Missions Emphasis Week - A Love for Jesus

Missions Emphasis Week - A Love for Jesus

10/9/2022 - Micah Williams

Key Passage: John 14:23-24

A love for Jesus looks like a love for the marginalized

• Matthew 25:31-40

  • Hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, strangers

  • Do we see those who are on the margins?

  • What if it was Jesus in need?

A love for Jesus looks like a love for the lost

• Matthew 28:19-20

• Mark 16:15-16

  • The gospel is good news.

    • Not everybody knows the good news.

    • The vast majority of people we brush shoulders with do not know Jesus.

A love for Jesus looks like a commitment to living missionally  

• Romans 10:13-17

  • We have to tell others.

  • They won’t hear unless somebody says something.

  • How do you spend your time and your money?

Set your sights on eternity 

• Revelation 19:6-7

Missions Emphasis Week - The Glory of Going

Missions Emphasis Week - The Glory of Going

10/2/2022 - Victor Nuwamanya

Key Passage: Isaiah 6:1-9

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord…” Isaiah 6:1

Who was King Uzziah?

• He was faithful to the Lord and God used him, until…

  • 2 Chronicles 26:16, 21

• “Fame is like perfume. When you spray it, it smells good. When you drink it, it is poison”

Who is your Uzziah?

• They didn’t see the Lord until he was dead and gone.

• Who is your Uzziah? Work, idols, hobbies, your belongings, a politician.

• “Uzziah will die, but God reigns from eternity to eternity”

God’s Glory Compels us to Go

• We have to…

See the Glory of God

• Isaiah 6:3

  • Holy holy holy, the earth is filled with God’s glory.

    • What does the word “holy” make you think of?

• Holy = qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ) - sacred and set apart.

  • “You cannot experience the holiness of God and not be changed”

  • “Show me a prideful person, and I will show a person that has not encountered the holiness of God”

Show the World the Glory of God

• Isaiah 6:6-7 - Isaiah experiences the glory of God

• Isaiah 6:8-9 - Isaiah is compelled to go!

• The glory of God compels to sing hymns in prison, walk on water, take the gospel to your neighborhood, out of the pews and onto the streets.

Here I am. Send me.

• Isaiah 6:8-9

• Matthew 5:14-16

The Bible - Know it. Love it. Live it.

House Rules - Bible

Dave Riddle - 9/25/2022

Key Passage: 2 Timothy 3:15-17

Bible Engagement

• Learning to know, love, and follow the teaching of scripture.

Originates with God Himself

• All scripture is inspired by God

  • 2 Timothy 3:16

  • “All scripture is God-breathed”

• 2 Peter 1:20-21

God’s Word and Truth

• John 17:17

  • God’s Word = Truth

The Design For Our Lives

• Hebrews 4:12

  • God’s Word = Living, effective, able to judge our thoughts and intentions.

• Psalm 119:7, 9, 33, 36-37, 104-105, 160

  • The impact of God’s Word on our lives.

The Way of Salvation

• 2 Timothy 3:15

  • Scripture reveals the way of salvation.

Equips God’s People

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17

  • …So that the righteous person may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Know it so you can Share it

• Matthew 28:19-20

• Acts 17:11-12 - The Bereans

  • Eagerness

  • Examination

Know it. Love it. Live it.

• James 1:22-25

  • Not just hearers, but doers.

House Rules

House Rules

Dave Riddle - 9/18/2022

Key Passage: Ephesians 2:19

We are a family!

• Ephesians 2:19

  • …members of God’s household

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

• Galatians 6:10

  • …do good to everyone, but especially to the family of God.

• 1 Timothy 3:15

  • God’s household=the church

• 1 Peter 2:4-5

  • A spiritual house

• Hebrews 10:19-21

  • Jesus is the head of our family

Gospel of Jesus – Priority 1!

• Romans 1:16

  • The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation!

• 1 Corinthians 9:16

  • Sharing the gospel is a necessity.

  • …Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

God’s Greatest Commands

• Mark 12:29-31

  • Love God

  • Love People

God’s Great Commission

• Matthew 28:19-20

  • Make disciples, baptize, teach.

