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The Joy of Gospel-Advancing Sacrifice
We all sacrifice. To sacrifice is to give up something of value for another thing we deem of greater value. A parent joyfully sacrifices some things for their children. Someone seeking an accomplishment in life, gladly sacrifices some things on the journey toward that accomplishment.
The question is not whether we sacrifice, the question is what will we sacrifice for? And the question that will confront us is this: "What would I gladly sacrifice if it meant the gospel would advance to lost people?"
What if we could have joy in any circumstance that confronts us knowing that every circumstance life brings is merely an opportunity to show and tell the gospel? And what if the joy of the gospel going forth began to outweigh the pain of difficult circumstances.
We study 7 verses together that will teach us how to live in such a way that no matter the cost, our joy can advance when the gospel advances.
We all sacrifice. To sacrifice is to give up something of value for another thing we deem of greater value. A parent joyfully sacrifices some things for their children. Someone seeking an accomplishment in life, gladly sacrifices some things on the journey toward that accomplishment.
The question is not whether we sacrifice, the question is what will we sacrifice for? And the question that will confront us is this: "What would I gladly sacrifice if it meant the gospel would advance to lost people?"
What if we could have joy in any circumstance that confronts us knowing that every circumstance life brings is merely an opportunity to show and tell the gospel? And what if the joy of the gospel going forth began to outweigh the pain of difficult circumstances.
We study 7 verses together that will teach us how to live in such a way that no matter the cost, our joy can advance when the gospel advances.
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Joyfully Together For The Gospel
So much of the joy in life comes from life done together with others we love. Often times when we look back at some of the best teams we were on, the greatest accomplishments we have achieved, and the best trips we have been part of, what we find is that what made them special was the people we did it with.
Doing life together in a Jesus community with others whose hearts have been saturated by the gospel is one of the greatest privileges and joys of walking with Christ.
We begin our series called "Gospel Joy" through the book of Philippians as we talk about four joyful realities of the gospel life done together!
So much of the joy in life comes from life done together with others we love. Often times when we look back at some of the best teams we were on, the greatest accomplishments we have achieved, and the best trips we have been part of, what we find is that what made them special was the people we did it with.
Doing life together in a Jesus community with others whose hearts have been saturated by the gospel is one of the greatest privileges and joys of walking with Christ.
We begin our series called "Gospel Joy" through the book of Philippians as we talk about four joyful realities of the gospel life done together!
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How to Honor God With His Money
Money is powerful. It’s a topic the Bible brings up over and over again because it seems as if God knows our hearts will want money to wrestle 1st place away from Him. God is so passionate about this topic that in his wisdom book, Proverbs, he mentions money in some way more than 46 times!
God wants us to know some things about how we honor him with our money. How do we keep from believing that it is ours in the first place? How do we fight the urge to make it a god instead of seeing it as God’s and an instrument used to honor God?
God in his wisdom gives us clear principles to direct what we believe about our money and how we use this money. Through this message we will all pursue financial freedom in what we believe about our money, how we use our money, and most importantly, how God is honored through our money.
Money is powerful. It’s a topic the Bible brings up over and over again because it seems as if God knows our hearts will want money to wrestle 1st place away from Him. God is so passionate about this topic that in his wisdom book, Proverbs, he mentions money in some way more than 46 times!
God wants us to know some things about how we honor him with our money. How do we keep from believing that it is ours in the first place? How do we fight the urge to make it a god instead of seeing it as God’s and an instrument used to honor God?
God in his wisdom gives us clear principles to direct what we believe about our money and how we use this money. Through this message we will all pursue financial freedom in what we believe about our money, how we use our money, and most importantly, how God is honored through our money.
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Five Ways to Avoid a Destructive Decision
Why did I do that?
We have all walked away from something we had just done and said, “Why did I do that?” Or often isn’t it true that we don’t even realize the foolishness of a decision until much later? All of us know that at any given time we are merely moments away from a really destructive life decision.
