Matthew 1:20-23 (NLT) 20 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
“Jesus didn’t only come so that we could have a home in heaven but so that Heaven could have a home on earth!”
In his name, we have: 1. Residing Hope. “The same hope that Mary carried now carries us.” Colossians 1:27(NIV) Christ in you the Hope of Glory.
2. Sustaining Peace Luke 1:28–33 (NLT) 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Isaiah 9:6–7 (NIV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
“To have the peace of God, you must have peace with God.”
3. Everlasting Connection Hebrews 8:10-11 (NLT) I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.
Close: John 1:1-5 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 14:12 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
John 15:1–4 (NLT) 1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Jesus is The Vine
Colossians 1:16 (NLT) Everything was created through him and for him.
Acts 17:28 (NIV) ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’
The Father is the gardener. John 15:1–12 (NLT) “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
1. Correction Correction comes because we are doing something wrong.
“The Lord may affirm you in your efforts, but he will never affirm error.”
Hebrews 12:10-11 (NIV) 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
John 15:3(NIV) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Proverbs 12:1 (NLT) To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
2. Pruning John 15:2(NLT) He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
Pruning comes because we are doing something right.
We are the Branches: John 15:5-11(NLT) 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
He expects fruit. “We are the branches; our role is to produce fruit.”
A. The fruit of overflowing joy. B. The fruit of Answered Prayer.
C. The Fruit of The Spirit. Galatians 5:22–25 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
“Fruit is produced, not forced.”
Abiding in him: Remain/Abide/Dwell: “To remain stable or fixed in a state”
1. Trusting him Romans 7:4 (NLT) Now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
“We produce fruit by staying and not straying.”
2. Obeying him. Colossians 1:9 &10 (NLT) We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
3. Loving one another.
John 15:16–17 (NLT) You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
John 14:1–11 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
John 14:4–5 (NLT) 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going…
Where are we going? Misconceptions about heaven.
“Heaven is more than a place in the cosmos; it’s a place in the family.”
Ephesians 2:19 (NIV) You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.
How do we get there? John 14:5-6 (NLT) …So how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
“Jesus is narrow-minded.” Matthew 7:14 (NIV) Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“The way is narrow, but the invitation is wide.”
Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
John 14:5-6 (NLT) 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” “Jesus reveals The way TO the Father and OF The Father.”
1. Jesus reveals the Father's ways. A. The Father’s Goodness. Psalm 119:68 (NLT) You are good and do only good. Romans 2:4 (NLT) 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
B. The Father's Grace John 1:14, 16 (NIV) We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. …16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. NASV Grace upon Grace. Compounded grace. Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
C. The Father's Generosity John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2. Jesus reveals the Truth of The Father “If your truth doesn’t line up with the Truth, then you have a lie.” John 1:17–18 (NIV) 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word
John 11:17–26 (NLT) 17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
What is Jesus saying? "I Am The Ressurection"
“When encounter The Resurrection, our body will perish, but our spirit will live forever.”
"When we encounter Jesus, death loses its power over us."
Romans 8:10–11 (NLT) 10 Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
"The Holy Spirit is the escort that leads us to know and become like Jesus."
“And The Life”
John 11:32–37 (NLT) 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
God is emotional.
John 11:38–44 (NLT) 38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
“In Christ, we are defined by a resurrection moment.”
The Resurrected life:
Living Hopeful
John 11:26 (NLT) Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
"In the Kingdom, hopelessness is an illusion.” Isaiah 61: 3(NIV) A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Faith is active trust.
Hope is the joyful expectation of good.
“Hope is Holy optimism.”
1 Peter 1:3–4 (NLT) 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)… he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
2. Freedom 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT) Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:4–6 (NLT) 4 God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
References: John 10, Psalms 23, 1 Peter, Exodus 33,
John 10:6–21 (NLT) 7 "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 "The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." 19 When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. 20 Some said, "He's demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?" 21 Others said, "This doesn't sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
"Good" Ka-los: beautiful, good, desirable. Intrinsically sound and morally and ethically flawless.
Not so good shepherds. A. Vile shepherds, Thieves and robbers, false messiahs, and mobsters led the religious system.
B. Faithful Shepherds: Abraham, Moses, David.
"You don't have to be flawless to be faithful."
Romans 3:23–24 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
"There are no perfect sheep, only a perfect shepherd."
II. The Shepherd Heart of God John 10:11(NLT) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. Matthew 18:12–14 (NLT) 12 "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.
How does one acquire sheep? They purchase them 1 Peter 1:18–19 (NLT) For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
1. He died brutally. "Under the law, the sheep dies for the shepherd. In grace, the shepherd dies for the sheep."
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
2. He died willingly & sacrificially. John 10:18(NLT) "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily..." "When God became a man, The Shepherd became The Lamb."
3. He died victoriously. John 10:18(NLT) "...I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again."
"Jesus is the only one that ever defeated death."
When the I Am is you Shepherd: 1. Belonging. John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep…
Mark 3:13 (NIV) Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
"He called you because he wanted you."
Romans 8:28–30 (NLT) 28 We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
2. Knowing. John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep listen to my voice I know them…
"Proximity develops a discerning ear." 3. Leading John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." "Jesus doesn't just listen. He leads. His sheep don't just listen; they follow."
