John Lloyd - Worship

Strengthen Your Core Series

Worship: Giving God the Honor He Deserves

August 4, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Our physical bodies are made up of several core muscles.  If kept in shape through exercise, they will function properly.  God’s goal for followers is to make us more like Jesus.  This happens when we think like Jesus, CORE beliefs, act like Jesus, CORE practices and be like Jesus, CORE virtues.   We need to exercise our CORE in order to glorify God.  The journey of becoming like Jesus begins by thinking like Jesus. When we start thinking like Jesus, we are well on our way to becoming like Jesus.  Today, we will ask the question, “How can I honor God in the way He deserves?”  Worship Him! 

Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;  let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;  let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;  let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!  7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Matthew 4:10Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,  “‘You shall worship the Lord your God  and him only shall you serve.’”



Key Idea:  I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me.

Definition:  Worship is attributing worth to something or someone.

The spiritual discipline of publicly and privately worshiping God is one of the means He has given us to receive grace to grow in Christlikeness. Worship is the first spiritual discipline that helps key beliefs to move from my head to my heart.  Randy Frazee

How can I honor God in the way He deserves?

I.                Worship is ______________ on and ________________ to God.

Worship comes from the Saxon word weorthscype, which later became worthship. To worship God is to ascribe the proper worth to God.

95:1. He has offered salvation to us.  95:2. Everything we have is due to His blessing.  95:3. He is great and above all other gods. 95:4-5. His creation is breathtaking. 95:6 He is our maker… we are His creation

95:7 He desires for us to be His people and our Shepherd.

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  John 4:23

Things that enliven our worship and start revival in our hearts: (from the Welsh revival which started from the youth). Evan Roberts

1.     Put away any unconfessed sin.  Psalm 66:18

2.     Put away any doubtful habit.   I Corinthians 6:12

3.     Obey the Holy Spirit promptly.  Acts 5:32

4.     Confess Christ publicly.  Romans 1:16

Takeaway:  Live throughout this week as an heir to the kingdom, listening for His voice and obeying His Word.

II. Worship God ____________ and _____________________.

A commitment to worship God is a vow to be bold and unashamed of our love and devotion to him.  We worship God for who He is and what He has done for us.

A.     Worship through our ____________ of praise.

Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;  the horse and his rider  he has thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?  Who is like you, majestic in holiness,  awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

20Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Describing the modern culture, “they worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.”  Lord help us to cultivate the discipline of worship.”  Donald Whitney Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

B.     Worship through our daily _______________.

Daniel 6:5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward  Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

C.    Worship through our ________________________.

Acts 16:23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received

this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and the prisoners were listening to them,

If worship does not change us, it has not been worship.  If worship does not propel us into a greater obedience, it has not been worship.  Richard Foster

Takeaway:  I am not ashamed for others to know that I worship God.

III. Worship together in ___________________.

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Take Away: I commit to worship God with the songs I sing, the words I speak and the way I live my life. Dong this habitually will surely lead me closer to the great and gracious God of the universe.   Psalm 95:1-2

Revelation 5:9 “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Which one of these are easy to declare with certainty?  Which are more challenging and why? 

____I thank God daily for who he is and what he is doing in my life.

____I attend religious services and worship with other believers each week.

____I give God the credit for all that I am and all that I possess.

____I am not ashamed for others to know that I worship God.

Spiritual Growth Questions for August 4, 2019

(Take one question each day for your daily devotions.) How can I honor God in the way He deserves?

1.      Read Psalm 95:1-7.  What does the passage tell us about how and why we should worship God?

2.     Read Daniel 6:1-27.  What effect did Daniel’s bold worship have on the unbelieving King Darius? In what ways do you think our modern-day worship could have that same effect?

3.     Read Matthew 23:1-28.  With what behaviors and attitudes of the Pharisees did Jesus take issue?  (Hint: Jesus introduces each one with “woe to you.”)

4.     Read Acts 16:16-35. Why do you think God desires that we worship him when we are in a difficult situation? When was the last time you worshiped God when it might not have immediately made sense to do so?

5.     Read Colossians 3:1-17.  According to the apostle Paul, what was the centerpiece of New Testament worship? What attitudes and actions constituted proper worship? 

Discussion Questions:

6.     As a group, make a list of different ways that worship can be expressed to God.

7.     What about God’s character compels you to give him your worship?

8.     Discuss which worship song lyrics best describe your feelings about God?

9.     In what diverse ways do you see your fellow group members expressing worship to God?

10.  In what ways can worship become a heartless ritual?

11.  What can we learn from Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees?  How do we keep ourselves from making the same mistake?

12.  What has God done in your life that produced a desire to worship Him?

(Questions drawn from Randy Frazee’s Think, Act and Be like Jesus and Believe Study Guide)

Michael Porter - Jesus Is Supreme

Christ is Supreme

July 21, 2019

Michael A. Porter

Christ is central to the Christian faith. Jesus himself asserted this in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Because of this, the most important thing we must know about a person is what they believe about Christ. And while there are many passages that talk about the person and work of Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:15-20 covers all the essentials and encapsulates them in just three words: Christ is Supreme.