And here is the thing, no one sets out to make a decision that will greatly damage their life. It is never something we are trying to do, yet through one foolish decision, or a series of these decisions, we find ourselves walking down a dangerously destructive road.
We need the wisdom of God to lean on to guard our way from making deeply destructive decisions in life. Fortunately in Proverbs 7, God will give us five ways to avoid a destructive decision.
Why did I do that?
We have all walked away from something we had just done and said, “Why did I do that?” Or often isn’t it true that we don’t even realize the foolishness of a decision until much later? All of us know that at any given time we are merely moments away from a really destructive life decision.
And here is the thing, no one sets out to make a decision that will greatly damage their life. It is never something we are trying to do, yet through one foolish decision, or a series of these decisions, we find ourselves walking down a dangerously destructive road.
We need the wisdom of God to lean on to guard our way from making deeply destructive decisions in life. Fortunately in Proverbs 7, God will give us five ways to avoid a destructive decision.
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Wisdom for My Words
Why did I say that?
We’ve all said things we wish we could take back. We’ve all thrown out some words that we wish we could reel back in the moments they left our mouth. Our words carry unbelievable power and reveal what’s in our heart.
God’s Word has much to say about our words, and Proverbs outlines for us what the speech of the wise man or woman looks like. In this message, Proverbs is going to guide us into 3 wisdom giving principles to guide our small, yet powerful, tongues. Together let’s seek the wise life in how we speak as followers of Jesus.
Why did I say that?
We’ve all said things we wish we could take back. We’ve all thrown out some words that we wish we could reel back in the moments they left our mouth. Our words carry unbelievable power and reveal what’s in our heart.
God’s Word has much to say about our words, and Proverbs outlines for us what the speech of the wise man or woman looks like. In this message, Proverbs is going to guide us into 3 wisdom giving principles to guide our small, yet powerful, tongues. Together let’s seek the wise life in how we speak as followers of Jesus.
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Wisdom for Direction
I’m lost… Lord, what do I do?
Lost.
It’s a terrible feeling. “Lost” brings with it a certain knot to our stomach that produces a very distinct and unwelcome feeling. We remember that feeling as kids and got separated from mom or dad at the grocery store… lost. We know what it is like to pull our car to the side of the road with zero clue where we are… lost.
But these feelings are nothing compared to an utter feeling of lostness in our life. God, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? Show me! Help!
We as people must acknowledge that unless we have the Lord’s direction, we will wander around life lost. And yet God doesn’t want his people wandering aimlessly searching for direction. He desires to direct our path. In our passage this week, he gives us 3 principles headlined by 3 action words that we can apply to our life today to receive the direction he wants to provide for us!
I’m lost… Lord, what do I do?
Lost.
It’s a terrible feeling. “Lost” brings with it a certain knot to our stomach that produces a very distinct and unwelcome feeling. We remember that feeling as kids and got separated from mom or dad at the grocery store… lost. We know what it is like to pull our car to the side of the road with zero clue where we are… lost.
But these feelings are nothing compared to an utter feeling of lostness in our life. God, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? Show me! Help!
We as people must acknowledge that unless we have the Lord’s direction, we will wander around life lost. And yet God doesn’t want his people wandering aimlessly searching for direction. He desires to direct our path. In our passage this week, he gives us 3 principles headlined by 3 action words that we can apply to our life today to receive the direction he wants to provide for us!
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Where Wisdom Starts
We’ve all walked away from a conversation with someone and went, “Now, that is a wise man/woman!” There was something about the spiritual depth in which they spoke. There was an ability they had to cut through the peripheral, surface things and get to the heart. There was an evident godly wisdom to them that left us walking away praising the Lord for what they spoke into our life.
And we also walked away saying, “I want that for my life!”
