your thought patterns and heart passions don’t change, your forced behavioral changes will be short-lived.
Christians tell the truth - we don’t beat people down with the truth, we build people up with the truth (vv. 25, 29, 31).
Christians pay attention to their feelings and respond appropriately (vv. 26-27, 31).
Christians engage others with integrity, generosity, kindness, and compassion (vv. 28, 31-32)
We should be so in love with Jesus, and so intimately connected with him, that we reject the “former way of life” and allow Jesus to renew us from the inside out.
______________________________________________________________________
October 3rd Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Called to Belong: Oneness & Each Oneness
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,
Ephesians 4:1
God’s plan to bring all things together in Christ, things in heaven and on earth in Him (1:10)
“The apocalypse of Jesus is when the bond between heaven and earth becomes visible to us.”
~Tim Mackie
The oneness of the church is the practical outworking of the revelation of Jesus to a watching world.(1:10, 2:11-22, 3:1-14)
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he[b] also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
Ephesians 4:7-10
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:11
God gives leaders to the church to equip us to grow and mature into this reconciled community by guiding us to love Jesus and one another.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:11-13
Leaders are a gift from God, given to equip and inspire oneness in Jesus when our differences threaten to divide us.
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:12-13
Leaders equip the church to be united around the revelation of Jesus and our relationship with Jesus (faith and knowledge).
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:2-3
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15
From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:16
The Church is nothing if not a Gospel Community. As God in Christ has been to us in the gospel, so are we to one another, and that defines who we are.
When life is lived under the authority of Jesus and according to the way of His Kingdom, there will be an impossible oneness, for which only Jesus can take the credit.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong: (Week 9)
Text: Ephesians 4:1-12 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Ephesians 1-3 —> who we are in Christ.
Ephesians 4-6 —> how we are to live in Christ and in community.
Differences can appropriately confront our narrow understanding or limited reality, and they can compliment our limitations.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:1-12
Unity is not simply a good (theoretical) idea - in Christ, followers of Jesus have a realistic pathway toward oneness.
Jesus transforms who we are and reorders our very identity.
What are some practical tools for cultivating unity in a hostile and divided world?
Humility: the way we think of ourselves which then translates into the way we view and treat others.
Gentleness: restrained strength; involves self-control.
Patience: enduring annoyances and challenges (“to have a wide and big soul” -~J. Chrysostom).
Love: agape, not a feeling or emotion but an act of the will.
making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
Ephesians 4:3
We cultivate unity by renouncing self-centeredness, harshness, the tyranny of our own agendas and our idealistic expectations (Snodgrass/Merida).
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6
Unity does not mean uniformity.
The practices that define our family, and set us apart from others, are humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7
Apostle: Extend the Gospel
Prophet: Discern God’s will with Precision
Evangelist: Recruit
Shepherd: Nurture & Protect
Teacher: Understand & Explain
Click here to see slide
A healthy, and fruitful, church is one in which all of the unique members are united, contributing, growing, and maturing.
Preparing for Communion:
1) Where do I need to repent and receive the forgiveness of Christ?
2) What is one practice from today’s teaching that I can adopt in order to be more encouraged in my faith and to be a better reflection of the gospel to others?
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Called to Belong: Oneness & Each Oneness
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,
Ephesians 4:1
God’s plan to bring all things together in Christ, things in heaven and on earth in Him (1:10)
“The apocalypse of Jesus is when the bond between heaven and earth becomes visible to us.”
~Tim Mackie
The oneness of the church is the practical outworking of the revelation of Jesus to a watching world.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he[b] also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
Ephesians 4:7-10
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:11
God gives leaders to the church to equip us to grow and mature into this reconciled community by guiding us to love Jesus and one another.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:11-13
Leaders are a gift from God, given to equip and inspire oneness in Jesus when our differences threaten to divide us.
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:12-13
Leaders equip the church to be united around the revelation of Jesus and our relationship with Jesus (faith and knowledge).
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:2-3
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15
From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:16
The Church is nothing if not a Gospel Community. As God in Christ has been to us in the gospel, so are we to one another, and that defines who we are.
When life is lived under the authority of Jesus and according to the way of His Kingdom, there will be an impossible oneness, for which only Jesus can take the credit.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Called to Belong: (Week 9)
Text: Ephesians 4:1-12 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
Ephesians 1-3 —> who we are in Christ.
Ephesians 4-6 —> how we are to live in Christ and in community.
Differences can appropriately confront our narrow understanding or limited reality, and they can compliment our limitations.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:1-12
Unity is not simply a good (theoretical) idea - in Christ, followers of Jesus have a realistic pathway toward oneness.
