Our Unchanging Identity

Unchanging Identity
Dave Riddle 8/29/2021

Key passage: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Hard truths of the Bible

• There are lots of things that make us say “I wish I didn’t know that… I wish that wasn’t in there”

  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

    • “You are not your own”

      • The world doesn’t revolve around me.

I’m now a steward

• 1 Peter 4:10

  • Steward: a person who manages another’s property or finances; one who administers anything as the agent of another.

  • We manage our lives, not in our own interest, but in the interest of the Father

I’m now a child

• 1 John 3:1

  • See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!

I’m now a follower

• “Follow me”

  • Follow = akoloutheō - to be in the same way with. To be in the same road. To follow one who proceeds.

I’m now a disciple 

• Disciple = mathetes (Greek: μαθητής) - pupil/learner/student - a disciple. In the New Testament, a disciple is one who not only learns, but accepts and adverse to the instruction given to them, making it their personal everyday way of living .

  • Not just learning knowledge, but allowing that knowledge to change the way we live.

  • Matthew 16:24 - if anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself and take up his cross.

I’m now a slave

• doulos (Greek: δοῦλος): a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

  • We are slaves to our sin

    • Romans 6:15

  • Romans 6:18

    • Set free from sin!

    • Now slaves to righteousness!

Our Need for Repentance is Unchanging

Unchanging Truth: Repentance
Dave Riddle - 8/15/2021
Key Passage: Mark 1:14-15

The Problem: Sin

• We can’t do anything about it.

• Only Jesus can.

The Solution: Repentance 

• it’s deeper than being sorry.

• It’s more than regret due to the consequences.

  • Worldly sorrow vs godly sorrow

    • Godly sorrow leads to repentance

• Repentance = Metanoeo: literally to know, after. It signifies a change of mind consequent to the after knowledge; indicating regret for the course pursued and resulting in a wiser view of the past and future. Implied within us a “turning from” and a “turning to”.

John the Baptizer

• Matthew 3:2

  • Repent the Kingdom of God is near

Jesus

• Mark 1:14-15

  • Repent and believe

Peter

• Acts 2:36-39

  • Repent (to those who have not yet believed)

Paul

• Paul’s epistles

  • Repent (to believers)

John the Revelator

• Revelation 2 and 3

  • Repent (to churches)

We are a people who are called to repent.

• not about guilt and shame

• It’s about life!

Trust Our Unchanging God

Trust Our Unchanging God

Dave Riddle - 8/8/2021

Key Verse: Ephesians 3:14-19

We can trust in the Love of God

• The core of our relationship with God is love

• Ephesians 3:17

  • Rooted and established in love

    • agapē - unconditional love

We can trust in the Power of the Holy Spirit

• Paul prays for the Ephesians to be empowered by the Holy Spirit

  • Ephesians 3:14

  • Ephesians 3:17

    • That Christ may dwell in your heart…

      • to house permanently

To Comprehend

• Ephesians 3:18-19

  • eagerly pursue Christ’s love

To Experience 

• Ephesians 3:19

  • Know the love of Christ

  • Know = to know something from personal experience. An intimate knowledge, not just from an observation or empirical data.

To Be Filled Up Completely

• Ephesians 3:19

  • Filled to the measure of the fullness of God.

    • Refers to a fishing term. Trying to cram a net full of fish.

Our Unchanging Reality

Sunday, August 1 • Pastor Dave Riddle • Message begins around 30:00

What Does the Bible Have to Say About Worry?

Sunday, July 25 • Pastor Dave Riddle • Message begins around 21:30 mark of the video

Four Things Every Believer Should Pray For

Four Things Every Believer Should Pray For

Guest Speaker - Dr. Jim Smith - 7/18/2021

Key Verse: Ephesians 1:15-23

Testimony

• Ephesians 1:15-16

  • Ever since I heard of your strong faith and love I haven’t stopped praying for you.

Know God Better

• Ephesians 1:17

  • Grow in your knowledge of God.

• Revelation 3:20

  • Jesus is standing at the door and knocking.

  • A verse written to believers, not the lost.