Genuine Discipleship

• Luke 9:23 - Follow me

  • Be on the same road

• Galatians 2:20 - crucified with Christ

  • We no longer live, but Christ lives in us!

Targeted Spiritual Development

• Luke 6:40

  • We should become more like Jesus

• 1 Timothy 1:5

  • The goal of our instruction is love.

The Word of God- Our Way of Life

• 2 Timothy 3:15-17

  • The Word changes us and equips us.

What’s Your Next Step?

What’s your next step?

Phil Woodman - 9/11/22

Key Passage: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The Shema Prayer

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9

  • Hear/Listen!

• A fresh start

Where is your focus/commitment? 

• Joshua 24:14-15

  • How will you live?

  • Who will you serve?

What’s your next step?

Bible Reading

• Romans 12:2

  • Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

• Set manageable goals

• Pick a plan and finish it

• Share it with someone

Find Connection

• Hebrews 10:24

  • We weren’t made to walk alone

• Join an ABF or Bible Study

• Find a smaller group that will encourage and challenge.

Find a Place to Serve

• 1 Peter 4:10

  • Use the gifts you’ve been given to serve others!

• Serve the church body

• Serve our community

• Discover your gift and use it

Share Your Faith

• 1 Corinthians 11:1

• 1 Peter 3:15

  • Do people know you’re a believer?

  • Share your story.

  • Ask Questions.

Therefore… Don’t worry

Message Begins around 34:00

Therefore… Don’t worry

Dave Riddle - 9/4/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:25-34

Don’t Worry

• Matthew 6:25

• Worry = merimnaō (μεριμνάω) - to be anxious; to be troubled with cares.

  • Mary and Martha

    • Luke 10:41

    • Troubled = thorybazō (θορυβάζω) - troubled, disquieted, turbid.

• Look at the birds

  • Matthew 6:26

What benefit does worrying provide?

• Matthew 6:27

  • Can you add a second to your life or an inch to your height by worrying?

  • When, after worrying, do you feel better about your life?

• Look at the wild flowers

  • Matthew 6:28-30

The Challenge

• Are we willing to trust Him with our lives?

  • Matthew 6:30

  • Look at how much God loves us.

    • “…you of little faith”

• Don’t worry

  • Matthew 6:31-32

  • Paul reiterates this in Philippians 4:6

• Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

  • Mathew 6:33

  • Luke 10:41-42 (Mary and Martha)

    • There is only one thing that matters!

• Why? Because tomorrow will have its own worries, and today has enough trouble of its own.

  • Trouble = kakia (κακία) - badness, malice, wickedness, evil

You Can’t Serve Two Masters

Message begins around 34:00

You Can’t Serve Two Masters

Dave Riddle - 8/28/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters…”

• Jesus in Matthew 6:24a

• “No one” = oudeis (οὐδείς) - not even one

  • Romans 3:10

• “Can” = dynamai (δύναμαι) - to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom

• It is impossible!

• “Serve” = douleuō (δουλεύω) - to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary):—be in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).

• “Masters” = kyrios (κύριος) - supreme in authority

  • Romans 10:9, Luke 6:46

“…he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.”

• Jesus in Matthew 6:24b

• It’s impossible for us to love (agapaō: ἀγαπάω - perfect unconditional love) two supreme masters at once.

  • Compare to Jesus’ comments about the good “single” eye from last week, Matthew 6:22.

“…You cannot serve both God and money.”

• Jesus in Matthew 6:24c

• “Money” = mamōnas (μαμωνᾶς) - Mammon - everything we pursue in life. Riches, treasures, dreams, feelings, idols. Everything that isn’t God.

• Joshua 24:15 - “…choose this day whom you will serve...”

Spiritual Astigmatism

Message begins around 34:00

Spiritual Astigmatism 

Dave Riddle - 8/21/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:22-23

“Eyes are the windows to the soul” - Shakespeare… or Cicero… or someone else

 “The eye is the lamp of the body” - Jesus in Matthew 6:22a

“The Evil Eye”

• Matthew 6:23

• A concept found in many world cultures and elsewhere in the Bible

  • Deuteronomy 28:54, 56

  • Proverbs 28:22

• A person who lacks generosity. A person who looks out for their own self-interest. Narcissistic, self-consumed.