Jesus transforms who we are and reorders our very identity.
What are some practical tools for cultivating unity in a hostile and divided world?
Humility: the way we think of ourselves which then translates into the way we view and treat others.
Gentleness: restrained strength; involves self-control.
Patience: enduring annoyances and challenges (“to have a wide and big soul” -~J. Chrysostom).
Love: agape, not a feeling or emotion but an act of the will.
making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
Ephesians 4:3
We cultivate unity by renouncing self-centeredness, harshness, the tyranny of our own agendas and our idealistic expectations (Snodgrass/Merida).
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6
Unity does not mean uniformity.
The practices that define our family, and set us apart from others, are humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7
Apostle: Extend the Gospel
Prophet: Discern God’s will with Precision
Evangelist: Recruit
Shepherd: Nurture & Protect
Teacher: Understand & Explain
Click here to see slide
A healthy, and fruitful, church is one in which all of the unique members are united, contributing, growing, and maturing.
Preparing for Communion:
1) Where do I need to repent and receive the forgiveness of Christ?
2) What is one practice from today’s teaching that I can adopt in order to be more encouraged in my faith and to be a better reflection of the gospel to others?
______________________________________________________________________
September 26th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Nate Taylor | Emily Woody | Preston Burling
Title: Called to Belong: Prayer and Worship
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:14-17a
Questions for Reflection:
I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17b-19
Questions for reflection:
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Knowing that God can do far above what we could ever ask or imagine:
Question: What is it that you need to ask the Holy Spirit to do in your life right now?
Action: Write it down, ask the Lord to do it by the power of the Holy Spirit, and drop off your card in a drop box.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes
Title: Called to Belong: Prayer and Worship
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Prayer Prompts
Prayer Prompts
Title: Called to Belong: Prayer and Worship
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21 (CSB)
Campus: Rivermont
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:14-17a
Questions for Reflection:
- Am I motivated by God’s glory or mine?
- Am I working by God’s power or mine?
I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17b-19
Questions for reflection:
- Do I live each day as one who is fully loved by God?
- How have I experienced God’s love recently?
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Knowing that God can do far above what we could ever ask or imagine:
Question: What is it that you need to ask the Holy Spirit to do in your life right now?
Action: Write it down, ask the Lord to do it by the power of the Holy Spirit, and drop off your card in a drop box.
______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes
Title: Called to Belong: Prayer and Worship
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21 (CSB)
Campus: College Hill
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Prayer Prompts
- Where are you losing heart? How do we keep our hearts before the Father?
- What needs strengthening? Where is power already at work in us, inviting our participation?
Prayer Prompts
- Do I find myself living out of scarcity or abundance ?
- What does it look like for me to come home to the Father’s love?
September 19th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Called to Belong: The Wisdom of Reconciliation
Text: Ephesians 3:1-13
Campus: Rivermont
as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
Ephesians 1:10
“The apocalypse of Jesus is when the bond between heaven and earth becomes visible to us.”
~Tim Mackie
If hostile people groups are reconciled to God in Christ, then in Christ we are also reconciled to one another. Jesus reconciles us together by pulling us deeper into himself.
Ephesians: Individual and relational transformation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as God in Christ is bringing all things together in heaven and on earth.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Ephesians 3:1
assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you.
Ephesians 3:2
The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.
Ephesians 3:3-4
This was not made known to people[a] in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
Ephesians 3:5
The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3:6
So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:13
I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
Ephesians 3:7
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.
Ephesians 3:8-9
“the incalculable riches of Christ” (v. 8)
The Wisdom of Reconciliation.
“This is so that” (v. 10)
This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 3:10-11
“...God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church…” (v. 10)
The reconciled church is the wisdom of God. In the diverse, yet loving community of the reconciled church, the wisdom of God is broadcast to the world.
This is so that the multi-faceted wisdom of God may now be displayed through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.
Ephesians 3:10
The Church is a prism by which to see the work of Christ on the cross in the past, and the future kingdom that God is bringing to this world.
Three Essentials for Becoming a Reconciled Community:
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Called to Belong: God’s Grace in the Cosmic Theater
Text: Ephesians 3:1-13
Campus: College Hill
Tragedy isn’t death from following Jesus. Tragedy would be life from resisting God’s call.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:1-13 (CSB)
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you.
Ephesians 3:1-2
Chapter 2 Suggests:
That one of the most spectacular pieces of evidence that the Kingdom of God is now here at hand is found in the fact that God has brought together hostile ethnic groups in Christ, starting with the Jews and the Greco-Roman gentiles.
assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.