    • Find a time

    • Choose a place

      • Luke 22;39

    • Grab a Bible and notebook

    • Spend time with God

Know the greatness of God’s hope in you

• Ephesians 1:18

  • Understand the confident hope God has given you.

Know the power you have within you

• Ephesians 1:19-20

  • Understand the greatness of God’s power… the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you!

    • Some of us never plug into the power we have in Christ

Simple & True

Simple and True

Dave Riddle - 7/11/2021

Key Passage: James 1:26-27

Religious = thrēskos: fearing or worshipping God; ceremonious in the worship of God.

• only used once in the Bible

Our Lips

• James 1:26

• If we can’t control our words our religion is worthless, empty.

• We’re the words you said and the things you typed this week full of the fruit of the Spirit?

  • James 3:7-8

    • No one can tame the tongue

    • A restless evil full of deadly poison.

• James 1:27 - pure and undefiled religion

  • Religion = thrēskeia: religious worship, especially eternal

    • Used a few times

  • Pure = katharos: clean (literally or figuratively) clear, pure, free from the presence of anything that soils, adulterated, or corrupts.

  • Undefiled = amiantos: not defiled, pie, unsoiled. free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed and debased

Our Hands

• James 1:27

  • Look after the widows and orphans in their distress.

• James 2:15-17

  • Faith without works is dead.

    • James 2:26

  • Faith produces change in us!

• 1 John 3:17-18

  • Not just a James thing.

Our Hearts

• James 1:27

  • Keep yourself unstained by the world.

• 1 John 2:15

  • What has your heart? The things of God or the things of the world?

• Romans 12:2

  • Transformed by the renewing of your mind.

    • The connection between mind and heart in the New Testament is powerful.

• Luke 6:45

  • A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart…

  • What you say and do flows from what is in your heart

What is God saying to you today?

What are you going to do about it?

“The world does not need a definition of religion, but a demonstration of religion.”

• Martin Luther

A Spirit of Freedom

A Spirit of Freedom

7/4/2021 - Paul Trulock

Key passages: Numbers 13-14, Galatians 5

“Freedom is release from illegitimate bondage so you can live out what God called you to be.”

• Freed “from” something

  • From Egypt

• Freed “to” something

  • To the Promised Land

    • But first, the wilderness.

      • Similarly, in order for us to be delivered from sin to the promises we have in Jesus, we go through the wilderness.

Numbers 13:1

• 13:1 - the land I am giving you…

Numbers 27-31

• 13:30 - Caleb doesn’t have any additional information, but he trusts in God.

• Numbers 13:31 - if it can be explained by man’s own effort, where sites Good get the glory?

What does your inner circle look like?

• Do you have a faithful community surrounding you?

  • Numbers 13:30

  • Numbers 14:24

• Do you surround yourself with people who focus on circumstances and their own ability?

  • Numbers 13:31-33

  • They would rather go back to the brutality that they knew rather than face the unknown with God.

  • Numbers 14:11

How do we thrive in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in?

• Galatians 5:22-26

  • Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

  • “May your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”

    • It’s not just about going to Heaven, it’s about bringing Heaven to earth!

  • We don’t need more God, God needs more of us.

Why Give?

Why Abba?

Father’s Day - Sunday, June 20th - Dave Riddle

Why Family on Mission?

Why Family on Mission?

6/13/21 - Dave Riddle 

Key passages: 1 Timothy 3:15, Matthew 28:18-20

We use the word family because it’s biblical.

Family = oikos (Greek: οἶκος) - an inhabited house, a physical dwelling place. Also, the inhabitants of a house, all the persons forming one family - a household. 

• 1 Timothy 3:15 - we are the household of God.

• The church is called “brother and sisters” over 20 times in the book of Acts alone!

What is our mission?

• Matthew 28:18-20 - The great commission. Go make disciples…

• Disciple = mathetes (Greek: μαθητής) - pupil/learner/student - a disciple. In the New Testament, a disciple is one who not only learns, but accepts and adverse to the instruction given to them, making it their personal everyday way of living .

• Teaching them = didaskō (Greek: διδάσκω) - teaching with the purpose of transformation.