Matthew 9:36 (NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
References: John 9 John 10, Ezekiel 34, Jeremiah 23, Pslams 23
John 9:35–41 (NLT) 35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
John 10:1–8 (NLT) 1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” 6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.
Thieves and Robbers: “Many are more familiar with the voice of thieves and robbers than the voice of Jesus.”
The Abundant Life John 10:1–8 (NLT) 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Psalms 23:1(NIV) I shall not be in want.
“I Am The Gate.” 1. Access. Hebrews 10:19–22 (NIV) 19 Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
2. Inspection.
Psalm 23:4 (NIV) Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
“Jesus will never affirm sin because sin is harmful.”
“The conviction, cleansing, and correction of the Lord is his affirmation.”
3. A Family. Ephesians 2:18–19 (NIV) 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.
4. Security. Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. “We find our security and identity in His name. The I AM is the gate to safety."
Psalm 46:1–2 (NIV) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear…
Close: Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV) 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Revelation 3:8 (NLT) “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.
Genesis 1:1–4 (84) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
John 1:1–14 (NIV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light;he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 8 Sukkot
John 8:12 (NLT) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness,because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:17-19 (NLT) 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” 19 “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”
John 8:31–32 (NLT) 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:42–44 (NLT) 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil…
John 8:58 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”
The darkness speaks of 1. Absence 2. Evil 3. Deception/ Spiritual Blindness. 4. Hopelessness
The light speaks of 1. Illumination+Revelation Colossians 1:15 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. 2. Safety 3. Truth
“Light is offensive to darkness.” “When you close your eyes to the light of truth, you close your ears to God’s voice.”
John 8:24 (NLT) “For unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
4. Hope
Psalm 34:5 (NIV) Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
5. Guidance Psalm 119:105 (NIV) Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
John 8:12 (NLT) “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness." We Eat the bread and follow the light.
John 9: John 9: 5-7 (NLT) 5 While I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
Living in the Light: 1. Walk in the light 1 John 1:5–7 (NIV) 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
2. Stay in the light Micah 7:8 (NIV) Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
3. Shine the light 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
_____________________ Colossians 1:12–13 (NIV) 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
Ephesians 5:11–14 (NIV) 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
The call of Moses(Exodus 3) , The manna from heaven(Exodus 16), The feeding of the 5000(John 6)
“You have to get Jesus right.” “If you get Jesus right, you get God right.”
“I AM” Exodus 3:13–14 (NLT) 13 Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”
Self-existent: He simply is.
Self-sufficient. And all sufficient
Present: Not “I was, or I used to be.”
John 8:58 (NLT) “Before Abraham was even born, I Am!”
I AM the bread of life. John 6:20 (NLT) He called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I Am here!”
Greek “The I Am is here.”
John 6:25-36 (NLT) 25 They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Manna” What is it?
John 6:32-36 (NLT) 32Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven.My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.
Jesus was dealing with: 1. They wanted to crown him king. 2. They had elevated Moses. 3. They wanted another sign: “Signs point to something.”
“Jesus puts the Man in manna.”
John 6:47-51 (NLT) 47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
The Bread of Life, What is he saying? 1. He is essential
John 8:24 (NLT) “Unless you believe that I Amwho I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
2. He is sufficient YHWH Jirah. Provider. Genesis 22:14
Philippians 4:19 (NIV) My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
3. He is sustaining
4. He is substantive and satisfying.
“Cravings are nurtured.”
5. He is sharing life
John 6:66–69 (NLT) 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
“Bread must be broken to be shared.”
Luke 22:19–20 (NIV) 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
“Jesus, the bread of life, was broken to be shared.”
John 6:58 (NLT) 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”
One of the reasons many Christians struggle is because we don’t know how to manage chaos.
We will have trials.
John 16:33(NLT) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
“Your chaos is not your identity.”
We must remember: Jesus already won.
Championing Chaos
1. Words
Proverbs 18:21(NLT) The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Luke 6:45 (NLT) “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
“We must see things in the spirit and speak them into existence.” -Prophet Ron Campbell
Psalms 19:14 (NLT) “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
2. Prayers
“We should pray about our situation more than we talk about them.”
“Worrying isn’t praying. “
Philippians 4: 6-8(NLT) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.
“There’s a difference between a prayer list and a prayer life.” -Pastor Gerald Brooks
3. Community
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(NLT) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
At Overflow, we follow Jesus together.
Tale of Two Paralyzed Men John 5 & Mark 2
“As Christians, we function from a place of VICTORY.”
Solid people obey! Genesis 2:16:17 (NLT) 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
John 14:15 (NLT) If you love me, obey my commands.
1 John 5:1-3 (NLT) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome
Obedience reveals how deep our affections are towards God and people.
John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me
Genesis 22:1-18 (NLT) Some time later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”3 Early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told hima bout. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.”6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket, he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Walking in the plans and purposes of God for your life will often lead you out of the plans and purposes others have for you.
1. Obedience starts with trust. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) A man makes his plans but the Lord establishes His steps.
Disobedience is disregarding God’s established steps for my own plan.
2. Obedience brings on opportunities to doubt. Doubt cannot dictate our actions.
3. Obedience is always followed by provision. Proverbs 2:6 (NIV)For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
4. Obedience will always cost you something but will always result in blessing. Genesis 22:15-18(NLT) 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations onearth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Your obedience, or lack there of, will have generational impact!