Ephesians 3:2-3
Mystery: Refers to what is known only because God decided to reveal it.
By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.
Ephesians 3:4
This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
Ephesians 3:5-7
This mystery is the revelation found in Christ.
- More specifically –
The mystery is the significance of Christ joining together both Gentile and Jew unto himself.
God’s unfolding plan of redemption has always been set, from the very beginning - it has never wavered and it never will.
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:8-13
Paul’s purpose:
“God calls us where our deep gladness and the world's deepest hunger collide.”
~ Frederick Buechner
Each one of us have unique stories, gifts, wirings and unique spheres of influence. God has called us to be responsible stewards of God’s grace within these things in those spheres.
It’s this uniqueness and your response to God’s purpose in you that unveils the multi-faceted, manifold wisdom of our heavenly father on grand, cosmic display to the heavenlies.
What you do with this good gift of God’s grace has profoundly deep and meaningful impact NOT just to the world around us - but also on the grand cosmic display in the heavenly theater for all of the universe to see.
How are we displaying this manifold wisdom of God through our own uniqueness by the grace that he has given us?
Identification with the cross is not optional and it’s always costly
Grace was costly for Jesus. By identifying with Jesus, grace will be costly for us.
tragedy will happen if rest becomes our ultimate goal. Rest is meant to be the reward, but that rest can only be found in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
“Rest is costly”
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Called to Belong: The Wisdom of Reconciliation
Text: Ephesians 3:1-13
Campus: Rivermont
as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
Ephesians 1:10
“The apocalypse of Jesus is when the bond between heaven and earth becomes visible to us.”
~Tim Mackie
If hostile people groups are reconciled to God in Christ, then in Christ we are also reconciled to one another. Jesus reconciles us together by pulling us deeper into himself.
Ephesians: Individual and relational transformation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as God in Christ is bringing all things together in heaven and on earth.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Ephesians 3:1
assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you.
Ephesians 3:2
The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.
Ephesians 3:3-4
This was not made known to people[a] in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
Ephesians 3:5
The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3:6
So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:13
I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
Ephesians 3:7
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.
Ephesians 3:8-9
“the incalculable riches of Christ” (v. 8)
The Wisdom of Reconciliation.
“This is so that” (v. 10)
This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 3:10-11
“...God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church…” (v. 10)
The reconciled church is the wisdom of God. In the diverse, yet loving community of the reconciled church, the wisdom of God is broadcast to the world.
This is so that the multi-faceted wisdom of God may now be displayed through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.
Ephesians 3:10
The Church is a prism by which to see the work of Christ on the cross in the past, and the future kingdom that God is bringing to this world.
Three Essentials for Becoming a Reconciled Community:
- Grow in our cultural intelligence.
- Grow in emotional health.
- Persistent, passionate prayer.
Sermon Notes: Preston Burling
Title: Called to Belong: God’s Grace in the Cosmic Theater
Text: Ephesians 3:1-13
Campus: College Hill
Tragedy isn’t death from following Jesus. Tragedy would be life from resisting God’s call.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:1-13 (CSB)
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you.
Ephesians 3:1-2
Chapter 2 Suggests:
That one of the most spectacular pieces of evidence that the Kingdom of God is now here at hand is found in the fact that God has brought together hostile ethnic groups in Christ, starting with the Jews and the Greco-Roman gentiles.
assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.
Ephesians 3:2-3
Mystery: Refers to what is known only because God decided to reveal it.
By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.
Ephesians 3:4
This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.
Ephesians 3:5-7
This mystery is the revelation found in Christ.
- More specifically –
The mystery is the significance of Christ joining together both Gentile and Jew unto himself.
God’s unfolding plan of redemption has always been set, from the very beginning - it has never wavered and it never will.
This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:8-13
Paul’s purpose:
- To preach to the Gentiles the immeasurable riches of Christ.
- To make plain and communicate this mystery of Christ to the Gentiles.
- To make the wisdom of God known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
“God calls us where our deep gladness and the world's deepest hunger collide.”
~ Frederick Buechner
Each one of us have unique stories, gifts, wirings and unique spheres of influence. God has called us to be responsible stewards of God’s grace within these things in those spheres.
It’s this uniqueness and your response to God’s purpose in you that unveils the multi-faceted, manifold wisdom of our heavenly father on grand, cosmic display to the heavenlies.
What you do with this good gift of God’s grace has profoundly deep and meaningful impact NOT just to the world around us - but also on the grand cosmic display in the heavenly theater for all of the universe to see.
How are we displaying this manifold wisdom of God through our own uniqueness by the grace that he has given us?