• Matthew 20:15 - literally translated “is your eye evil because I am good?”.

The Single Eye (Healthy Eye)

• Matthew 6:22

• haplous (ἁπλοῦς) - simple, single, whole

  • haplos: bountifully, liberally

    • See James 1:5

  • haplotes: singleness. Subjective Meaning: sincerity, without pretense or self-interest), or Objective Meaning: generosity.

    • See 2 Corinthians 8:2

What Are You Chasing?

What are you chasing?

Dave Riddle - 8/14/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:19-21

The STUFF we love is temporary

• Matthew 6:19

  • The things we chase so fervently disappear so quickly.

• James 4:13-14

  • We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

    • Life is unpredictable!

  • Your life is like a puff of smoke.

• Psalm 39:4-5

  • Temporary, fleeting, gone so fast.

• Psalm 39:6

  • We rush around in vain, gathering possessions that won’t last.

What are you chasing?

• Dreams

• Money

• Possessions

• Love

• Happiness

Eternal Rewards

• Matthew 6:20

  • Store you for yourself treasures in Heaven.

• What are they? We don’t know.

• How do we receive them?

  • By pursuing Jesus.

  • Giving to the needy

  • Prayer and fasting

  • Being persecuted for Jesus

  • …all without seeking earthly recognition.

• 1 Timothy 6:17-19

  • Be rich in good works

  • Be generous and willing to share

  • …This is truly life!

• “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot love”. - Jim Elliot

• Luke 12:15-21

  • Are we chasing and hoarding the things that we cannot keep?

• Matthew 6:21

  • Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Examine your heart to see which treasure you’re really chasing.

We Can’t, but God Can

Message at 37:30

We Can’t, but God Can

Dave Riddle - 8/7/22

Key Passage: Mark 10:17-31

“Good teacher, what just I do to inherit eternal life?” 

• Mark 10:17

Jesus’ curious response

• Jesus tailors his answer for the question asker

• Mark 10:18

  • Jesus starts by redefining “good”

• Mark 10:19

  • You know the commandments…

    • He lists five of the six commandments that talk about our relationships with others.

      • He leaves out “do not covet”

  • Jesus knows this man’s heart and sets him up a little bit.

Really!? Wow.

• Mark 10:20 - “I have kept all these commandments from my youth”

  • He saw himself as a good person.

Jesus being Jesus

• Mark 10:21

  • Looking at him, Jesus loved him…

    • emblepō: to observe fixedly, or to discern clearly

    • agapaō: divine, unconditional, perfect love

  • “You lack one thing”

    • Sell all you have… and follow me!

      • Take up your cross and follow me.

      • Jesus knew what one thing stood between this man and his ability to surrender to Jesus.

  • Jesus see each of us clearly and sees OUR one thing that stands between us and our ability to surrender to Him.

A Poignant Moment

• Mark 10:22

  • He was dismayed by this demand and he went away grieving because he had many possessions.

    • Jesus offered him a choice and he chose his own desires over following Jesus.

The Hard Truth

• Mark 10:23

  • What stands between YOU and a full surrender to following Jesus?

• Mark 10:24-25

  • The disciples were astonished.

  • It went against their cultural understanding of blessing and favor.

The original question revisited 

• Jesus’ set up pays off

• Mark 10:26

  • “Then who can be saved!?”

  • “With people it is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God”

• Romans 8:3

  • What the law was powerless to do, God did.

Dying to Live

Baptisms at 14:30 • Message at 34:00

Dying to Live

Dave Riddle • 07/31/2022

Key Passage: Romans 6:1-11

A Provocative Challenge
- Romans 6:1

A Piercing and Passionate Answer
- Romans 6:2a - “Absolutely not!”

A Comprehensive Explanation
- Romans 6:3 - Identification

- Romans 6:4-7 - Dying to Live

The Triumphant Jesus
- Romans 6:9-10

A Parting Challenge
- Romans 6:11 - Consider yourself dead to sin…

What is Communion?