We know the blessings of wisdom, but how do we get godly wisdom? How do we become people whose lives are built on the wisdom of God? In this sermon, we take a look at how we gain wisdom. But here’s the thing, what if we get wisdom not through the direct pursuit of wisdom, but actually by pursuing something else? What if through pursuing this key thing, we get wisdom as a byproduct? And what is this, then, that we should be pursuing?
Let’s study together how all of us can gain a heart of wisdom.
We’ve all walked away from a conversation with someone and went, “Now, that is a wise man/woman!” There was something about the spiritual depth in which they spoke. There was an ability they had to cut through the peripheral, surface things and get to the heart. There was an evident godly wisdom to them that left us walking away praising the Lord for what they spoke into our life.
And we also walked away saying, “I want that for my life!”
We know the blessings of wisdom, but how do we get godly wisdom? How do we become people whose lives are built on the wisdom of God? In this sermon, we take a look at how we gain wisdom. But here’s the thing, what if we get wisdom not through the direct pursuit of wisdom, but actually by pursuing something else? What if through pursuing this key thing, we get wisdom as a byproduct? And what is this, then, that we should be pursuing?
Let’s study together how all of us can gain a heart of wisdom.
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The Blessings of Wisdom
The invention of the Google Search Engine has truly revolutionized our world. Google singlehandedly has the capacity to make all of us appear to be smarter than we really are. Someone may ask a question that no-one has the answer for and you quickly “Google it” and announce… “Billy Ray Cyrus is 55 years old, born on August 25, 1965, and it was a Tuesday!” Ok well maybe you have never done that, but we all know that in life there are question that we are faced with that only God can answer. The powerful research engine of Google can not even in the slightest compare to the wisdom and insight God can provide for us in the ebb and flow of life. So we invite you to join us as we embark on a new series through the book of Proverbs entitled “Wisdom”.
In this sermon, we begin our series zeroing in on the incredible blessings God has in store for those that seek a life of Wisdom
The invention of the Google Search Engine has truly revolutionized our world. Google singlehandedly has the capacity to make all of us appear to be smarter than we really are. Someone may ask a question that no-one has the answer for and you quickly “Google it” and announce… “Billy Ray Cyrus is 55 years old, born on August 25, 1965, and it was a Tuesday!” Ok well maybe you have never done that, but we all know that in life there are question that we are faced with that only God can answer. The powerful research engine of Google can not even in the slightest compare to the wisdom and insight God can provide for us in the ebb and flow of life. So we invite you to join us as we embark on a new series through the book of Proverbs entitled “Wisdom”.
In this sermon, we begin our series zeroing in on the incredible blessings God has in store for those that seek a life of Wisdom
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Five Signs of a Flourishing Faith Family
Have you ever walked away from a dinner with a family you recently met and said, "Wow, they have something special going on"? You could sense a close bond between them. You could feel a respect the kids had for their parents, and a deep love from the parents to their kids. It was evident that their marriage was in a place of thriving. Your time with them made an imprint on your heart of what you longed your family to one day be.
All of us want to be a part of a flourishing family. And all of us want to be a part of a flourishing faith family. But what defines or characterizes a church, or faith family, that is flourishing together? This week, we close our study in the book of 1 Thessalonians by learning five signs of a flourishing faith family.
May these traits define our church, and may we seek these things amongst our family of faith for the rest of our days.
Have you ever walked away from a dinner with a family you recently met and said, "Wow, they have something special going on"? You could sense a close bond between them. You could feel a respect the kids had for their parents, and a deep love from the parents to their kids. It was evident that their marriage was in a place of thriving. Your time with them made an imprint on your heart of what you longed your family to one day be.
All of us want to be a part of a flourishing family. And all of us want to be a part of a flourishing faith family. But what defines or characterizes a church, or faith family, that is flourishing together? This week, we close our study in the book of 1 Thessalonians by learning five signs of a flourishing faith family.
May these traits define our church, and may we seek these things amongst our family of faith for the rest of our days.