Below is a condensed outline of my much longer message on Colossians 1:15-20. Again, the big idea of this message is simple: Christ is supreme. This will be shown with the two points listed below.
 

Christ is Supreme

1. Christ is supreme over __________________. (vv. 15-17)

Paul’s Claim:

Looking first at v. 15, Paul boldly declares Christ’s supremacy over creation in a twofold manner. First, Paul declares Christ as being “the image of the invisible God,” meaning that in Christ the invisible God became visible in the flesh (compare with John 1:14). Second, Paul declares Christ as being “the firstborn of creation,” which illustrates Christ’s supremacy in rank over creation, much like how the firstborn son of a royal family is of a higher rank and privilege than his younger siblings. Collectively, Paul is making the point that Jesus is not only distinct from creation as the very image of God, but also that Jesus stands supreme over creation as the unrivalled firstborn heir to the throne.

Discussion Question: What are some of your initial thoughts about this grand picture of Jesus?

Paul’s Reasoning:

Looking at vv. 16-17, Paul then provides reasons to back up the claim he made in v. 15, particularly with respect to Jesus’ status as the firstborn Lord over all creation. Looking at v. 16, his reasoning is simple: because creation was made by Jesus, through Jesus, and for Jesus. Looking at v. 17, Paul drives this point home further by affirming by explaining that not only did Jesus exist before creation, but it is in Jesus that creation continues to exist into the future. That said, Jesus’ supremacy over creation is obvious.

Discussion Question: What difference does realizing the supremacy of Christ over creation make in the way we live our day-to-day lives? 

1. Christ is supreme over the _______________________. (vv. 18-20)

Paul’s Claim:

Following the same pattern as before, Paul boldly declares Christ’s supremacy in v. 18, and then gives his reasoning in vv. 19-20. Looking first at his claim in v. 18, we see that Paul shifts his focus from creation over to the redemption of a new creation, i.e. the church. According to v. 18, the church is not only a new creation, but it is so valuable that it is referred to as Christ’s own body! Moreover, this new creation was founded by Christ through his resurrection from the dead, and this further attests to his supremacy over everything – even over death.

Discussion Question: How might this passage be an encouragement to a believer wrestling with the question of their own worth?

Paul’s Reasoning:

Lastly, looking at vv. 19-20, Paul explains the basis for how this new creation came about. In v. 19, Paul reminds the reader that Christ was fully God in human form. Why? Because only God incarnate could accomplish what Jesus accomplished. And what did Jesus accomplish? Looking at v. 20, Paul explains that this new creation came about by the cross of Christ. The only way that true peace can be made between God and his fallen creation is by dealing with the penalty of sin – that is, death. Jesus Christ, the supreme Lord over creation, lowered him to the point of entering into his own creation as a baby, lived a sinless life undeserving of death, and yet died anyway as the ultimate offering for sin. Christ took the death penalty that rebellious humanity deserved, and by the blood of his cross, made peace between the Holy God and sinful humanity. So, Christ is supreme over creation in that he brought life out of nothing, and Christ is supreme over the new creation, the church, in that he brought life out of death. In short, he is supreme over everything. 

Discussion Question: How do you respond to all of this?

John Lloyd - Strengthen Your CORE

Strengthen Your Core Series

Introduction: Strengthen Your CORE

July 14, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Our physical bodies are made up of several core muscles.  If kept in shape through exercise, they will function properly.  God’s goal for followers is to make us more like Jesus. This happens when we think like Jesus, CORE beliefs, act like Jesus, CORE practices and be like Jesus, CORE virtues.   We need to exercise our CORE in order to glorify God. Today, we will continue to introduce what CORE is all about. 
 

Acts 14:21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

4 Key Principles to Strengthen Our Spiritual CORE

1. Christ  __________________.

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Philippians 3:8 What is more, 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.

What are the key beliefs of Christianity that, when embraced in the mind and the heart, create true change in our individual lives, in the church, and in the world?  

We will study God, Personal God, Salvation, The Bible, Identity in Christ, Church, Humanity, Compassion, Stewardship, Eternity and Thinking and believing like Jesus did, through the following lenses:

Key Question:  What life question does the belief answer? Key Idea: What is the most unifying concept of this belief that most Christians embrace? 

Key Application:  What difference does it make in the way I live?

2 Corinthians 10:4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

What I believe drives what I become.  The first resides in the head alone but the latter comes from the head and heart.

Think like Jesus

1. Others ________________.  

The difference between believing something as the right answer and believing something as a way of life.  The first resides in the head alone; the latter camps out in the head and the heart. Randy Frazee

Engaging in Biblical Practices:  Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Single-Mindedness, Total Surrender, Biblical Community, Spiritual Gifts, Offering My Time, Giving My Resources, Sharing My Faith. 

Philippians 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:5

What I should do?  What practices should fill my life?  

Act like Jesus

1.   Reaching ________________ deeply.

Thinking like Jesus causes us to be acting like Jesus, which then turns further to being like Jesus.  Who am I becoming? 

Ten Key Virtues of who am I becoming:  Love, joy, peace, self-control, hope, patience, kindness/goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and humility.

Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I Tim. 4:12, Proverbs 22:6.