Message begins around 30:00

What is Communion?

Dave Riddle • 07/27/2022

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:24-28

Communion: A Jesus-ordained ceremony 

• Baptism is the other “ordinance” that we regularly practice

• Matthew 26:26-28

An Act of Commemoration 

• Remember

  • 1 Corinthians 11:24

    • Remember who Jesus is, and what he has done for us.

  • Exodus 12:2-3, 6-7, 12-14

    • A permanent statute

    • A lasting ordinance

    • Jesus fulfilled the old Passover and, in a sense, instituted a new Passover.

A Gospel Proclamation 

• Proclaim

  • 1 Corinthians 11:26

    • Communion preaches the Gospel.

An Opportunity for Contemplation 

• 1 Corinthians 11:28

  • dokimazō - to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not). To recognise as genuine after examination.

• Galatians 2:20

• Romans 6:11

A Way to Celebrate Unity

• koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation (the share which one has in anything), communion.

• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

  • One body (the Church)

  • One loaf of bread (Christ)

• John 17:9-11

A Cause for Hopeful Anticipation

• 1 Corinthians 11:26

  • “…until He comes”

• Matthew 26:29

Jesus Prays for Us

Message begins around 26:30

Jesus Prays for Us

Dave Riddle • 07/10/2022

Key Passage: John 17:20-26

Jesus Prays for Our Unity

• John 17:20-21

  • Not just organizational unity, but a deep, abiding, spiritual unity.

• Philippians 4:2

• Growth and maturity cannot exist in isolation from one another.

• Perfectly united just as God is perfectly united.

  • John 17:22-23

• Our unity is a priority to Jesus.

  • 4 times in this prayer

Why?

• So the world will know that Jesus was sent by God (v.23)

  • ginosko: to know in a deeply experiential way.

We have to care about each other.

• We have to show concern

• We have to be affected

• Our hearts have to break for each other

We have to be involved 

• we have to have relationships

• We have to be present

We have to accept one another

• We have to accept our brothers and sisters in Christ despite our differences.

• Unity in diversity

We have to contribute

• Our faith is not a quest for individual blessings and happiness.

• We belong together in the church of God.

• “The Bible knows nothing of an individual religion” - John Wesley

Ask yourself: “Am I an agent of unity in the body of Christ?”

Why Did Jesus Leave?

Why Did Jesus Leave?

07/03/2021 - Paul Trulock 

Key Passage: Acts 1:6-11

Jesus has dominion over everything 

• Acts 2:34-35

  • A footstool, a doormat, walked all over…

• Philippians 2:9-11

  • Every knee

The Real Thing - Our King and High Priest

• Hebrews 7:20-25

  • You have a high priest sitting at the right hand of the father who intercedes for you.

• Hebrews 7:26-27

  • Isaiah 53 - the messiah was innocent

  • Daniel - He will die a violent death

  • David - He will not see corruption

  • Romans 8:1 - There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ

• Hebrews 7:28-8:2

  • The work is finished!

  • The work is perfected

  • Matthew 27 - God tore the veil to signify that WE can now enter into the presence of God.

What does it mean for us today?

• Hebrews 10:19-25

  1. Let us draw near to God

     • V. 22 With a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.

  2. Hold fast to our Hope

     • V. 23 hold onto hope without wavering

     • Our hope is based upon a sure foundation.

  3. Encourage one another

     • V. 24 spur one another on towards love and good deeds

       • 1 Peter 2:9…

  4. Be in community

     • V. 25 - do not neglect meeting together

       • We can’t think ONLY of our own sanctification.

Why did Jesus leave? 

• He entered the Holy of Holies , to be crowned as king and to present Himself as our perfect High Priest

United in Christ

Sorrow Turned to Joy

Dave Riddle • 06/26/2022

Key Passage: John 17:12-19

• Kept and Guarded in Unity

• Kept in Joy

• Kept from Evil

• Sanctified and sent out on mission

Jesus Prays - Child Dedication

Jesus Prays

Dave Riddle - 06.19.22

Key Passage: John 17:1-8

What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer?