5. Obedience requires endurance Romans 5:1-5 (NLT)Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Are you walking in your plans or His steps?
Do you trust Him? If not, why?
What does God need to do in you so that He can work through you?
Jesus reveals pretenders. 1. False Prophets Matthew 7:15–20 (NLT) 15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
2. The Pharisees Matthew 12:33–37 (NLT) 33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Words: James 3:6–13 (NLT) 6 Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring. 13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
1.Weigh your words “Sticks and stones will break bones, and words will crush the human spirit.”
Proverbs 29:11 (NIV) A fool gives full vent to his anger but a wise man keeps himself under control.
2. Keep your Word Matthew 5:33–34, 37 (NIV) 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne…37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
3. Watch your words Matthew 15:11 (NIV) What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.
A. Gossip, slander, accusation. Colossians 4:6 (NIV) Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt… B. Negativity and Coarse language.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up… Colossians 3:8 (NIV) You must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
C. Argumentative and contentious. Proverbs 20:3 (NIV) It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
Deed: Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1. Be humble Humility: thinking of yourself less.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
2. Be gracious & kind 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV) Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
3. Be excellent: Bring your best. Excellence is your best in progress.
The lens of identity: Colossians 3:12 (NIV) As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Mark 4:1–20 (NLT) Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The Seed is the Word 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Jesus is the also Word John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
3 Infertile Heart Conditions #1. Hard: Hardness of heart.
#2. Shallow: The shallow emotional hearer.
John 15:16 (NKJV) I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…
“Fast fruit is not always lasting fruit.”
#3. Worldly: A Focus on worldly things
The Process of Fruitfulness Mark 4:20 (NLT) The seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
1. Conception: Heard The word
2. Cultivation: “Accepted it”
Luke 8:18 (NIV) Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”
Maintaining the ground of a fertile heart: 1. Prepare the soil. 2. Protect the soil. Guard Your garden! Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
3. Fruition! Produced a crop.
A Healthy Heart Condition Heard it- Received it- Produced fruit- Reproduced.
Peter: Matthew 16:13–19 (NIV) 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
1. Peter Heard the word. 2. Peter Accepted The word. 3. Peter Produced fruit.
Jesus positioned us for stability. Psalm 40:1–3 (NIV) 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
Matthew 25:14–30 (NLT) 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Blame Shifting:
“Blame shifting is a victim mindset.”
Here, the blame was placed on the Master: Matthew 25:24–25 (NLT) 24 ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid…
Owning Personal Responsibility Galatians 6:1–10 (NIV) 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load. 6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
1. Develop a healthy perspective about God.
A wise master: Matthew 25:18(NLT) “Dividing it in proportion to their abilities
“A solid view of God will help you develop a solid relationship with God.”
Ways people see God: Santa clause, Darth Vader, ONLY ANGRY, The way we should see God: JESUS.
God is always Good.
Psalm 119:68(NLT) You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. The goodness of God doesn’t nullify our responsibility.
2. Take responsibility Romans 14:12 (NIV). Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
“The irresponsible will always have excuses.”
3. Maintain a sowing and reaping mindset.
“Fear hides and fear hoards.”
A. You reap what you sow. 3 T’s: Time Talent Treasure.
“The size of the seed is always smaller than the harvest.”
B. You reap how you sow 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
C. You reap where you sow.
D. You reap after you sow “If you want to grow it, you have to sow it.”
E. Reaping takes longer than sowing. Galatians 6:9(NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
“Faith or doubt fills the tension between seeing and reaping.”
Psalm 1:1–4 (NIV) 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
See Also (Jeremiah 17:7–8, Ezekiel 47)
Walk, Stand, Sit: A Slippery slope
1. Walk in the counsel of the wicked. “The slippery slope starts with going along for a walk.”
A. Influences/Voices
Offense is a trap, not a virtue. Proverbs 18:19 (NIV) An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city.
B. Counselor/ therapist
2. Stand in the way of sinners.
3. Sit in the seat of mockers.
“When we affirm sin, there is no need for a savior.”
--- 1 Peter 5:8–9 (NIV) 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
Psalm 1:2 (NIV) His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. “Our delight is Jesus & on Jesus, we meditate day & night.”
“Our thought leader is The Living and The Written Word.”
Mental Fortitude Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
1. Build a Mental Framework Colossians 3:1–2 (NIV) 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Our Framework: The Biblical-Christian World view.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2. Develop your Belief System
If an idea its not worth defending, its not worth having.
3. Guard your gates Philippians 4:8–9 (NLT) 8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
4. Advance the message
2 Corinthians 10:1–5 (NIV) 10 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Hebrews 12:28 (NIV) We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Psalm 16:8–9 (NIV) I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
The sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) Matthew 7:24–28(NIV) 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. *See also Luke 6:46–49
The Storms Proverbs 10:25 (NIV) When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Illustration
Storms are seasonal.
“You will face storms; the storm won’t last, but will you last?”
“If you get your foundation right, you can outlast any storm.”
Foundations “In being solid, our emphasis is not perfection but our foundation.”
A Foundation plan
Matthew 7:24(NIV) “Therefore everyone who hearsthese words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
1. Who Hears
2. These words of mine
“We have to get Jesus right!” “Just because its branded Jesus doesn’t mean its Jesus.”