1 Peter 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Be like Jesus

1.   Every person a _________________.

1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  Acts 17:11

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Acts 14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

Live like Jesus

Spiritual Growth Questions for July 14, 2019

1.  Read Ephesians 6:10-20.  Read two times.  What words and thoughts stand out to you?  What did Paul want the Ephesians to know and do?  Explain the value of believing/faith in our spiritual battle? (vs.16) How could you apply this to your walk right now?

2. Read Acts 14:21-23. Observe what Paul is doing. What principles is he teaching these new disciples?  What is he doing that you could do with someone in your network? Who could you help in this manner?  How will you do it?   

3. Read I Peter 4:10-11.   What is the Apostle Peter telling his readers?  How do these verses speak to you?   

4. Where can I serve that will strengthen the Body of Christ and my spiritual CORE?  Lord who have you placed in my life to share the Gospel of Jesus with this summer?   Consider the BLESS approach.

John Lloyd - Strengthen Your CORE

Introduction: Strengthen Our CORE

July 7, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Our physical bodies are made up of several core muscles.  If kept in shape through exercise, they will function properly.  God’s goal for followers is to make us more like Jesus. This happens when we think like Jesus, CORE beliefs, act like Jesus, CORE practices and be like Jesus, CORE virtues.   We need to exercise our CORE in order to glorify God. Today, we will introduce what CORE is all about.
 

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Luke 24:46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Ephesians 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,4:12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

4 Key Principles to Strengthen Our Spiritual CORE

1. Christ  __________________:

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  Galatians 6:14

Philippians 3:8 What is more, 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.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6.

What are the key beliefs of Christianity that, when embraced in the mind and the heart, create true change in our individual lives, in the church, and in the world?  

We will study God, Personal God, Salvation, The Bible, Identity in Christ, Church, Humanity, Compassion, Stewardship, Eternity and Thinking and believing like Jesus did, through the following lenses:

Key Question:  What life question does the belief answer?

Key Idea: What is the most unifying concept of this belief that most Christians embrace? 

Key Application:  What difference does it make in the way I live?

What I believe drives what I become.  The first resides in the head alone but the latter comes from the head and heart.

Think like Jesus

1. Others _________________:  

The difference between believing something as the right answer and believing something as a way of life.  The first resides in the head alone; the latter camps out in the head and the heart. Randy Frazee

Engaging in Biblical Practices:  Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Single-Mindedness, Total Surrender, Biblical Community, Spiritual Gifts, Offering My Time, Giving My Resources, Sharing My Faith. 

Philippians 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:5

Romans 12:10 Honor one another above yourselves.

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

2 Timothy 3:15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

What I should do?  What practices should fill my life?  

Act like Jesus

1.   Reaching ______________ deeply:

Thinking like Jesus causes us to be acting like Jesus, which then turns further to being like Jesus.  Who am I becoming? 

Ten Key Virtues of who am I becoming:  Love, joy, peace, self-control, hope, patience, kindness/goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and humility.

Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I Tim. 4:12, Proverbs 22:6.

1 Peter 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Be like Jesus

1. Every person a __________________:

1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  Acts 17:11

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Acts 14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

Live like Jesus

Spiritual Growth Questions for July 7, 2019

1.  Read Colossians 2:6-10.  Read two times.  What words and thoughts stand out to you?  What did Paul want the Colossians to know and do?  How could you apply this to your walk right now?

2. Read II Corinthians 10:3-6.  What principle is Paul teaching the Corinthians?  What is he telling them to do with their thoughts? Discuss why our thoughts are critical.  What helps you in this area? In what areas am I letting myself, my fleshly desires, or my ways, gain preeminence over God’s ways?  How can I exalt you more in my life? Pick one thing that you will do this week to exalt Christ?

3. Read I Peter 4:10-11.   What is the Apostle Peter telling his readers?  How do these verses speak to you?   

4. Where can I serve that will strengthen the Body of Christ and my spiritual CORE?  Lord who have you placed in my life to share the Gospel of Jesus with this summer?   Consider the BLESS approach.

Linda Carlson - The Road To Emmaus

June 30, 2019

The Road to Emmaus, Revisited

Luke 24:13-35

Memory Verse:

Luke 24:26-27 “ ‘Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Sermon Theme:

A dimension of our walk with God is Jesus walking with us. Jesus’ presence with us and His living Word have the power to open our eyes so that we recognize who He truly is and experience a new, transformed life.

Scriptures for Reflection: Jesus in the Old Testament

Some of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus would likely have referred to on the road to Emmaus are listed here.

Personal or Small Group Challenge: In the New Testament, you can find how these prophecies, made thousands of years before the coming of Jesus Christ, were exactly and precisely fulfilled. Enjoy the discovery!

Prophecies about the Messiah, Jesus.

Genesis 3:15 – the Messiah would be the seed of the woman.

Genesis 12:3 – The Messiah would be the descendant of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed.

2 Samuel 7:12-16 – The Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

Daniel 9:24-27 – The Messiah would come according to a timetable.

Isaiah 7:14 – The Messiah would be born of a virgin.

Micah 5:2 – The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Hosea 11:1 – The Messiah would be called out of Egypt.

