Follow Christ in Community

Follow Christ in Community

Paul Trulock - 7/7/2024

Key Passages: Hebrews 13:7-9, 17, 24

Remember your past leaders

- Hebrews 13:7

- Remember those who led you in the past. Those who pointed you to Christ.

- Continue to learn from what they taught you

- Imitate their faith

- We gain perspective by looking back.

Be steadfast in following Christ

- There is only one who can lead us perfectly.

- Hebrews 13:8

- We have a propensity to either be overly enamored or overly critical of our leaders.

- All human leaders are imperfect… but not Christ

- Joshua 1:7-8

- Hebrews 13:9

- Don’t be distracted by the next new shiny thing.

Submit to your present leaders

- Hebrews 13:17

- Not blindly following

- Our leaders will be held accountable

How?

- Hebrews 13:24

- Be committed to a local church

- In community

- Serving

- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

- Be at peace among yourselves and with your leaders.

The Way of Love Lived Out

The Way of Love Lived Out

Dave Riddle - 6/30/2024

Key Passages: Hebrews 13:1-6

Recap: Hebrews is…

A book of Exhortation

- Let us…

A book of Anticipation

- Looking forward

A book of Exultation

- Jesus is greater

A book of Application

- Chapter 13 specifically

Let brotherly love continue

- Hebrews 13:1

- Let the love of the brothers and sisters of Christ (the Church) continue.

- We are called to live the way of love.

- Colossians 3:14 - wrap yourselves in unselfish love… the perfect love of unity.

- 1 Peter 1:22 - Love one another constantly.

- John 13 - Love one another, just as I have loved you… by this, all people will know that you are my disciples.

- Something that we can ONLY do by the power of the Spirit.

Hospitality

- Hebrews 13:2

- Starts with the family of God and extends to all people.

- Let love extend, even to those who are strangers.

- Angel = messenger.

- Possibly a spiritual being.

- Possibly someone bearing the gospel.

Show genuine concern for those who are struggling

- Hebrews 13:3

- Prisoners

- The mistreated

- Those who are suffering in the body.

- Romans 12:9-15

- We may not have the ability or words to make things better, but we CAN be present.

- What does this look like for us today?

- Certainly, it doesn’t mean we can do nothing.

- Matthew 25:34-36

Marriage is to be honored

- Hebrews 13:4

- Love your spouse

One thing we shouldn’t love

- Hebrews 13:5

- Free from the love of money

- 1 Timothy 6:10

- Luke 12:15

- Mark 10 (Rich Young Ruler)

- Be satisfied with what you have.

- Philippians 4:11-12

- Contentment

He will never leave or forsake us!

- Hebrews 13:5

- Deuteronomy 31:6

- Matthew 28:20

The Lord is our helper

- Hebrews 13:6

- Romans 8:38-39

Give up, or Endure?

Give up, or Endure?

Dave Riddle - 6/16/2024

Key Passages: Hebrews 12:1-13

Look at the winners

- Hebrews 12:1

- A great cloud of witnesses

- Those mentioned in Hebrews 11

- Examples from your own life.

Look at yourself

- What is weighing you down?

- Hebrews 12:1

- Let us lay aside every hindrance

- Not necessarily sinful or evil things.

- Possibly even things we would consider to be good things.

- And the sin that so easily ensnares us.

- What is the sin that ensnares you?

- Unbelief?

Run with endurance

- Hebrews 12:1

- Look at the winners

- Look at yourself

- Throw off whatever weighs you down

- Look at Jesus!

Look at Jesus

- Hebrews 12:2

- The finisher!

- Jesus struggled, but he finished the task.

- He had the steady determination to keep going.

- He endured the cross.

- It is finished!

- Why did he endure?

- So that you won’t grow weary and lose heart (12:3)

Remember His Love

- Hebrews 12:5-6

- Don’t lose heart

- Don’t disregard what God is doing (discipline)

- Hebrews 12:7-8

- Discipline = training/raising/instructing/correcting a child.

- Hebrews 12:9-10

- The reason we receive discipline/training is for our benefit. To share in His holiness.

- Hebrews 12:11

- So that we may produce fruit

Never give up

- Hebrews 12:12-13

- Stay strong in the Lord and resolute in your faith in Him.

What is Church?

What is Church?

Dave Riddle - 6/09/2024

Key Passages: Acts 2:42-44, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

“There is no relationship with God apart from His family”

Consumerism is about:

- satisfaction

- Entitlement

- More for me

- Obsession

- Devouring

- We think WE are doing the devouring, but instead IT devours us.

Community is about:

- being on mission

- Responsibility

- Serving others

- Freedom

- Creating

Partnership

- God desires for you to be an active partner, not a passive observer.

- 2 Corinthians 8:23

- Philippians 1:4-5

- Hebrews 10:33

- Philemon 17

- Acts 2:42-44

- koinos: “All things in common” = common; shared by all our several

- koinonos: associate, comrade, companion, sharer, partner

- koinonia: fellowship, association, joint participation, communion, community, the state one has in something, partnership

The mindset of partnership

- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

- melos: being a living part of an interconnected body/dynamic body.

- Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 12

- a partner is someone who is engaged with the organization’s mission

What is our focus?

- Privilege or responsibility?

- Get or give?

- Passive or active involvement?

How?

- Philippians 2:3-5

- Love, unity, humility, a common mission…

- A family on mission

What is Faith?

What is Faith?

Dave Riddle - 5/12/2024

Key Passages: Hebrews 11:1-6

Faith is the reality of what is hoped for

- Hebrews 11:1

- Hypostasis: Reality, assurance, support, strong foundation

- Not a wistful longing, but an absolute certainty.