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What I Need to Know about the Rapture
Do you remember watching the Left Behind movie as a kid, and as the movie finished and the credits scrolled, all you could do was sit there wide-eyed and paralyzed in fear. This is a common reaction for Christians when faced with the topic of the rapture and the second coming of Christ. Many believers associate the rapture with fear.
But what if this beautiful doctrine and truth of Jesus returning for His people is meant to produce comfort and encouragement, not fear and trembling for the believer? This week, we talk about Jesus coming back and the hope, joy, and encouragement that this brings to those who believe.
But what if you are still fearful about this? What if it produces more uneasiness than comfort? We talk about how you can walk away from this message more excited than ever for the reality that Jesus is coming back. This can be the day your fear over this topic subsides.
Do you remember watching the Left Behind movie as a kid, and as the movie finished and the credits scrolled, all you could do was sit there wide-eyed and paralyzed in fear. This is a common reaction for Christians when faced with the topic of the rapture and the second coming of Christ. Many believers associate the rapture with fear.
But what if this beautiful doctrine and truth of Jesus returning for His people is meant to produce comfort and encouragement, not fear and trembling for the believer? This week, we talk about Jesus coming back and the hope, joy, and encouragement that this brings to those who believe.
But what if you are still fearful about this? What if it produces more uneasiness than comfort? We talk about how you can walk away from this message more excited than ever for the reality that Jesus is coming back. This can be the day your fear over this topic subsides.
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By This All the World Will Know
Jesus said something pretty astounding in regards to how His followers would show the world that they were truly his followers. He said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Our love for each other communicates our following of Jesus. This week, we study a passage that spurs us on to greater love for each other in the family of God. And in it we find 3 ways we can exercise a deep love for each other. Here's the thing, these 3 ways to show love to your brother aren't things we often think about. So let's grow in our love for each other as we study some practical ways for us to extend the love of Christ that we have so generously received.
Jesus said something pretty astounding in regards to how His followers would show the world that they were truly his followers. He said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Our love for each other communicates our following of Jesus. This week, we study a passage that spurs us on to greater love for each other in the family of God. And in it we find 3 ways we can exercise a deep love for each other. Here's the thing, these 3 ways to show love to your brother aren't things we often think about. So let's grow in our love for each other as we study some practical ways for us to extend the love of Christ that we have so generously received.
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God's Will for Your Life!
Is it God's will for me to go to that college? Is it God's will for me to marry that person? Is it the will of God for me to make that career change? One of the leading questions for Christians centers around the will of God for our lives. We pray for clarity for it. We sometimes do funny things looking for "signs" of it. It can paralyze us from doing anything for fear that we are doing something outside the will of God. But what if there are passages of scripture that tell us flat out what God's will for our life is, how we pursue it, and why we should pursue it? What if God's word is that clear about? Good news: It is! And this week's passage is one of those "God's will clarifying" passages. But what if God's will is way different than we often think about it? Let's study this together.
Is it God's will for me to go to that college? Is it God's will for me to marry that person? Is it the will of God for me to make that career change? One of the leading questions for Christians centers around the will of God for our lives. We pray for clarity for it. We sometimes do funny things looking for "signs" of it. It can paralyze us from doing anything for fear that we are doing something outside the will of God. But what if there are passages of scripture that tell us flat out what God's will for our life is, how we pursue it, and why we should pursue it? What if God's word is that clear about? Good news: It is! And this week's passage is one of those "God's will clarifying" passages. But what if God's will is way different than we often think about it? Let's study this together.
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The Priority of people
Imagine the Apostle Paul standing before Jesus, and Jesus asking him to point to the greatest accomplishment in his life. Imagine all the ways Paul could answer:
The missionary journeys he could point to. Some extremely productive sermon he preached. A visit to a city that brought many to the Lord. A resume of accomplishments with his life.