 Deuteronomy 18:15-19 – The Messiah would be a prophet like Moses.

Psalm 110:1-4 – The Messiah would be greater than David.

Malachi 4:5-6 – The Messiah would be preceded by Elijah, the prophet.

Malachi 3:1 - The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger.

Isaiah 61:1-2 – The Messiah would do life-affirming, redemptive deeds.

Isaiah 9:1-2 - The Messiah would be the great light.

Isaiah 9:6-7 – The Messiah would be a wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

Psalm 118:25-29 - The Messiah would be acclaimed.

Zechariah 9:9 – the Messiah would come riding on a donkey.

Psalm 118:22-24 - The Messiah would be the rejected cornerstone.

Jeremiah 31:15 – The Messiah would be the subject of a murderous plot

Zechariah 11: 12-13 – The Messiah would be betrayed by 30 pieces of silver.

Psalm 69 – The Messiah would be the righteous sufferer.

Genesis 22: 1-18 – The Messiah would be a willing sacrifice.

Isaiah 53:4-6, 11 – The Messiah would be a suffering servant, bear our sins, and suffer in our place.

Zechariah 12:10 – the Messiah would be pierced.

Number 21: 6-9 - The Messiah would be lifted up.

Exodus 12: 1-51- The Messiah would be the Passover lamb.

Ruth 4:4-9 – The Messiah would be our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Jeremiah 31:31 – The messiah would bring a new covenant.

Psalm 22:1-31 – The Messiah would be forsaken and pierced, but vindicated.

Isaiah 53: 10-11 – The Messiah would not remain dead, but see his seed and prolong his days.

Psalm 16:8-11 The Messiah would be resurrected.

Psalm 2:1-12 – The Messiah would be called God’s Son.

Daniel 7:13-14 – The Messiah would be the Son of Man.

Numbers 24:17 – The Messiah would be the Star coming out of Jacob.

Genesis 49:10 - The Messiah would be the coming one to whom the scepter belongs.

Reflection Questions:

• What questions would you have for Jesus if you took a walk with Him?
  
  

• Have you ever felt like something was keeping you from recognizing Jesus? What was that?
  
  

• Were your “eyes” later opened? If so, what happened?
  
  

• What does the fulfillment of these Messianic prophecies in the person of Jesus mean for your life?
  
  

• Which ones are especially meaningful to you (burn in your heart)? Why?

Application 

You may have a different world view or belief system than the one presented in this story and wonder which is true.  Jesus is not averse to your questions, so ask away.

Or, you may wish to have a conversation with someone who has another world view or belief system than yours. We can learn from Jesus on the Emmaus Road about how to do this.

• Recognizing Jesus walking with us and listening to His words is where we must begin before speaking to anyone else about Him.

• We can ask gentle, open-ended questions to understand another’s perspective.

• When we listen to understand, it’s more likely someone will want to know more.

• We can talk about Jesus’ uniqueness and unparalleled life and message with someone who has had time to trust us.

• Only Jesus can open and change minds and hearts, and He does it in His time.

In his book, Jesus Rediscovered, Malcolm Muggeridge retells the story of the Emmaus Road.  He concludes, “On every walk, Christ came to tell us whether to Emmaus or Wimbledon or Timbuktu, there is the same stranger waiting to accompany us along our way, if we want him.”

Do we dare to add our roads and their destinations to this story and look for this stranger on the way, and invite him into our life situations?

Revelation 3:20

Jesus speaking: “ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.’”

John Lloyd - Growing In Our Walk With Jesus

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus

Colossians 1:9-14

June 23, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Today, we will look at the end goal of what it means to grow in our walk with Jesus.  Our prayer is that we each of us would bear fruit and increase in our knowledge of God. Keep abiding and abounding, PJ

Colossians 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

BLESS:  Begin with prayer, Listen with empathy, Eat with others, Serve with love and Share our story. 

 “The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deeper people.”  Richard Foster

I.               It is God’s will for us to __________ in our walk with Jesus.

Colossians 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Filled – to put into us as much as we can hold.  Knowledge – to know thoroughly.  Wisdom – Sophia - ability to direct our life toward moral fulfillment.

John 15:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

What helps:  I Peter 2:2 Pray for a spiritual hunger.  Joshua 1:8 Mediate on the Word of God.  Isaiah 40:31 Let this process continually bring renewal. John 15:5 Stay connected to Jesus.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

II.            May my walk be _______________ and ______________ to God.

Colossians 1:10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Walk – customary manner, way of life. Fully pleasing – the favor of God

Bearing fruit – to produce a crop.

Ephesians 5:10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

Points of Action:  Hebrews 13:21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Consistent prayer.  Lord, are you pleased with what I am thinking or doing? 

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Invite a trusted friend to walk with you on your journey. Prov. 27:17 Iron sharpens iron…. Eccl.4:9- Two are better than one.

III.           May my __________ help others see Jesus.

Colossians 1:10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 

Colossians 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

Strengthened with all power – power to protect, power to serve and endure because it brings us in touch with Jesus. 

I Cor.1:24b Jesus Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

His glorious might – the one who has power over death (Hebrews 2:14).

