The Impact of Hope

The Impact of Hope

12/5/2021 - Dave Riddle 

Psalm 42:11 - why are you overcome with despair? Hope in God!

• We are the people of Hope.

  • Surrounded by despair, but not living in despair.

How is it that we can be legitimately hopeful?

God is.

• He exists

• Jeremiah 10

  • The worthlessness of idols compared to a true God. (10:10)

    • Jeremiah 10:16

God is here.

• Matthew 1:23 - God is with us.

• Hebrews 1:3a - Jesus is God in the flesh

  • Philippians 2:5-7

God is love.

• 1 John 4:8-9 - God is love.

• John 3:16-17 - How much God loves us.

• Titus 3:4-7 - what it means for us.

God is Salvation.

• Roman 8:38-39 - there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

• Hebrews 1:3 - God the Savior

God is King.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - don’t live as those who have no hope

  • Ephesians 2:12 - We were… without Christ, without God, without hope. No longer!

• 1 Timothy 6:13-15 - Celebrating his first coming while awaiting his second coming!

  • God will make all things new!

• Hebrews 10:23 - hold tightly, without wavering, to the hope we affirm…

How can we embrace hope today?

Receive this truth in faith

• 1 Peter 5:7

Reflect on how God is providing hope in your life

• Psalm 9:1

Encourage another Jesus-follower you’ve seen exhibiting hope.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Share hope with someone in your missional context.

• 1 Peter 3:15

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Lazarus & Jesus

Sunday Service 11/21/21 : JOHN—Raising of Lazarus
Phil Woodman
Key Passage: John 11

Jesus Waited

• John Mark Comer said “Hurry is violence on the soul. We get sucked into the tyranny of the urgent, not the important.”

  • Going going going doesn’t allow our soul to breathe. Do you feel that? Especially as we approach the holidays. The pace of everything picks up doesn’t it?

  • Maybe before jumping into anything, the best thing we could do would be to stop, seek our Father in heaven and be filled by the Spirit to prepare ourselves for what’s ahead of us whether it be a crisis, a busy season, or simply the day ahead of us so that we can function out of the fullness of God, rather than depending on the strength of man.

  • That is not the point of the story, but something we would probably benefit greatly from if we put it into practice.

  • There was purpose to Jesus waiting. So that God would be glorified.

Martha Believed

• She knew, she believed…but Lazarus’ death was still final in her mind.

• Which is a little interesting because Jesus had already raised someone from the dead….twice! But both of these times, the person was still in their home and had been dead for a few minutes or hours. Like they might not be fully dead. And Mary and Martha had not been present for those occurrences. I’m sure they probably heard about them, but they took place in Galilee far from their home.

Jesus Was Deeply Moved

• We see the humanity and emotional side of Jesus on display in this passage. We hear of his deep love for his friend that leads him into certain danger to visit. We see mourning and sadness as Jesus weeps, but he is ultimately led to anger.

• B.B. Warfield writes: “It is death that is the object of his wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death, and whom he has come into the world to destroy. Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage: and he advances to the tomb, in Calvin’s words, [slide] ‘as a champion who prepares for conflict.’”

• Where have you put him? Let’s go.

Mary and Martha Believed in a New Way

• Death is the physical result of what sin does in the spiritual realm. God grieves and mourns those who are spiritually dead. And just days later he would do something about it to show his power over death and sin once and for all.

• Do you KNOW Jesus as the resurrection and the life? Can you clearly state how Jesus has made you alive and transformed you from death to life? How is God making you new each day? If you can’t see how Jesus has changed you, is it possible that you know Jesus, but you don’t KNOW Jesus? Like Mary and Martha, your faith may be sincere, but limited.

• In this season of thanks, what are we, what are you doing to proclaim the life we have experienced in Christ to those needing resurrection from the spiritual death they live in? It moved Jesus to tears and made him angry to the point he needed to do something about it. May God move in our hearts that we are lead to DO something to help people experience Jesus and have the opportunity to move from death to life.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. I pray you KNOW that and have experienced that life. 

Jesus at Hanukkah

Jesus at Hanukkah 

11/14/2021 - Dave Riddle

Key Passage: John 10:22-42

Festival of Dedication / Festival of Lights

A hostile group surrounds Jesus

• John 10:22-24

  • How long will you trouble our souls?