• Acts 1:8

• “The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that [everything else is] simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.” CS Lewis

• Luke 6:40

Helping People Follow Jesus Together

1. UP

   • Living in right relationship with the Father.

     • Jesus prioritized his relationship with his Father.

2. IN

   • Living in right relationship with our church family.

     • You can’t walk in obedience with the will of God if you aren’t walking in right relationship with your brothers and sisters.

3. OUT

   • Living on mission to reach the world.

     • We are ambassadors, as if God was making his appeal through us!

Why Celebrate? Grad Sunday

Why Celebrate?

Grad Sunday 6/6/21 - Phil Woodman

Why do we celebrate?

It’s a Natural Response

• Luke 15

  • Celebrate finding what was lost

  • Celebrate the returned prodigal

God Tells us to

• Romans 12:15

  • Rejoice with those who rejoice!

“Celebration is central to all the Spiritual Disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern Pharisees.”

• Richard Foster - Celebration of the Disciplines

To Recognize God’s Work in our Lives

• 3 John 3-4

  • I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth

• Philippians 1:3-6

  • Paul celebrates the work of God in the lives of these believers.

• Milestones

  • Stones from the river

  • Nehemiah and the wall

• Supportive community

  • We don’t celebrate alone.

Motivation to keep us going

• Philippians 3:12 - I have not yet reached my goal.

  • Press on.

• Hebrews 10:23-25

Why Communion?

Why Communion?

Sunday 5/30/21

Key passage: 1 Corinthians 11:24-28

Our church practices two ordinances. Baptism and Communion.

Communion is about:

Remembrance (look back)

• 1 Corinthians 11:24-25

  • “Do this in remembrance of me”

• We practice Communion as a reminder of everything Jesus did for us.

  • Remember: a key word in the Bible.

    • It didn’t take long for a generation to forget all that God did through Joseph to save His people in Egypt.

    • Exodus 12:14

Declaration

• 1 Corinthians 11:26

  • Every time we take Communion we are declaring to the world the truth of what Jesus did!

Introspection (look within)

• 1 Corinthians 11:28

  • “Examine yourselves”

    • Examine: dokimazō (δοκιμάζω) - to test, examine, prove or scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not). To recognize as genuine after examination.

  • Reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus

• Romans 6:11 - …consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ.

Commonality (look around)

• koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation, communion.

• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

  • “Sharing” one loaf (Jesus)

Anticipation (look ahead)

• 1 Corinthians 11:26

  • “Until He comes”

  • Matthew 26:26-29

    • “Until that day…”

Why Pray?

Why Pray?

Mark Butler - Sunday 5/23/21

Key passage: Matthew 6:5-13

We ask “Why?” all the time, and it’s not a question that God is afraid of.

Why Pray?

To Honor God’s Name as Holy

• Matthew 6:9

• holy: special, unique, set apart

He is not far from each one of us.

• Acts 17:27

• Good is near!

…on Earth as it is in Heaven

• Matthew 6:10

• Micah 6:8

• A call to make all things new, in our lives and in our world.

• It aligns our heart with the heart of God.

Give us contentment and the ability to trust

• Matthew 6:11 - daily bread

• Proverbs 30:8-9 - give me neither poverty or riches, but just what I need so I continue to trust in you rather than in myself.

Forgive our debts/sins 

• Matthew 6:12

• “But God…”

• Repent and accept change e Red at her then saying “I want things to change, but I don’t want them to change me”

…as we forgive those who have sinned against us

• Matthew 6:12

• God’s forgiveness is not contingent on ours, but we are called to be characterized by grace and mercy.

Spare us from temptation

• Matthew 6:13

• God rule my heart

• A cry for help

• Mark 26:14

Prayer binds us together

• “Our Father”

  • not a private prayer

  • This is a y’all prayer

    • Forgive us

    • Lead us

    • Give us

Why Partner?

Why Child Dedication?
5/16/21

Why is the local church important? How has consumerism changed the way we look at our relationship with the local church? What does it mean to “partner” with a church? What’s the difference between membership and partnership? Pastor Dave discusses all of these questions and more.