All endurance – capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances

Patience with joy – facing provocation or misfortune without losing joy.

Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Giving thanks – expressing gratitude for every blessing. Qualified- to make adequate. Inheritance- given as a rightful possession, what is possessed.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (Abiding)

 I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.  (Abounding)

Keep me abiding and abounding!

Communion Verses:  Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Spiritual Growth Questions for June 23, 2019

Opener: Share about a time when you felt the power of God in your walk.

1.   Read I Corinthians 1:18-25.  Circle words that you see as important.  What was Jesus trying to get across to the disciples?  Write the passage in your own words.   What application can you make in your own life?  What things does God want you to change and/or do?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.   Read I Corinthians 1:26-31.  Circle words that you see as important.  What was Jesus trying to get across to the disciples?  Write the passage in your own words.   What application can you make in your own life?  What things does God want you to change and/or do?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.   Read Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2, John 15:5-7, Colossians 3:16.  What is each verse teaching us to do?  How could you implement these verses into your life? With whom and how could you share what you are learning? What promises does God make to the person who implements this way of life?   

Four types of fruit:

1. Spiritual fruit of Christlike love, John 15:9.          

2. Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith 3. Fruit of spiritual gifts, Ephesians 4:12.                                                   4. Fruit of new disciples, John 15:16.

4.   Read John 15:8-9. What is your strongest area of “fruit” production?  What is your weakest area of “fruit” production? What can you do to improve your weak area? 

John Lloyd - Living Sent As A Father

Irresistible Fathers: Living Sent as a Father

Mark 1:9-13

June 16, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Today, we will focus on how to live sent as fathers and men and our sphere of relational influence.  Help me to be an irresistible father. Pastor John

Mark 1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

I Thessalonians 2:8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Big Idea:  Being a treasured son of our heavenly father lays the foundation for irresistible father/influencers.

How can I live sent as an irresistible father/influencer?

I.               Embrace my identity as a ___________ of God.

 Mark 1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

A.    Reject the loudest voices of ____________ identities.

_

Matthew 4:3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Shame - I am not enough.

Guilt - I have not done enough.

Insecurity - My identity is in me: how I look, what I do, or what I have. 

(I John 3:1-2).

B.   Internalize what God’s __________ says about my identity.

 Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Hebrews12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let your relationship with God deal with the need for man’s approval, appetites and the ambitions, and the from this world.(Matt 4:3, 4:5-6, 4:8-9)

II.             Let my _______________ flow out of your identity not vice versa.

Mark 1:12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

A.    Let __________ pour out deeply because we received it from God.

I Thessalonians 2:8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

Help me to be a vessel to remind my children that they are fiercely loved by God.  Help me to pass onto them the beautiful gifts God has given me.

B.    Let work be a ________ because my Savior is always working in me.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.

Help me to train my children in what is true and beautiful!  Prov. 22:6

11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Help me to model and encourage my family to a holy life. 

Live sent by embracing Jesus and being sent to those in our influence.

Live sent by recognizing we are a steward, not an owner.

Live sent by asking the Lord to help us know and understand the love languages of those in our relational network. 

Live sent by encouraging and developing the gifts and talents of our children.

Spiritual Growth Questions for June 16, 2019

Opener:  Describe a father who has impacted your life?  What traits did you admire?

1.    Read Mark 1:9-15.  Go through each verse, observe words, principles.  Consider what these words meant to those who first heard them.  Reflect and discuss how they could be applied in your life.  Repenting and believing is a natural response when the Kingdom breaks through into our lives. Why?

2.   Read Matthew 4:1-11.  Spend time identifying the nature of each temptation.  Why were these words so important to the disciples and early church?  How do we experience these same temptations today? Read I John 2:15-17 for help.  How did Jesus deal with these temptations?  What helps you deal with temptation?

3.   Reflect on Mark 1:11. “You are my beloved son in whom I well pleased.”  How can this truth help build irresistible fathers/influencers?  How does our enemy try and steal our identity? What helps you to remember who you are in Christ? 

4.   Read Hebrews 12:1-3.  Go through each verse, observe words and principles.  Consider what these words meant to those who first heard them.  Reflect and discuss how they could be applied in your life.  How did Jesus deal with shame? 

5.   Read I Thessalonians 2:9-12.  Discuss the characteristics of an irresistible father found in these verses.   What ways have you seen these characteristics passed on that have been effective?  How can you pass them to those around you?

Memory Verses: Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

John Lloyd - Living Sent At Work

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus:  Living Sent at Work

Colossians 3:22- 4:1

June 9, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Today, we will focus on how to live sent at work or school.  Living sent brings purpose to everything we do.  Living Sent… at Work, Pastor John

Colossians 3:22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. 4:1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

What does our work have to do with our faith and what does our faith have to do with our work? 

Big Idea:  Living sent at work/school means what I do and how I do it matters greatly to God. Make me an irresistible employee/student.

Review:  The following make for a strong walk with Jesus:

1.   Our relationship with God.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

2.   Our relationships with others within our community.  

    Matthew 22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as

    yourself.                                                      

3.   Our relationships with others outside of our community.  

  Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of                                                   

     the time.