1 John 4:3 (NIV) Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
3. Puts them into practice. Jesus calls us to follow him. Luke 6:46(NIV) “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
James 1:22 (NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.Do what it says.
Self-deception is a byproduct of disobedience.
Building a foundation 1. Take Jesus his words seriously. 2. Devote yourself to him and his teaching.
Get over yourself. Matthew 16:24–26 (NKJV) “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
3. Be authentically faithful
“Don’t be fake, be faithful.”
What are you building your life on?
Ministry: John 16:33(NIV) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
“His revealed presence is an expression of his dominion.”
Davids Significance: 1. David’s desire Psalm 27:4 (NIV) One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
2. David’s Vow Psalm 132:1–5 (NIV) 1O Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured. 2He swore an oath to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “I will not enter my house or go to my bed— 4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, 5 till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
3. David’s Prayer 2 Samuel 7:1–16 (NLT) 1 When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” 3 Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”
The Davidic Covenant:
A Great Name(v9)
A Homeland (v10)
Rest(V10, 11)
A Dynasty of Kings(V11)
An Everlasting throne/kingdom(16)
1000 years later… Luke 1:31–33 (NLT) 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
At the end of David’s reign: 1 Chronicles 28:2–7 (NLT) 2 David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, 3 but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’
Solomon dedicates the temple: 2 Chronicles 5:13–14 (NLT) 13 The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. 14 The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.
“When Jesus finished his work, the glory of the Lord filled His temple. “
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
Dominion that remains 1. Centralize and obsess over Jesus.
“The new life that God has planned for you is a supernatural work.”
John 3:3 (NLT) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (NIV) 17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When you are reborn: 1. A New Slate
Hebrews 8:12 (NIV) I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
2. A New Identity John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Colossians 3:9–10 (NIV) You have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
“You are no longer identified by your disfunction.”
3. A New Purpose Hebrews 10:20 (NLT) By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way…
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
John 3:16–18 (NIV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
2 Chronicles 20: 15-17 Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them and the Lord will be with you.
Before The Battle We See God: 1)Speaking to their fears 2)Be specific on how the enemy will attack 3)Reassure them 4)Call them to obedience 2 Chronicles 20:18-19 “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.”
2 Chronicles 20:21-23 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.’ And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped destroy one another… none had escaped.
During the Battle We See God: 1)Move in to fight for them
Their worship preceded their victory.
2)God completely defeats the enemy Things that can strengthen our weapon of worship: 1) Gratitude Psalm 22:32 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
2) Seeking Him
Are we seeking things from Him or are we content seeking just Him?
"We don’t worship God because we’ve gotten what we want; we worship God because He is what we want."
2 Chronicles 20:12 For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
3) Remembering Who He is
"Your circumstances may change, but God never will." Hebrews 13:84 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4) Revelation
Revelation 4:8 “Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty — The one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”’
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. How can we take Dominion over our emotions? Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! How can we take Dominion over our emotions? 1.Rejoice Always! John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Philippians 4: 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Vs 6 Do not be anxious about anything, Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Matthew 25 : 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Where is your trust at? Philippians 4:6 continues - but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 2.Have an Attitude of Gratitude Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 3.Meditate on Him Proverbs 23:7 For as he Thinketh in his heart, so is he.
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; Sow an act and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Philippians 4:9 - Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Matthew 7:24-27 24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 4.Build on a Firm Foundation
2 Samuel 6:12–19 (NIV) 12 Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty.
Praise that Dominates: Psalm 22:3 (NLT) You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. “God’s dominion is carried in our praise.”
Psalm 24:7 (NKJV) Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
1. Awe of God A. David was in awe of God’s greatness. B. David was in awe of God’s holiness. C. David was in awe of God’s goodness.
John 4:23 (NLT) The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
“God is not looking for worship he is looking for worshippers.”
2. Affection to God 2 Samuel 6:14 (NIV) Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
Affection: The expressive response of ones value.
Praise is a relentless expression.
Sacrificial Affection:
“Comfortable worship won’t take you very far.”
Romans 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
3. Arrangements for God 2 Samuel 6:17 (NIV) They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.
“A good host is intentional.”
Psalm 132:2–5 (NLT) 2 He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel, 3 “I will not go home; I will not let myself rest. 4 I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber 5 until I find a place to build a house for the Lord, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
2 Samuel 6:20-23 (NIV) 20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
“It is impossible to worship when we are offended.”
1 Samuel 7:1–2 (NIV) So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the Ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the Ark of the Lord. 2 The Ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.
The House of Abinadab:
Abinadab was passive and negligent.
“We can’t be passive with the presence of God.”
“We can’t be negligent to prayer.”
Abinadab failed to lead his house well.
2 Samuel 6:1–7 (NIV) 6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the Ark. 3 They set the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the Ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals. 6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the Ark of God.
1. The Ark was on a cart
Psalm 127:1 (NIV) Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
2. The Ark was touched.
“If human hands build it, they will have to stabilize it.”
Psalm 20:7 (NIV) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
The House of Obed Edom: 2 Samuel 6:8–12 (NIV) 8 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the Ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. 12 Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
The presence and blessing of God made Obed-Edoms obscure life significant in God’s Story.