- Grace is both the gift of salvation, But also the gift of ministry.
- Grace doesn’t merely bring privilege, but always requires responsibility.
Identification with the cross is not optional and it’s always costly
Grace was costly for Jesus. By identifying with Jesus, grace will be costly for us.
tragedy will happen if rest becomes our ultimate goal. Rest is meant to be the reward, but that rest can only be found in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
“Rest is costly”
______________________________________________________________________
September 12th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Heart and Soul: Give
Text: Proverbs 11:24-26
Campus: Rivermont
One person gives freely,
Yet gains more;
Another withholds what is should be given,
Only to become poor.
A generous person will be enriched,
And the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
People will curse anyone who hoards grain for themselves,
But a blessing will come to the one who sells it.
- Proverbs 11:24-26
Now, the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but instead they held everything in common.
Acts 4:32
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
Acts 4:33
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,
Acts 4:34
and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:35
This is the counterintuitive wisdom of generosity: In the face of scarcity, practice generosity, and we will experience abundance.
4 G’s: Gather, Go, Grow, and Give
When we talk about GIVE, we mean the practice of generously stewarding our time, energy, and material resources according to the way of Jesus.
Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
Whatever we value and spend our time, energy, and money on - will influence the kind of person we’re becoming. And whatever our habits regarding our time, energy, and money, these things will either make us more or less generous and joyous.
A generous person will be enriched,
And the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
When we feel there’s not enough time, energy, or money, making a practice of giving in those ways cultivates generosity and creates abundance.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Luke 21:1-4
We want you to know brother and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia: During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. I can testify that they gave according to their own ability, and even beyond their ability, of their own accord…
2 Corinthians 8:1-3
Now as you excel in everything - in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us - excel also in this act of grace.
2 Corinthians 8:7
The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as they have decided in their heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11
Experiencing the generous love of God in Christ motivates generosity from the heart.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty, you might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
The practice of giving helps us to place our hope in the God of All Comfort, rather the god of Comfort. ______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Give
Text: Proverbs 11:24-25; Acts 4:32-35
Campus: College Hill
Core Commitments of GCC Members:
gather, go, grow, and give.
Generosity is an act of obedience and a pathway toward refreshing.
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withhold unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)
Jesus held nothing back.
We sacrifice our time and money, and we use our gifts and resources because Christ sacrificed himself for us.
Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
John 13:1
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (CSB)
There was not a needy person among them.
Acts 4:34
What does all of this mean?
God is providing, but we’re not yet in a place where there isn’t a needy person among us.
____________________________________________________________________
Title: Heart and Soul: Give
Text: Proverbs 11:24-26
Campus: Rivermont
One person gives freely,
Yet gains more;
Another withholds what is should be given,
Only to become poor.
A generous person will be enriched,
And the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
People will curse anyone who hoards grain for themselves,
But a blessing will come to the one who sells it.
- Proverbs 11:24-26
Now, the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but instead they held everything in common.
Acts 4:32
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
Acts 4:33
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,
Acts 4:34
and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:35
This is the counterintuitive wisdom of generosity: In the face of scarcity, practice generosity, and we will experience abundance.
4 G’s: Gather, Go, Grow, and Give
When we talk about GIVE, we mean the practice of generously stewarding our time, energy, and material resources according to the way of Jesus.
Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
Whatever we value and spend our time, energy, and money on - will influence the kind of person we’re becoming. And whatever our habits regarding our time, energy, and money, these things will either make us more or less generous and joyous.
A generous person will be enriched,
And the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
When we feel there’s not enough time, energy, or money, making a practice of giving in those ways cultivates generosity and creates abundance.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Luke 21:1-4
We want you to know brother and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia: During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. I can testify that they gave according to their own ability, and even beyond their ability, of their own accord…
2 Corinthians 8:1-3
Now as you excel in everything - in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us - excel also in this act of grace.
2 Corinthians 8:7
The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as they have decided in their heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11
Experiencing the generous love of God in Christ motivates generosity from the heart.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty, you might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
The practice of giving helps us to place our hope in the God of All Comfort, rather the god of Comfort. ______________________________________________________________________
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Give
Text: Proverbs 11:24-25; Acts 4:32-35
Campus: College Hill
Core Commitments of GCC Members:
gather, go, grow, and give.
Generosity is an act of obedience and a pathway toward refreshing.
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withhold unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)
Jesus held nothing back.
We sacrifice our time and money, and we use our gifts and resources because Christ sacrificed himself for us.
Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
John 13:1
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (CSB)
There was not a needy person among them.
Acts 4:34
What does all of this mean?