BLESS:

Begin with prayer.

Listen with empathy.

Eat with other.

Serve with love.

Share your story.

How do I become an irresistible employee/student?

I.               Receive the ______________  ___________ of our Savior Jesus.

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.  (Hebrews 10:12, I John 4:19)

Trusting in Jesus and His finished work changes everything!  Irresistible employees begin by surrendering to an irresistible Savior.

II.            Allow the _________ to influence our attitudes about work/school.

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Genesis 3:17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it, ’cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;  (Genesis 3:18-19, Rev. 21:1-2, 22:2)

A recent Gallup Poll revealed the number one thing this world’s five billion working age people want. What the world wants even more than food, shelter, safety, and peace is a good, meaningful job.  Gallup June 9, 2015

God’s Imagination #1: God’s work is restorative from Eden to the New Jerusalem.

God’s Imagination #2: My work is just as much God’s work as is the work of missionaries and pastors.  The secular and sacred must never be seen as separate from the vantage point of a Christian.  

How could God’s kingdom breakthrough in my work? How could I be the  aroma of Christ at my working place? 

Irresistible employee’s mission statement:  Leave people, places and things better than I found them! 

Help me embrace my work as a mission!

III.           Redefine what ______________ looks like in your life and work.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Irresistible employee definition of success:  I want to work in such a way that people are better.  I want to work in such a way that every place I work is better.  I want to make everything I work on better for the glory of Christ.

I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Colossians 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Reflective Questions:  Am I getting better as an employee?  Who can I help this week get better?  What thing could I help make better?  What place could I make better? 

Prayer:  Help me to leave things, people and places better than I found them.  Help me to embrace my work as mission! 

Spiritual Growth Questions for June 9, 2019

Opener:  Describe the best worker/teammate who has worked with you?  What quality did you observe that made them a great worker?

1.   Read Colossians 3:22-4:1. As you read Paul’s last words to the church of Ephesus, what observations do you see in these verses?  What words stand out to you?  Why is Paul saying this and what is he hoping they will do?  Ask God to speak through his Word to your soul.  How does Paul encourage them to live sent?  How could this be applied in your life right now? 

2.   Read Colossians 4:2-6.  Carefully go through each verse: Write down key words and observations in each verse.  What principles are standing out?  Why is Paul saying this and what is he hoping they will do?  How could these verses be applied to a situation in your life right now?   Consider the BLESS approach.  Begin with Prayer, Listen with empathy, Eat with others, Serve in love and Share your Story.  How is Paul essentially using this approach to the Colossians?

3.   Read John 5:17, Hebrews 7:25, John 17:4.  Observe what Jesus is doing or did in each one of these verses.  Discuss how Jesus views his work.  What ramifications are there for us in regards to work if we are made in His image?  Pray about how Jesus could work through you at your work? Spend some time on question 4. 

4.   Consider this definition of success for your work:  Irresistible employee’s mission statement:  Leave people, places and things better than I found them!  Read I Corinthians 15:58.  Spend time thinking how you could apply this specifically to your work.  Who could you help make better?  What things could you work on to improve?  How could you leave your work better than you found it?

What does our work have to do with our faith and what does our faith have to do with our work? 

Extra credit in heaven:  Read Matthew 25:14-30.  Meditate on the parable of talents and reflect on the principle of development. 

Memory Verses: John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

John Lloyd - Living Sent

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus:  Living Sent

John 20:19-21

June 2, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Today, we will focus on how to live, as being sent, by reaching out to others both within and without our relational network.  Living sent…. Pastor John

John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Memory Verse: 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  (Also read Matthew 22:37-39).

Big Idea:  Growing in our walk with Jesus means we live as one who has been sent.  Living sent leads me to pour out what I have received into others both within and outside of my relational network.

Review:  The following make for a strong walk with Jesus:

1.   Our relationship with God, Matthew 22:37.

2.   Our relationships with others within our community,  Matthew 22:39.

3.   Our relationships with others outside of our community.  

BLESS:  Begin with prayer, Listen with empathy, Eat with others, Serve with love and Share your story.

I.              To live as being sent, we must receive the _______ who was sent.

John 1: 12 But to all who did receive (welcome) him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Believe- is written78 times in John’s writings, three English words to capture the meaning:  believe, trust and faith.  Biblical faith or trust is not primarily something we do, but someone in whom we put our trust.

“If you do not see a gift held out to you, or if you see it but do not accept it as real, you won’t stretch out your hand to take it. Believing in Jesus involves seeing Him presented as God’s Son, accepting that description as real, and simply stretching out your hand to accept God’s gift of eternal life. You then become what you were not: a child of God.”  Larry Richards

John 13:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

Romans 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  (I John 3:1-2)

“When you know that you are beloved by God, you can enter into the sufferings and problems of others letting them know that they are loved.”

Take Away Principle: We can only give out of what we have received.

The more we have received the more we can give!

II.             Living sent sees God in the ________________ of life.

Acts 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.

Psalm 139:1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!     2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

Take away principle:  We need to bloom where we are planted.  God has placed me where He wants me to grow and minister. 