A blessed home: The Ark of the Covenant represent s his presence and precepts. 1. Priorities. 1st Commandment No there Gods before me. Don’t expect your kids to honor and follow the Lord if everything else in your like you don’t value him. Deuteronomy 11:18–21 (NLT) 18 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
2. Boundaries. 3. Responsibilities. 4. Consistency. 5. Honesty. “Honesty is the hitch pin of healthy and lasting relationships.” 6. Honor: 7. Apologies 8. Mercy
Psalm 128:1–4 (NLT) 1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! 2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. 4 That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.
PHILIPPIANS 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. MARK 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side.
Joshua 7:1 (ESV) But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan …took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
Romans 5:17 (NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
“When we forfeit the fear of the Lord, we sin.”
Dominion Don’ts:
Don’t weaponize the presence of the Lord.
Don’t over-familiarize the presence of God.
Don’t trivialize the presence of God.
Don’t systemize the presence of God.
Don’t Monetize the presence of God.
1. Don’t weaponize the presence of the Lord.
1 Samuel 4: 4-22 (NIV) 4 Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. 9 Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” 10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
“Instead of being used by God, they were using God.”
1 Samuel 2:21 (NIV) 21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
2. Don’t over-familiarize the presence of God. 1 Samuel 2:12 (NIV) Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.
3. Don’t trivialize the presence of God. Matthew 15:8 (NIV) “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It is common for us to experience the presence of God. It’s sin to treat him as common.
1 Samuel 5:1–4 (NIV) 1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.
“The greatest Idolotry is “I” dolotry.”
“An idol is nothing that gets more attention or affection than God.”
God is breaking off the headship of self. John 3:30 (NIV) “He must become greater; I must become less.”
Joshua 6:1-20 (NIV) 1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.” 6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there. 12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! …20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.
Breakthrough perspectives #1. A Perspective Shift: It’s HIS Battle Joshua 5:13-15 (NIV) 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. “Our role is not to invite him into our battles but to join him in his.”
#2. A Promise remembered 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT) For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen.”
#3. Presence centered
#4. Patterns developed Their rhythm was obedience. “Fruitful only comes by being faithful.”
Psalms 18:25(NIV) To the faithful, you show yourself faithful.
“If we don’t stick to God’s process, we will never see the promise.”
#5. People to circle with.
#6. Praise precedes the victory. Joshua 6:16(NIV) “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! “In the kingdom, We have joy because we rejoice.”
“Praise is the posture of quiet gratitude yoked with extravagant exhalation.”
Psalm 67:5-6(NLT) May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us.
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Psalms 24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
The Ark of the Covenant/Testimony Testifies of 1. God’s Promise 2. God’s Presence 3. God’s Precepts 4. God’s Provision 5. God’s Power
Joshua 1:1–3 (NLT) After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.
Joshua 3:1–10 (NLT) Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.” 5 Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.” 6 In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.”And so they started out and went ahead of the people. 7 The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. 8 Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’” 9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. 10 Today you will know that the living God is among you…
Crossing Over
Th Jordan River: (Yarden)Descender/Flowing Downward.
1. Position Your heart Joshua 3:5(NLT) “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you.”
John 1:17 (NIV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Belonging to Jesus means that you are reserved for his purposes.
2. Carry The Presence 2 Corinthians 3:1 (NIV) We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“Spiritual Transformation doesn’t happen through self-effort and striving but by beholding the beauty of Jesus.”
3. Take a step. Joshua 3:15-16(NLT) 15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. 17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground
2 Corinthians 5:7(NKJV) We Walk by faith, not by sight.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
----- Joshua 4:6-7(NLT) 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across.’
Colossians 1:11–23 (NLT) 11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
Exodus 40:33–34 (NLT)…So at last Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Exodus 40:36–38 (NLT ) 36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.
Numbers 13:25–31 (NLT) 25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.” 30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
Numbers 14:1-2 (NLT)14:1 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained.
“The majority typically has a different opinion than God.”
“Fear and complaining will keep you in the desert.”
Conquering Fear: 1. Never forget what God has done. 2. Change your posture. (concerning fear.)
“Fear is failure to trust.”
3. Stop making it about you. “Generations will suffer if we are unwilling to confront our personal issues.”
4. Don’t forget whose you are.
5. Courage is not optional. “Courage will always confront comfort.”
1 John 5:4 (NIV) Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4 (TPT) Every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world.
Genesis 1:1–4 (NLT) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:27–28 (NLT) 27 God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it…”
Romans 5:17 (NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! “Jesus reclaimed the authority that we lost in the garden.” We are dominion agents.
The Ark of the Covenant: Exodus 25 Exodus 40:33–38 (NLT)…So at last Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.
Psalm 91:1–4, 10 (NLT) 1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.. …..9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you…
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
“His revealed presence is an expression of his dominion.”
Colossians 1:11–23 (NLT) 11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
“When we speak of Pentecost, we should think of an encounter with Jesus .”
The Holy Spirit testifys of Jesus. John 15:26(NIV) When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
We value Power: God is moving today.
John 14:11–20 (NIV) 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Acts 1:4–5 (NIV) 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:1–4 (NIV) 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:14–18 (NIV) 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
“Pentecost speaks of a second work.”
5 Blessing of being baptized in the Holy Spirit: 1. Connection John 14:16(NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocateto help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 14:26 (NIV) 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
2. Peace John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“If you are not at peace with God, you will not be at peace at all. “
Romans 8:6 (NIV) The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
3. Identity John 14:18(NIV) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
To feel abandoned is contrary to the work of the Spirit.