And yet, in the passage this week, Paul tells us what his crowning accomplishment before Jesus is…It's people. What if our greatest joy in life will come not from ultimately pouring into projects and products, but what if it will come from pouring into people? And how do we become someone who makes the people in our lives one of our greatest priorities? This week we will see 3 principles from 1 Thessalonians of what our lives will look like when we make people one of our greatest priorities.
Imagine the Apostle Paul standing before Jesus, and Jesus asking him to point to the greatest accomplishment in his life. Imagine all the ways Paul could answer:
The missionary journeys he could point to.
Some extremely productive sermon he preached.
A visit to a city that brought many to the Lord.
A resume of accomplishments with his life.
And yet, in the passage this week, Paul tells us what his crowning accomplishment before Jesus is…It's people. What if our greatest joy in life will come not from ultimately pouring into projects and products, but what if it will come from pouring into people? And how do we become someone who makes the people in our lives one of our greatest priorities? This week we will see 3 principles from 1 Thessalonians of what our lives will look like when we make people one of our greatest priorities.
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People of the Word
If God spoke, would you listen? So often I hear people say, "I just wish God would speak to me…" Good news…He has! He has spoken His very word to us, and we have it at our fingertips. We can carry it around with us, we can turn to it whenever we need. In fact, God says His word has everything we need to live this life. Now we turn to four verses that will give us a greater passion to study, meditate, memorize, and become people of the word. We will see His word for what it is, and we will leave with a greater passion to build our lives on the foundation of His word.
If God spoke, would you listen? So often I hear people say, "I just wish God would speak to me…" Good news…He has! He has spoken His very word to us, and we have it at our fingertips. We can carry it around with us, we can turn to it whenever we need. In fact, God says His word has everything we need to live this life. Now we turn to four verses that will give us a greater passion to study, meditate, memorize, and become people of the word. We will see His word for what it is, and we will leave with a greater passion to build our lives on the foundation of His word.
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A Gospel Show and Tell
"So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us." In this verse you can literally feel the love of the Apostle for these Jesus followers in Thessalonica. He shared with them the message of love that saved them and he showed them that message of love in how he lived with them. We have a message to share. If we have been saved by the gospel we are called to spread that gospel. In this scripture, we will see 5 "must-knows" of showing and telling the gospel. May we equip ourselves this weekend to tell the gospel with our mouths and show the gospel with our lives. You are loved.
"So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us." In this verse you can literally feel the love of the Apostle for these Jesus followers in Thessalonica. He shared with them the message of love that saved them and he showed them that message of love in how he lived with them. We have a message to share. If we have been saved by the gospel we are called to spread that gospel. In this scripture, we will see 5 "must-knows" of showing and telling the gospel. May we equip ourselves this weekend to tell the gospel with our mouths and show the gospel with our lives. You are loved.
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A Viral Faith
We live in a day when a picture or song or video can be posted online and within 24 hours be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. When something like this catches and spreads, we have a saying for it…it has "gone viral". This week we will see that the faith of the Thessalonians and what God is doing in their midst has "gone viral" in a world where the saying didn't yet exist. People are talking about the faith of these people all over the region, and all over the world. What was it about the Thessalonians' faith that led to a viral impact for the Lord? And what would a vibrant and viral walk with the Lord look like for us today? Don't miss this message and the 3 elements to a virally contagious life that will lead to impact for the Lord far beyond what we could imagine.
We live in a day when a picture or song or video can be posted online and within 24 hours be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. When something like this catches and spreads, we have a saying for it…it has "gone viral". This week we will see that the faith of the Thessalonians and what God is doing in their midst has "gone viral" in a world where the saying didn't yet exist. People are talking about the faith of these people all over the region, and all over the world. What was it about the Thessalonians' faith that led to a viral impact for the Lord? And what would a vibrant and viral walk with the Lord look like for us today? Don't miss this message and the 3 elements to a virally contagious life that will lead to impact for the Lord far beyond what we could imagine.
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