III.           Living sent means voluntary displacement and ________ mobility.

John 21:18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”

Everything inside me is wired for upward mobility except the Holy Spirit has wired us for downward mobility.  God wants me to pour out what has been poured into my soul. 

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

Two tools needed: God’s compassion and gratitude

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

How can you be of service right where you are?  What is your ministry to others?  Where are you to spend your time?  Go to the place where people are in pain but go with others who have received grace and compassion.

Living sent brings great health to our walk with God!

Spiritual Growth Questions for June 2, 2019

Opener:  Describe the most missional person you have ever met.  What stood out to you as you spent time with them?

1.   Read John 20:19-31.  Make as many observations as you can about this text and its key words and principles.  What stands out to you about Jesus’ interaction with Thomas?  How did the disciples apply their experience with Jesus?  Where did Thomas end up serving God?  What is this passage teaching us about living sent? 

2.   Read Acts 20:31-39.  As you read Paul’s last words to the church of Ephesus, what observations do you see in these verses?  What words stand out to you?  Why is Paul saying this and what is he hoping they will do?  Ask God to speak through his Word to your soul.  Where could this be applied in your life right now?  How does Paul encourage them to live sent?

3.   Read Acts 17:22-32.  As you read Paul’s address to the people of Athens, what words and principles stand out to you?  What was the response from the group?  How can what Paul did here help us with our approach to people in our relational network?  What can we learn from Paul about living sent?

4.   Consider the BLESS approach.  Begin with Prayer, Listen with empathy, Eat with others, Serve in love and Share your Story.  Ask God for one person you could minister to in this way.  Share with a friend for prayer and support.  Spend time praying for whoever God puts on your heart.  How can this approach help us to live sent?

5.    Where is a place of pain that you could go to bring God’s love to those suffering?   Who could you take with you to minister together?  Make a specific time to do this and share what happens with a friend or your small group.   

Memory Verse:  John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

John Lloyd - Building Community

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus

Ephesians 4:11-16, 29-32

May 26, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Today, we will focus on how to be community builders in our relationships.

Ephesians 4:11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds  and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,  to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:29-32)

Big Idea:  Community Builders build community by committing to the whole process of building community.

pseudo-community, chaos, humility, real community

I.              God gives ____________ to his children to build community.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds  and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

I Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Mission Friends:  God uses believers in community with Him to build community for those without Him.

John 17:20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

I Corinthians 4:7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Reflective Question:  God, what have you placed in my hand that I can use to build community?  What obstacles do I need to remove?

II.            Community building will always include _______ and __________.

pseudo-community, chaos, humility, true community

Ephesians 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Philippians 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Philippians 4:1

A.   Show me how to ____________ every person in my community.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Goal:  Help me to speak words that make souls stronger.  Help me to put courage in your soul. 

B.    Help me to ____________ words that build community.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Words like these: You matter.  You are the image of God.  You are loved at your best, and you are loved at your worst.  You are uniquely gifted. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You are God’s child, the bride of Jesus, the vessel of the Holy Spirit, and an heir of the kingdom.  I see potential in you.  I value you.  I need you.  I respect you.  Will you forgive me? I forgive you.  I like you.  I love you.   

Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

III.           Community building creates a culture where gifts are discerned, _________________ and mobilized for the building of community.

Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Psalm 78:4)

Psalm 78:6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

John 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Ephesians 4: 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

It takes a community to reach a community!

Community building for God is worth it.

Spiritual Growth Questions for May 26, 2019

Opener:  Share a time when God used a conflict or a difference to help bring you in closer community.

1.   Read Ephesians 4:11-16.  Make as many observations as you can about this text, its key words and principles.  How do you think the Ephesian church applied these words?   How could you act on what is being said in this text? 

2.   Read Ephesians 4:25-32.  What observations do you see in these verses?  What words stand out to you?  Why is Paul saying this and what is he hoping they will do?  Ask God to speak through his Word to your soul.  Where could this be applied in your life right now? 

3.   Consider the phases in building community: pseudo-community, chaos, humility and true community.  Discuss the chaos phase and how should we as believers navigate through it? 

4.   Read Philippians 2:1-5. What was Paul’s goal for this community?  What specifically did he tell them to do to be community builders? Read Philippians 2:6-9.  What did Jesus do to build community? 

5.   Read the words below and ask God to give you one person you could reach out to this week that needs to hear them.   Share your plan with a friend who can pray for you.

Words like these:  You matter.  You are the image of God.  You are loved at your best, and you are loved at your worst.  You are uniquely gifted. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You are God’s child, the bride of Jesus, the vessel of the Holy Spirit, and an heir of the kingdom.  I see potential in you.  I value you.  I need you.  I respect you.  Will you forgive me? I forgive you.  I like you.  I love you. 

                             Extra Credit in Heaven Question

Read John 17:9-26.What part of this prayer stands out to you?Spend some time praying this prayer for yourself, for our church, for our city and for our world.