We also welcomed 14 new Partners into our church body this Sunday at the end of the message.

Why Child Dedication?

Why Child Dedication?
Baptism Sunday 5/9/21
Key passage: Psalm 127

Child dedication is not a baptism

• we practice believer’s baptism. (See last week)

Child dedication is not a guarantee 

• not a guarantee of salvation

Why child dedication?

It reminds us of both the miracle and value of human life.

• Genesis 2:7 - humanity was created by God Himself.

• Genesis 1:26-28 - humanity was created in the image of God.

We’re recognizing and affirming that children are a gift from God

• Psalm 127:3 - a special reward

• Psalm 127:5 - a blessing

To acknowledge the challenge and responsibility of being a parent

• Deuteronomy 4:9 - teach them and model for them.

• Ephesians 6:4 - train and instruct

• Deuteronomy 6:5 - a personal practice that you pass down.

Child dedication places children in the context of a larger family… God’s!

• The church has a responsibility (you, all of us)

• Philippians 2:3-4 - we are a family

• Romans 12:10 - be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

It’s an opportunity for parents to surrender their child to God’s will and mission.

• what is it that you want most for your daughter or son?

• 1 Samuel 1 - Hannah and Samuel

Why Baptism?

Why Baptism?

Dave Riddle - Baptism Sunday 5/2/21

Key passage: Matthew 28:19-20

Why do we baptise?

• It’s a Perfect Picture

• Dead to sin (dunked) raised to new life in Christ (raised out of the water)

  • Romans 6:4

Why Immersion?

• Seems to be the regular practice in the New Testament and Apostolic Age.

• It’s consistent with what baptism symbolizes.

  • baptizo (Greek: βαπτίζω) - to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of sunken vessels); to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe.

  • Pickle recipe from 200BC

    • The immersion leads to a permanent change of the vegetable.

• It’s about identification

  • Romans 6:3-4

• It’s a public declaration faith

  • What are we declaring?

    • 1 Peter 3:8

      • What we believe about Jesus

    • 2 Corinthians 5:17

      • What we believe about ourselves. Made new!

  • Who should be baptized?

    • Acts 2:38 - Repent and be baptized...

    • Philip and the Ethiopian

    • Baptism follows salvation.

• It’s a Reminder of Who We Are in Jesus

  • Romans 6:6-7

  • Romans 6:11

  • Galatians 2:20 - ...it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me

Fill your Emotional Tank

Message starts around 30:00

Fill your Emotional Tank

Anxiety and Depression• 4/25/21 • John Opalewski

Key passage: Matthew 11:28-30

Why this subject?

• God hasn’t called you to run a sprint he called you to run a marathon

  • Filling your emotional tank sets you up for a long race

• 1 in 4 young adults 18-24 contemplated suicide.

  • 28% of US adults suffering with depression.

• Proverbs 19:8 - he who gets wisdom loves his own soul.

  • We have a responsibility to tend to our own soul/emotional well-being.

Matthew 11:28-30

• ...I will give you rest...

We can’t give what we don’t have

• you can’t run if you don’t have fuel

We are emotional beings 

• Our emotions need attention

We have three emotional indicators

• Our Pace (Schedule)

  • Your value to God has nothing to do with how busy you are...

  • Both laziness and workaholism will run you into a ditch

  • Work hard and know when to take your foot off the gas.

• Our People (Friendships)

  • Solitude is only good in small doses

  • Solitude leads to isolation and isolation leads to a multitude of negative results including depression.

  • There is no pill for loneliness.

  • Make room for replenishing relationships in your life!

• Our Plan (Emotional Maintenance Plan)

  • 1. Laughter - why are Christians always so serious? Lighten up!

    • Proverbs 17:22 - a cheerful heart is good medicine.

• 2. Exercise

  • 1 Timothy 4:8 - we interpret this as “physical training is of no value” when it says “of some value”

• 3. Distraction

  • You need something that lets you pivot and catch your breath.

  • Even our perfect God rested between the days of creation and afterwards!

  • Find a hobby!

• 4. Sleep

  • Sleep is not a disposable commodity.