Galatians 4:4–7 (NIV) 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” “Conviction is not rejection or condemnation but affirmation.”
4. Power Acts 1:8 (NIV) You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
“The Holy Spirit is the gift that keeps on giving.”
John 14:12(NIV) Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
5. Leadership Ezekiel 36:27 (NLT) I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
Psalm 32:8–9 (NLT) The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
... Acts 19:2 (NIV) “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Mark 8:22–26 (NLT) 22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23 Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” 24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” 25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.
A personal encounter.
Did Jesus need to pray twice? Or was he making a point.
Jesus was showing us:
Healing doesn’t always happen the same way every time.
Sometimes healing is a process.
Jesus is not tied to to methods.
“Jesus has a billion ways to accomplish his means.”
“His nature won’t change, His standards don’t change, yet His process is tailor-made.”
He desires us to see Him clearly “We have to get Jesus right.”
Ephesians 1:17 (NIV) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
“Jesus does a good job of cleansing lenses.” Jesus gives us a clear view of Himself. Mark 8:27–29 (NLT) 27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.” 29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”
John 5:39–40 (NIV) 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
“You want sound doctrine, But if it doesn’t sound like Jesus, it’s not sound.”
Jesus gives us a clear view of the Father Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word...
John 14:4–10 (NIV) 4 “You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
John 4:6-30 (NIV) 6 Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well(Jacobs well). It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." 11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." 16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." 17 "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." 19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV)18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
When you move: Some things you take with you. Some things you leave behind.
“Most of the new things that Jesus has for us come at the expense of the old thing.”
Boxes
Hebrews 12:15(NLT) Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Staying offended is not virtuous. Luke 17:1 (NKJV) “It is impossible that no offenses should come… Proverbs 18:19 (NIV) An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city.
Colossians 3:12–13 (NLT) 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Mindsets to downsizing hardness of heart. 1- Pain serves us, we don’t serve pain. Romans 8:28(NIV) We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
“Scars speak louder of the win than the wound.”
Exodus 18:7–9 (NLT) 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
2- People are not the enemy
“As long as you see others as the problem, you will never be free. “
Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT) Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
3- Tenderness is our ally “The harder our heart is, the harder it is to get healed.” “Healing can take time, but time doesn’t heal all wounds.”
James 5:16 (NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” 4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” 7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” 10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!”
“How can dry bones come alive again?”
Vs1 - The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
How can dry bones come alive again?
1.Trust Him
"Stop putting your trust in things other than God!"
Job 1:20 - At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Vs4 - Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
2.Prophesy and speak life
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.
"If you don’t speak to your mountains, your mountains will speak to you."
Vs9 - Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.” 10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
3.Be filled with the living spirit of God
Zechariah 4:6 - It’s not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord!
Genesis 2:7 - Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
When the word of God is linked with the spirit of God, life comes forth.
Romans 8:11 - The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.
Vs11 - Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!” God is not finished with you yet. This vision is not just for the nation of Israel, it’s for you and I today. You may have some dead dry places in your life that seem hopeless, but God is not going to leave you as scattered bones across a valley. God doesn’t see a valley of dry bones like Ezekiel saw, God sees a marriage that you thought was dead reconciled and restored. God sees a child you thought was lost forever returning home saved and filled His spirit. God sees a dream of starting your own business that you thought was dead, but He sees a flourishing business making a kingdom impact in the marketplace. God sees a womb that you thought was closed, opening up and bringing forth life.
Philippians 1:6 - He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Genesis 15:6–18 (NLT) 6 Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. 7 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” 8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” 9 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 11 Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. 12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” 17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River.
Covenants
In response to what Christ did, we live sacrificially, offering ourselves to God. Romans 12:1 (NIV) I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1 (TPT) Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.
2 Corinthians 5:15 (NLT) He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
“Victory is not found in what we can keep but in what we joyfully let go of.”
Genesis 15:11(NIV) Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.
Vultures 1. Vultures are attracted to dead things. 2. Vultures are sneaky. 3. Vultures attract other vultures.
Vultures are the things that come in and rob you of your offering to God. Thoughts and emotions:
Vultures are not cute.
Distractions Habits/ patterns
Driving away the vultures: 1. Expect Opposition.
2. See your offering as valuable “If it’s not valuable, it’s not sacrificial.” John 12:24 (NIV) Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
3. Be watchful /responsible.
Matthew 26:41 (NIV) Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Leviticus 6:12–13 (NLT) 12 Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. 13 Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.
4. Keep Moving “Vultures are only strong when you are still.”
Close: Ministry
Galatians 6:7–9 (NIV) 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
John 19:30 (NLT) WHe said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Matthew 27:50–51 (NLT) 50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart.
Hebrews 10:19–22 (NLT) 19 Dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean…
1 Peter 3:18 (NLT) Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
Matthew 28:1–9 (NLT) Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” 8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him.
A New and living way: Romans 8:11 (NLT) 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
1. A connected life. Ephesians 2:12–13 (NLT) …You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
2. A different life. “Jesus didn’t come to improve your life he came to transform it.” Romans 8:37 (NLT) Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
3. An overflowing life
John 7:38 (NLT) Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
--------- Ephesians 2:4–6 (NLT) 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Before Christ died on the cross, he died in the garden.
1. Emotional + Mental Torment Mark 14:32–36 (NIV) 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch. 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
Mark 14:36 (NIV) “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Take comfort, beloved even Jesus wanted to quit.