  • Are you the Messiah?

• Are you going to be like or great ancestors who freed us from a tyrannical empire?

  • Like the Maccabees they were celebrating.

You don‘t have the faith to see what is plainly in front of you.

• John 10:25-27

My sheep? I know them and they follow me.

• John 10:27

  • Incredible comfort for those who follow Jesus

• John 10:28

  • Eternal life (a statement not merely of quantity, but of quality)

• John 10:29-30

  • Jesus doubled down on the security of his followers.

    • No one will, and no one can, snatch us from his hands.

    • We love this message but how did the hostile crowd respond?

They picked up stones

• John 10:31

  • An illegal act, but not without precedence.

• They were highly motivated.

  • There wouldn’t have been stones readily accessible at Solomon’s colonnade

“For which of these good works are you stoning me?”

• John 10:32-33

  • An improper accusation

• John 10:36

  • “My life is an open book“

John never did a miracle… but everything he said about this man was true.

• John 10:41

He’s got us in his hand

He knows us and loves us

He is the Son of God 

We want to be people who bear witness to WHO he is.

• So that others may say “everything they said about Jesus is true”

I Am The Gate

Jesus Says "Come" - CDC

Jesus says “Come”

Central Detroit Christian

Key Passage: Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus’ Rough Day

• Jesus sends out the disciples.

• The Disciples return with news of the death of John the Baptist.

  • His cousin has been beheaded

• The feeding of the five thousand.

• Jesus sends the disciples away in the boat and dismisses the crowds

  • Putting the kids to bed and doing some house work.

• Jesus went to pray. He went to the Father to recharge.

• He walks on the water.
  

Peter: “Lord, if it’s you, call me to come out onto the water”

• your ways are better than mine…

• When Peter practiced obedience to Jesus, Jesus responded with “come”.
  

Matthew 11:28 - “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

When those in the boat saw Peter’s obedience and Jesus’ response they were deeply impacted.

• Matthew 14:33 - Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
  

God is good despite our weakness and foolishness.

Baptism Sunday 10/24

Baptisms begin around the 26 minute mark

Message begins around the 39 minute mark

Jesus Heals a Blind Man

10/17/2021 - Dave Riddle

Jesus & Abraham

Jesus & Abraham

10/10/2021 - Dave Riddle

Key Passage: John 8:48-59

2 Claims: 

• I honor my father - 8:49

• I am the giver of life - 8:51

“Are you greater than our father Abraham!?” - 8:53

• “who do you claim to be?”

John 8:56 (CSB): Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 

• Genesis 12, 15, 17, 18, 24

• “You’re not even 50! How have you seen Abraham?”

John 8:58 (CSB): Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”

• “I am.”

  • They pick up stones to kill Him

  • The chapter is bookended by stories about throwing stones.

What does this passage teach us about Jesus?

1. He came to tell the truth

2. He came to bring honor to His Father

3. His teaching brings life.

4. He is God in the flesh.

The Truth Teller & The Lie Giver

The Truth Teller & The Lie Giver

10/03/2021 - Dave Riddle

Key Passage: John 8:30-47

Genuine Discipleship

• Discipleship, in Jesus’ day, had both a spiritual and a physical component.

• John 8:31 - if you continue in my word, you really are my disciples…

• pistueo: to think to be true. To be persuaded of; to place confidence in. To have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing). To believe.

• Jesus is offering a clear caution to us so that we understand what it truly means to be his disciples.

  • Continue, abide, remain, stay… in the word of my teaching.

Real Freedom 

• John 8:33: referring to spiritual freedom, not political freedom.

  • Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome…

• Slaves to sin!

  • Only the Son can set you free.

  • John 8:34-36

Actual Identity 

• John 8:37-47

• Jesus: Who is your spiritual father?

  • The crowd: “Our Father is Abraham!”

    • Jesus: “You aren’t responding how he did”

  • The crowd: “Our father is God”

    • Defending themselves and their heritage.

    • Jesus: your father is the devil.

• This passage is helping us see The Truth (singular) and The Lie (singular)

The Light of the World

The Light of the World

9/26/2021 - Dave Riddle

Key Passage: John 8:12-29

The Feast of Tabernacles - Illumination Ceremony

• John 8:12 (CSB): “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

  • Another purposeful use of the phrase “I Am”.