• Glorify God

• Submit to God

• Be United in God

Sorrow Turned to Joy

Sorrow Turned to Joy

Dave Riddle • 06/12/2022

Key Passage: John 16:16-33

You’ll see me in a little while

• John 16:16-19

• What is Jesus referring to?

  • Possibly:

    • His death and resurrection

    • His followers seeing him in Heaven after his ascension and their deaths.

    • The gift of the Holy Spirit.

Grieving People Transformed into Joyful People

• John 16:20

  • Joy comes from a transformation in our lives when we understand what God has done and is doing for us.

Joy and Pain From the Same Source

• John 16:21-22

  • A mother and her child

  • The disciples and Jesus

You Will Have Peace

• John 16:33 - peace

• eirene: a national state of tranquility, harmony, and safety. In a Christian context: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation

• shalowm (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם) - a very broad term that means health, security, tranquility, good condition, success, comfort, and more.

  • it has layers of meaning related to peace.

  • Widely used in the Hebrew Bible, shalowm clearly depicts a satisfied condition, an unconcerned state of peacefulness.

• John 16:33 - You will have suffering (distress) in this world.

  • Suffering/Distress = thlipsis (Greek: θλῖψις) - pressure (literally or figuratively). oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

In A Little While

• Our pain, distress, “thlipsis” is temporary.

Satisfied By God’s Love - Grad Sunday

Satisfied By God’s Love

Phil Woodman • 6/5/2022

Key Passage: Psalm 90

Psalm 90 - A Psalm of Lament

• Asking God for aid in overcoming calamity.

  • We are in trouble! Help us Lord!

• A Psalm of Moses. Possibly the oldest Psalm in the book of Psalms.

God is our refuge

• From eternity past to eternity future.

  • He is God and we are finite.

• Our lives are often filled with sadness and struggle.

  • Our difficulties stand out so much more than the good days.

The Turn

• Teach me to make the most of the time that I have.

• Have compassion on your servants.

  • God had abundant compassion for Moses.

Satisfy us with your faithful love

• The prayer of a person who has experienced this before.

• John 15 - abide in me. Be satisfied by me.

• Psalm 8:5-6 - he has given us so much more than we could ever ask or expect.

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Message Begins around 24:15

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Dave Riddle • 05/29/2022

Key Passage: John 15:26-16:15'

The Helper

• John 15:26-27

  • Helper = paraklētos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate. One who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor. In the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant

• John 7

• John 14:16-17

Jesus leaving was to our advantage!

• John 16:7-8

The Work of The Holy Spirit in our Lives

• Convicting

  • John 16:9 - Conviction of our lack of belief.

• Convincing

  • John 16:10 - Revealing the truth about Jesus

• Condemning

  • John 16:11

  • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

• Guiding Us in All Truth

  • John 16:12-13

  • John 14:26

What Does Jesus Say About Hate?

Hate The World?

Dave Riddle • 05/22/2022

Key Passage: John 15:18-16:4

The “World” Hates Jesus

• John 7:7 (CSB): The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil.

  • Compare to John 15:18-19

A message for those of us who don’t want to be hated.

• James 4:4 - Friend of the world = enemy of God

A message for those of us who enjoy looking for a fight

• Romans 12:18 - as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

We need to live in the tension between these two passages.

Expect Persecution

• John 15:20

• Matthew 5:10

  • Persecution is a blessing!

• Matthew 5:11-12

  • Rejoice!

  • A blessed inheritance

Hating Jesus = Hating God

• John 15:21-24

  • Jesus makes a claim of divinity.

    • John 10:22-38

• Why did they hate Jesus? For no reason.

  • John 15:25

Jesus sends help!

• John 15:26-27

• The Holy Spirit

  • More on this next week.

“Fall away”

• John 16:1-2

  • Fall away, stumble, be trapped

  • skandalizō - to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall. to offend

Outcasts

• John 16:1-2

  • Outcasts: put out of your religious community, academic community, social community.

    • Did it happen? Yes.

      • Acts 26:9-11 - Paul’s testimony.

Why do they do this?

• Because they don’t know Jesus or the Father

  • John 16:3-4

    • Jesus doesn’t want his followers to be caught off guard.