Gethsemane: The olive press.
“Following Jesus means we must be willing to get in the press & deal with the tension of yielding to the will of The Father.”
Romans 5:3-4(NIV) 3 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
“We are tuned in the tension.”
2. Physical Torment Isaiah 52:14 (NIV) His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.
Matthew 27:27-31 (NLT) 27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
“Beloved, Our victorious Christ has broken the curse!”
Galatians 3:13 (NLT) When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.
The Crucifixion Matthew 27:31 (NLT)When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
3. Spiritual Torment Mark 15:34 (NIV) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV) 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Victory mindsets over torment: 1. I am loved and valued by Him. 1 John 4:9–10 (NLT) 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins
“The cross speaks of our value more than it speaks of our sin.”
2. He is better than I think. Psalms 119:68(NIV) You are good and do only good.
3. His plan is greater than my pain
Hebrews 12:2–3 (NIV) 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
John 13:1 (NIV) It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
Hebrews 4:14–15 (NLT) 14 Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Jesus, fully God, restricted his divine privilege and overcame sin as a man.
Luke 4:1–13 (NIV) 4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Trials/Temptations
Trials are seasons that we travel through.
Temptations are moments meant to derail us.
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
1 John 2:15–17 (NLT) 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for lip everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Temptation #1: The cravings of the flesh.
Pleasure outside of the will of God.
Luke 4:3-4(NIV) The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
Matthew 4:4 (NIV) ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Natural desires need proper parameters.
Romans 13:14 (NIV) Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. “You have to nurture your new nature.”
Temptation #2. Power in exchange for allegiance. Luke 4:5-7(NIV) The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
Temptation #3: Purpose without proper process. Luke 4:9-12(NIV) The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
“Satan will attempt to get you to bypass God’s process.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Satan can manipulate the word.
Psalm 36:9 (NIV) In your light we see light.
Remember in trials: 1. Stay rooted in the word. “Even Jesus had to use the word to have victory in temptation.” Every time Jesus used the word. Every time it was an attack on his identity.
Psalm 119:9–11 (NIV) 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2. This too shall pass James 4:7 (NIV) … Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
3. This isn’t the last test. Luke 4:13(NIV) When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
If you want to grow, you are going to be tested.
Close: Hebrews 4:15–16 (NLT) 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
“Overflow Church exists to bring people to an Encounter the reality of Jesus.”
Matthew 13:33 (NLT) “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
Our Values: PRESENCE: Every time we gather, everywhere we go. John 7:38 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
When we drink of Jesus, the river takes over.
FAMILY: We follow Jesus together.
HONOR: Up, down, all around. 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
POWER: God is moving today
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
“Miracles are our mandate!”
GENEROSITY: Blessed to be a blessing.
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: Different translations/ What I have found is this:
Without a prophetic revelation the people cast off restraint.
Without know what God is saying we run wild and end in demise.
Without the people, the vision perishes.
Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV) “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
1. Time Dates: March 27th: We will start painting, cleaning, preparing for us to move in. We will start scheduling contractors to begin some of the renovations We need in the kids area and auditorium space- BUILD THE HOUSE
The month of April
April 9th: Easter Service and After Party at our new home.
April 30th: Last service here and moving day!
May 7th: First service
Matthew 9:37–38 (NIV) 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
John 8:31–44 (NLT) 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” 39 “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40 Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” 42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does…
John 8:34 (NIV) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
“Anything you can’t say no to is bondage.”
James 1:14–15 (NLT) 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
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Genesis 4:7 (NIV) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
Genesis 4:12(NIV) When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” Sin will always leave us restless and wandering.
Galatians 5:1 (NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Romans 8:2–3 (NIV) 2 Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man.
The Yoke of Jesus. Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Taking the yoke of Jesus: 1. Come to me. An invitation! To be in connection with him.
2. Take my yoke.
“Every aspect of the ministry of Jesus is grace-filled.”
John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Grace gives us the power to say no.
Titus 2:11–12 (NIV) 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Jesus was yoked with the Spirit. “The same Spirit that rested on Jesus rests on us.”
Isaiah 10:27 (NIV) In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat. (“The anointing breaks the yoke.” -KJV)
3. Learn from me. “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart
2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NIV) 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
4. Discover rest.
Ezekiel 34:27 (NIV) They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.
3 John 2 (NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Healing Promises: 1.Exodus 15:26 (NIV) I am the Lord, who heals you. 2.Psalm 103:2 (NIV) Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. 3.Psalm 107:20 (NIV) He sent out His word and healed them. 4. Malachi 4:2 (NIV) The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
5.Isaiah 53:3-6 (NLT) 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
“Physical suffering for physical healing.”
Objections & assumptions about healing: 1. Somebody Sinned John 9:3 (NIV) “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
2. Somebody doesn’t have enough faith. James 5:14-15 (NLT) Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offeredin faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.
3. It’s not God’s will.
Luke 5:13 (NLT) Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
“He is willing to heal.”
Acts 10:38 (NLT) You know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Power: God is moving today.
Walking in Healing: 1. Believe Luke 12:32 (NLT) It gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
2. Nurture Expectation
3. Steward Health
4. Pray Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The Full Gospel: “We can preach healing without the Gospel, but you can’t preach the full gospel without healing.” Healing is a mandate.(MARK 16:18, Mt 28) Matthew 10:7-8 (NLT) 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
“Healing is a promise to us and a gift passing through us.”