- “I hope the weather is nice this afternoon”

Faith is… the proof of what is not seen

- Hebrews 11:1

- Proof, conviction, evidence

Faith is the thing by which we are approved

- Hebrews 11:2

- Witnesses of faith

By faith we understand that God created everything

- Hebrews 11:3

- By faith we believe

Faith recognizes, worships, and obeys

- Abel

- Hebrews 11:4

- Genesis 4:4

Faith believes and draws near

- Enoch

- Hebrews 11:5-6

- Genesis 5:21-24

- Jude 14-15

We are people who are called to live by faith

- Are we people who walk by faith?

- Or are we people who walk by sight?

- Do we live by what we think is best, or do we live by what God says is best?

Draw Near. Hold On. Consider Others.

Draw Near. Hold On. Consider Others.

Dave Riddle - 4/28/2024

Key Passages: Hebrews 10:19-25

Let us draw near…

- Hebrews 10:22

- With clean consciences and bodies

- Made right with God

- Displaying the righteousness of Christ.

- 2 Corinthians 5:17

- The inward change produces outward changes.

- You are righteous, now be righteous

- You are holy, now be holy

- Why? So that we can serve the living God

- Hebrews 9:13-14

- See also: Hebrews 4:13

Let us hold on…

- Hebrews 10:23

- Hold on to the confession of our faith.

- Hold fast

- Hebrews 4:14

- Without wavering (10:23)

- Not leaning.

- Unmoved.

- Why do we hold on? It’s the only thing that gives us hope.

Let us be consider one another…

- Hebrews 10:24

- Here it shifts from something we do for ourselves to something we do for others.

- Philippians 2:3-4

- Why? In order to provoke love and good works in each other.

- paroxysmos: to incite

- Essentially “incite a riot of love and good works”

What are we doing when we gather together?

- Hebrews 10:25

- Coming alongside one another

- Encouraging one another

- Laughing, crying, praying, sharing together

Witnesses: Commissioned, Sent, and Empowered

Witnesses: Commissioned, Sent, and Empowered

Dave Riddle - 4/21/2024

Key Passages: Luke 24:47-48, John 20:21, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8

You will be my witnesses

- Luke 24:47-48

- To all the nations

- Acts 1:8

- To the ends of the earth

Commissioned and Sent

- John 20:21

- As the Father sent me, so I am sending you!

- Matthew 28:18-20

- Go, therefore, and make disciples

Empowered by God

- He provides us with His own power.

- Luke 24:49

- Acts 1:4-5

- John 20:22

Until He Comes Again

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16

He’s Still Here

- Matthew 28:20

- I am with you always, even til the end of the age

Fear & Peace

Fear & Peace

Dave Riddle - 4/14/2024

Key Passage: John 20:19-30

They were afraid

- John 20:19

- The disciples were deeply afraid

- John 19:38

- Joseph was deeply afraid

- Luke 24:37

Called to peace

- John 14:27

- Embrace peace, not fear!

The disciples rejoiced

- John 20:20-21

- Peace Be With You

God wants to give us peace

- Peace with Him

- The peace that only He can provide

- eirene: a national state of tranquility, harmony, and safety. In a Christian context: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Jesus, and so fearing nothing from God and content with his/her earthly lot of whatsoever sort that is.

- Peace: the absence of chaos.

The key to peace

- John 20:25-27

- it isn’t based on what we see or experience.

- Peace is found through faith in Jesus.

- John 20:28-29

- Believe

- John 20:30-31

- Are we foolish and slow to believe?

- Luke 24:25-27

Walking with Jesus

Walking with Jesus

Dave Riddle - 4/7/2024

Key Passage: Luke 24:13-37

Jesus came near and walked with them

- Luke 24:13-15

- Now you see me.

- Luke 24:16 - they were prevented from recognizing Him

- Now you don’t.

Jesus stops us in our tracks

- Luke 24:17

- Jesus knows the answer, but he sets them up for a teachable moment.

They didn’t understand what they had experienced

- Luke 24:19-24

- They lacked a spiritual perspective.

- They forgot what Jesus said would happen.

- They failed to acknowledge the resurrection.

They Invited Him to Abide with them

- Luke 24:28-29

- Stay with us. Abide with us.

Watch out for and welcome Jesus into your life!

- Don’t pass up opportunities to invite Jesus into your daily life.

- Ask him to abide with you.

Submit to as Lord

- Do you have expectations that you need to surrender?

Get perspective through truth

- When we encounter truth our perspective changes.

- Do we examine the circumstances of our lives through the lens of scripture?

Be a witness

- Luke 24:33-35

- The two disciples got up immediately to share the good news of their encounter with Jesus.

As followers of Jesus we don’t travel through life alone. Allow Jesus’ presence and His truth to transform your life.

Palm Sunday - A Triumphal Entry

Palm Sunday - A Triumphal Entry

Paul Trulock - 3/24/2024

Key Passage: Matthew 21:1-11

No longer hiding the fact that He is the messiah

  • Matthew 21:3

The King had arrived

  • Prophecy fulfilled

    • Matt 21:5

  • Hosanna, save us, son of David

    • Matt 21:9

Who is this?

  • They missed who Jesus truly was.

    • Matthew 21:10

  • They expected a different kind of King/Savior/Messiah.

    • They wanted to submit to a King, but not this kind of King.

What’s your triumphal entry experience?

  • Where you cry out “Hosanna, save me”, but Jesus responds differently than expected?

  • where your spiritual high doesn’t connect to who Jesus really is?

  • Where you find yourself asking, “where are you Jesus?”

Where is your devotion?

  • Crucified with Christ

    • Galatians 2:20

      • I no longer live but Christ lives in me.

Do you see Him?

  • You may not know where you’re being led, but do you know the one who leads you?

Has Jesus made a triumphal entry into your heart? Have you submitted to His reign?