    • The original language shows that this was not coincidental.

    • An incredible, staggering claim

“Your testimony is invalid”

• The Pharisees try to catch Jesus on a technicality.

  • John 8:13

• Jesus defends his testimony

  • John 8:14-18

  • Two Witnesses.

    • Jesus and the Father

The Pharisees don’t get it

• John 8:19-20

  • “Where is your father?”

  • “If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”

“To Die”

• John has a unique perspective and focus on death.

  • John 8:21

• The Pharisees completely miss the point

  • John 8:22

• John 8:24 (CSB): “…For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

Who are you?

• John 8:25

  • “Exactly what I’ve been telling you since the very beginning!”

• They still didn’t get it - John 8:27

John 8:28 (CSB): When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own.

• lift up = crucify

Church is Who We Are

Church is Who We Are

Sunday, September 19, 2021
Dave Riddle

An Omitted Passage?

An Omitted Passage?

Dave Riddle 9/12/2021

Key passage: John 7:53-8:11

Not included in most of the oldest manuscripts.

• not commented on by the early church fathers until the 10th century.

• Writing style is more like that of the synoptic gospels than that of John.

Nobody likes getting caught at fault.

The standard for this accusation was fairly high.

• the quality of the evidence and the quality of the witnesses were both important.

• John 8:4 - this woman was caught in the act.

  • Where’s the man? Possibly a trap?

The law says… what do you say?

• they were not telling the full truth.

  • Leviticus 20, Deuteronomy 22

  • Where is the man?

• Only the Romans had authority to enact capital punishment.

  • “What do you say Jesus?”

• Lots of people were participating in adultery.

  • “Do they all deserve this punishment Jesus?”

• They were trying to trap Jesus with a difficult situation.

  • “We’ve got him! There is no right answer.”

How Does Jesus Respond?

• John 8:6

  • He ignores it.

  • He has another plan.

• What did he write?

  • The sins of the accusers?

  • His official sentencing of the accused?

  • Exodus 23:1?

    • Do not spread false reports…Don’t help a wicked man by being a false witness.

      • A warning to the accusers.

  • We don’t know.

The accusers are just as guilty as the woman.

• Busted! Caught in the act!

  • Nobody picks up a rock.

Who is left?

• The only one who could rightfully pick up a rock.

This is the story of YOU and me!

• we all stand before a holy God as broken people who have been caught in the act.

  • Jesus didn’t condemn her and he doesn’t condemn you!

• “Go and sin no more”

  • He didn’t condemn her, but he also didn’t condone her sin.

• We don’t know how she responded.

  • How will you respond?

• John 3:16-17 - He came, not to condemn, but to save!

  • When we deserved the “rock of execution” he became the “rock of our salvation”.

Unchanging Love

Unchanging Love

Dave Riddle 9/05/2021

Key passage: 1 Corinthians 13

The Highest Way of All - Love

• 1 Corinthians. 12:31 - Love!

… is Lonnnnnnnng-tempered 

• Patient - 1 Corinthians 12:4

…is Kind

• 1 Corinthians 12:4

• 1 John 3

…Does Not Boil Over with Jealousy 

• 1 Corinthians 12:4

…is not Boastful

• 1 Corinthians 12:4

• This word is only used one time

…is not self-inflated

• psysioo- literally, to inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up.

• 1 Corinthians 12:4

…is not crude or inappropriate 

• 1 Corinthians 12:5

• Lacking in care for others around them

…isn’t self-centered

• 1 Corinthians 12:5

• “Cure selfishness and you have just replanted the Garden of Eden” - RCH Lenski

…Isn’t moved to anger

• 1 Corinthians 12:5

• Of our interactions are defined by rage, we aren’t living in love.

  • Irascible - not just angry but anger that leads to wrong action.

…doesn’t keep score

• loguzomai- to take inventory, an ancient bookkeeping term that means to calculate or reckon. To make it keep a permanent record.

• 1 Corinthians 12:5

…Responds Correctly to  Truth and Iniquity

• 1 Corinthians 12:6

• Love doesn’t find joy in unrighteousness or the failures of others.

…Persists

• 1 Corinthians 7-8a

• “Bears all things” - covers, supports, protects.

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