Ezekiel 47:12 (NLT) …for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”
Mark 2:1-12 (NIV) 1 when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately, Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins....” He said to the paralytic, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
“When Jesus saw their faith….” Faith-filled friendships 1. Committed to community
Acts 2:42-44 (NLT) 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. “Isolation robs us of power.” “We follow Jesus together.”
2. Contend for breakthrough “Friends find a way.” 3. Carry weight Proverbs 27:6 (NKJV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Find Friends that position you to walk right.
What Jesus reveals Jesus: The 5th friend: Luke 5:20(NIV) Friend your sins are forgiven
1. Himself
2. Our identity “Son, Your friends are forgiven.”
“We discover who we are when Jesus reveals who he is.”
3. Our position “Son, Your friends are forgiven.”
4. Our condition & direction “Get up, take up your matt and Go home.”
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life...
Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all REFLECT the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory...
Matthew 5:14-16 14 You are the light of the world.... 16 Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his ways and the evil man his thoughts.
Numbers 6:24-26 24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Promises of wholeness: 1) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
2) Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
3) Romans 14:17 (NIV) The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
“Peace and Joy are Kingdom realities, not life occurrences.”
4.) John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“The presence of peace in your life cannot be outsourced.”
5) 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
John 16:33 (NIV) In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Bringing order to our soul: 1. Believe the right things
“Everything in the kingdom is apprehended by faith.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do you believe him?
Do you take him at His word?
What about what he says about you?
Matthew 14:24–33 (NLT) 24 The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
2. Say the right things Proverbs 10:11 (NLT) The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death
3. Do the right things Isaiah 48:17-18 (NLT) 17 This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. 18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
4. Pray about all things. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Ministry: 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Psalm 46:1–11 (NIV) 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8 Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
3 regions of the brain 1. Instinctual 2. Emotional 3. Rational
Matthew 16:22-26 (NIV) 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
The Kingdom Mind: A mind governed by the Spirit. Romans 8:5–6 (NIV) 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Luke 6:43–45 (NIV) 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
The Renewed Attitude. Ephesians 4:22–24 (NIV) 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
1. Gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6–9 (NIV) 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Gratitude is the guardian of peace.”
Luke 17:12–19 (NIV) 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
2. Dwell on what is true and good. Train your brain: Philippians 4:8–9 (NIV)8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
1. What is true: The word: Center For Bible Engagement: Those who read their bible 4 times a week.
Feeling lonely drops 30%
Anger issues drop 32%
Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
Alcoholism drops 57%
Sexual immorality 68%
Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
Viewing pornography drops 61%
Sharing your faith jumps 200%
Discipling others jump 230%
Feeling of loneliness drops 30%
A. Be Objective:
C. Be Hopeful:
C. Leverage the Imagination: 2 Corinthians 10:5(NIV) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
3. Pursue Humility. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Rick Warren Philippians 2:3–5 (NIV) 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in Humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:5 (NIV) You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalm 23:1–3 (NIV) 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul.
1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Romans 8:6 (NIV) The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
2. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters”
“The Lord leads us to rest as much as He leads us to action.”
3. “He restores my soul. “
You cannot have restoration without rest.
Psalm 43:5(NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
“The best you is the rested you.”
Mark 2:27–28 (NIV) “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Genesis 2:2 (NLT) On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. Exodus 20:28(NIV) Remember the sabbath by keeping it holy.
Rest is a command with befits.
The Practice of Rest Rest is a practice and a posture.
1. Divert Daily: Devotional rest
2. Withdraw weekly: Sabbath
3. Abandon Annually: Vacation
Our rest is in Jesus.
Matthew 11:27-30 (NLT) 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The Human Soul "You don't have a soul, you are a soul, you live in a body." 1. The soul is who you are: The seat of the mind, will, and emotions.
2. More than meat.
If we are merely meat, we have no meaning.
Genesis 2:7 (NIV) God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Matthew 1:21 (NIV) You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins."
Christ in the Crisis. There is the promise of wholeness and wellness in the midst of suffering.
Christ is greater than your crisis.
1 Peter 2:25 (NIV) For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
2 Paradigms of a Healthy Soul #1. God desires you well. 3 John 2 (NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Mark 5:24–34 (NIV) 24 …A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
She got Whole. Physically: The bleeding stopped. The Emotional & Mental distress ends. "Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
#2. Wellness is found in wholeness.
Our union with Christ. When we have union with Christ, the priorities flow easier.
1 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV) He who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Ephesians 5:30(NV) We are members of his body.
John 17:21 (NIV) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us…
John 14:20 (NIV) On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Romans 8:17(NIV) Co-Heirs with Christ.
John 15:4–5 (NIV) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Psalm 91:1 (NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Close. Psalm 103:1–5 (NIV)1Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things…
Luke 17:32–33 (NIV) Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Philippians 3:8–14 (NIV) 8 I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…12 Not that I have already obtained all this(The fullest extent of knowing Jesus), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12–13 (TPT) 12 I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. 13 I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.
Leave it all behind. 1. The Past: regret, sin, shame. "The only place our past is meant to hold is to be a reminder about the goodness of God."
2. Success
Don't allow your with history in God to limit your future in Him.