God is providing, but we’re not yet in a place where there isn’t a needy person among us.
____________________________________________________________________
September 5th Sermon Guides
Sermon Notes: Brenton Lehman
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow
Text: Acts 4:32-35, Hebrews 10:23-35, Acts 15:35-41
Campus: Rivermont
4 G’s: Gather, Go, Grow, and Give.
01:DISCOVER, 02:BELONG, 03:EQUIP
NEXT {click to see slide}
GROW: In community
Now, the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but instead they held everything in common.
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
Holy-Spirit empowered practices shaped by the gospel create character deep within the community.
This practice of GROW is the Holy Spirit’s work of maturing us over time in every way - heart, soul, mind, and strength - as we practice the way of Jesus in the context of relationships.
Two postures of the heart which are necessary for growth in Jesus: humility and curiosity.
Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,
Hebrews 10:24
But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.
After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”
Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark.
But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.
But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 15:35-41
Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life.
Proverbs 19:20
The way of a fool is right in their own eyes, but a wise person listens to counsel.
Proverbs 12:15
not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13
Three main environments for growing in community:
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow
Text: Ephesians 4:11-16
Campus: College Hill
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (CSB)
Every follower of Jesus Christ is expected and equipped to grow.
“Grow” at GCC is about pursuing spiritual and emotional maturity in the context of community.
Every follower of Jesus Christ is expected and equipped to grow. (Eph. 4:13, 15)
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:13
Being a Christians isn’t just about being saved from judgment, it’s about growing in maturity and becoming a whole and healthy human being.
What kind of growth?
1) We’re expected to grow in “unity in the faith.” (v. 13)
2) We’re expected to grow in the knowledge of Christ. (v. 13)
3) We’re expected to grow in speech and love. (v. 15)
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace.”
~Tim Keller
What’s at stake if we don’t grow?
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
Ephesians 4:14
The healthiest growth takes place in community. (vv. 12-13, 16)
Environments to pursue growth in community at GCC:
- God created companionship and community for our good (Gen. 2:18a)
- God exists in community, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:26; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14)
- Jesus valued community and lived in community (Luke 5:1-11; John 17:22)
- The early church functioned in community (Acts 2:46-47, 4:32-35)
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.
Acts 4:32 (CSB)
______________________________________________________________________
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow
Text: Acts 4:32-35, Hebrews 10:23-35, Acts 15:35-41
Campus: Rivermont
4 G’s: Gather, Go, Grow, and Give.
01:DISCOVER, 02:BELONG, 03:EQUIP
NEXT {click to see slide}
GROW: In community
Now, the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but instead they held everything in common.
With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
Holy-Spirit empowered practices shaped by the gospel create character deep within the community.
This practice of GROW is the Holy Spirit’s work of maturing us over time in every way - heart, soul, mind, and strength - as we practice the way of Jesus in the context of relationships.
Two postures of the heart which are necessary for growth in Jesus: humility and curiosity.
Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,
Hebrews 10:24
But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.
After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”
Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark.
But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.
But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 15:35-41
Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life.
Proverbs 19:20
The way of a fool is right in their own eyes, but a wise person listens to counsel.
Proverbs 12:15
not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13
Three main environments for growing in community:
- Gospel Communities (small groups)
- DNA Groups
- Equipping Groups
Sermon Notes: Andrew Moroz
Title: Heart and Soul: Grow
Text: Ephesians 4:11-16
Campus: College Hill
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (CSB)
Every follower of Jesus Christ is expected and equipped to grow.
“Grow” at GCC is about pursuing spiritual and emotional maturity in the context of community.
Every follower of Jesus Christ is expected and equipped to grow. (Eph. 4:13, 15)
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:13
Being a Christians isn’t just about being saved from judgment, it’s about growing in maturity and becoming a whole and healthy human being.
What kind of growth?
1) We’re expected to grow in “unity in the faith.” (v. 13)
2) We’re expected to grow in the knowledge of Christ. (v. 13)
3) We’re expected to grow in speech and love. (v. 15)
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace.”
~Tim Keller
What’s at stake if we don’t grow?
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
Ephesians 4:14
The healthiest growth takes place in community. (vv. 12-13, 16)
Environments to pursue growth in community at GCC:
- Gospel Communities.
- Equipping Groups.
- DNA groups.
- God created companionship and community for our good (Gen. 2:18a)
- God exists in community, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:26; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14)
- Jesus valued community and lived in community (Luke 5:1-11; John 17:22)
- The early church functioned in community (Acts 2:46-47, 4:32-35)
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.
Acts 4:32 (CSB)
______________________________________________________________________