  • Sleep deprived Christians can’t run the race God has called them to run.

Mark 6:30-32

• “Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest”

• Next time you read the gospels take notice of how many times Jesus got away to rest.

If your tank is full

• Thank God everyday!

• Educate yourself so you can stay well

• Educate yourself so you can understand those who are struggling.

If your tank is running on empty

• There is hope for you.

• Anxiety and depression are not the last chapter in your story

  • Make an appointment with your doctor

  • Make an appointment with a Christian counselor

The Rich Young Ruler & Ludwig Zinzendorf

Message begins around 14:45

The Rich Young Ruler & Ludwig Zinzendorf
Global Missions Emphasis 2021
Dr Jon Hardin - Frontiers

Key passage: Matthew 19:16-22

Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf and the early Moravian Church.

• a wealthy young man embarking on a trip that was meant to launch his life and career.

• Has a life changing encounter with a painting of Jesus.

  • “This is what I did for you. What will you do for me?”

• He buys a large estate and opens it up to Moravian refugees.

• He meets with them in their homes and studies the Bible with them.

• August 13, 1727 - the Moravian church experiences a powerful revival.

  • The village began sending out missionaries all over Europe.

• He met a former slave named Anthony who inspired him to send missionaries to the Caribbean island of Saint Thomas.

  • Over the next few years the Moravians sent out more missionaries than all Protestant churches in the previous 200 years.

  • They sent out 1 out of every 12 congregants.

    • HOW!?

Worship

• The worship of Christ was like the fuel of life in these communities.

  • They loved to worship!

The Word

• Zinzendorf was a pioneer in the world of daily devotions.

• The Moravian daily text, first published in 1723 is still published today in more than 50 languages.

Prayer

• They arranged a 24 hour prayer vigil that went unbroken for more than 100 years.

  • At least one man and one woman for every hour of the day.

Where does this kind of zeal come from?

• In 1747 Zinzendorf commissioned a painting to depict their passion for global missions.

  • “The first fruits”

  • Inspired by Revelation 7:9-10, Revelation 14:4, and other texts.

  • Portraits of real people who were the first converts in their particular unreached people group.

Missions was an “all hands on deck” situation for the Moravian church.

• A fully mobilized church

• 1 of 12 going. The other 11 supporting.

• The Great Commission: The whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world.

Practical Ways to Share Bible Stories

Message begins around 14:50

Practical Ways to Share Bible Stories
Global Missions Emphasis 2021
Ryan and Bethany Reedy

Key passage: Acts 17:16-34

What Stood Out?

• Paul’s grief about the idols

  • Acts 17:16 (provoked, upset)

• Paul took time to understand the culture.

  • Acts 17:23 (unknown god)

• Where Paul went

  • Acts 17:17 (synagogue, public square)

• Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection

  • Acts 17:18

What question might someone have about this story? 

• What is an Areopagus?

  • Acts 17:19 - a place to discuss religion, culture, philosophy

  • Acts 17:18

    • Epicureans: focused on pleasure, pain avoidance. Agnostic.

    • Stoically: Pantheistic. Strived for virtue.

• Who are these poets Paul mentions?

  • Acts 27:28 - Paul learned their culture to connect with the people he was ministering to.

What do we learn about people?

• The people love to discuss and debate ideas.

  • Acts 17:21

• We are committed to the idols and gods that we’ve created in our own lives.

  • Acts 17:22-23

• Two different response to truth.

  • Rebellion - Acts 17:32, 18

  • Humility - Acts 17:34

• People need to repent

What did we learn about God?

• There is one true God

  • Acts 17:24-25

• God isn’t made by human hands or imagination.

  • Acts 17:29

• God made us to know, love, and honor him

  • Acts 17:27

• God has been patient, but he will eventually judge us.

  • Acts 17:29

Two Ways to Live

How do I live out what I learned?

• Are we following the one true God or the idols of our own making?

• How do we respond to this truth?

• Do we have a burden/conviction for the people around us who are caught up in their own idolatry?

Who can you tell this story to this week?

• Pray and ask God to convict and burden our hearts to share this good news with others.