Community Message - Mead, Degerness, Rogers

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus

Community

May 19, 2019

Mead, Degerness, Rogers

I.          Hospitality

A.        Christian hospitality looks different than secular hospitality

Deuteronomy 10:19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Romans 12)

Matthew 25:34-39 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

B.        Applied Hospitality

 

II.         Fellowship

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

“One man is nobody; nor will poring upon a book in a corner accomplish a man as the reading and studying of men will. Wise and profitable discourse sharpens men's wits; and those that have ever so much knowledge may by conference have something added to them.” - Matthew Henry

A.        Fellowship with one another builds us up

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

1 Corinthians 12:26

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Making and growing disciples happens in community

Acts 2:44-47

 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

III.        Isolation

Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Proverbs 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

Wise Judgement = Tuwshiyah – all wisdom, sound knowledge, or

abiding success (which is the result of wisdom)

2 Timothy 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

IV.       Purpose in Community

There’s a reason why we don’t instantly make our way into heaven the minute we receive salvation. Because God has purpose for us.

Philippians 1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

A.        For it is in giving when we receive the most.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

All we do is for the glory of God.

“He who loves his life will lose it but he who forsakes his life for my sake will find it.” – Jesus

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Mother's Day - Sarah Jean Hood

Happy Mother’s Day

May 12, 2019

Sarah Jean Hood

When you think of a mom- what do you think of?

-comfort

-encouragement

-the lynchpin that brings the family together

-Hospitality

-preparing those environments where we can connect together on a

heart level

-Moms are connecters & gatherers

I.          Mothers represent the heart of community

Moms are a very important part of our society.  The idea of the matriarch, the center of the family world, is so powerful that even Jesus referred to Himself as a hen gathering chicks, to protect and guide His family

“How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

- Matthew 23:37b

Proverbs 31:26-29

26She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29“Many women have done excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

II.         Community and the importance of community in the bible.

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

1 PETER 4:8-11

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:15-16

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Acts 2:42-47

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Happy Mother’s Day!

John Lloyd - Prayer

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus

Selected Scriptures

May 5, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  Our relationship with God is first. Our relationships with other Christians are second. Our daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door is third. Hope you can join us as we explore how to be a fruitful follower of Jesus.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

2 Thessalonians 1:11To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

 “Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.”  William Carey Missionary to India

Big Idea:  Prayer changes me!

“Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.  If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives.”  Richard Foster

How can we do this as well?  How can we live this way in the restlessness of our current society?  How can I make space for God in my life?

I.              Praying is ______________ out to God.

Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;  2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

Psalm 77:1-2 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. Psalm 86:1

I John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Expressing our feelings and fears to God is an avenue for us to experience his unconditional love.  Prayer changes me!

II.            Praying is a continual ______________________ with God.

I Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Prayer versus prayerfulness

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

2 Thessalonians 1:11To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,  Romans 1:9

Take Away:  Present your whole thoughts to God both good and bad.  Ask him for help!  Cry out to Him. It is not so much what we think but who are we presenting our thoughts to.  God knows our minds and hearts without anything being hidden. 

William Temple noted that coincidences occurred much more frequently when he prayed.

Prayer changes how I handle people and situations.

Prayer is how God changes me!

III.          Prayer is ____________________ and __________________.

I Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 

Question is not should I pray, but when should I pray.

Matthew 6:6. Go to your private room, shut the door, and so pray to the Father who is in that secret place.

Jesus chose to climb a mountain, enter a garden, depart to the desert, or rest in a boat on the water to pray and listen to God.  Choose a place!

What do we do while prayer? 

Be with Jesus

Find a focus: gospel text for the day, sing a psalm or pick a verse of scripture and read it slowly. 

Expect distractions: smile at them, let them pass, return to your focus.

Write down things to be thankful for. 

Write down prayer requests and prayers. 

Give praise to God for answered prayers.

Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.      Prayer Changes ME!

What time, place and focus for prayer will you commit to this week?

Spiritual Growth Questions for May 5, 2019

Opener:  Share about an experience of answered prayer.

1.   Read Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22.  Why should prayer be not just asking, but listening?  Why is it so hard to make time to listen to God?

2.   Read Psalm 22:1-2, 77:1-2 and Psalm 139:1-4.  Observe and circle key words in these verses.   What did these verses mean to the original audience?  Paraphrase them in your own words.  What is the psalmist teaching us about expressing our real thoughts to God?  How can it help us to know that God wants us to express these thoughts to Him through prayer? 

3.   What parts of your life are you tempted to hide from God? What thoughts could you offer to God right now?  Stop and take a moment and offer them to God as a conversational prayer.

4.   Read Luke 18:9-14.  Observe and circle key words in these verses.   What did these verses mean to the original audience?  Paraphrase them in your own words.  How could this passage be applied to your life?  How can it be applied to those you minister to?

5.   Read Matthew 6:5-14.  Observe and circle key words in these verses.   What did these verses mean to the original audience?  Paraphrase them in your own words.  How could this passage be applied to your life?  How can it be applied to those you minister to?

Assignment:  What time, place and focus for prayer will you commit to this week?  Share your plan with a friend.

John Lloyd - Abiding With God

Growing in Our Walk with Jesus

Matthew 22:37-39

April 28, 2019

Pastor John Lloyd

Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going?  How could it improve?  First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Hope you can join us for the next six weeks as we explore how to be a fruitful follower of Jesus.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deeper people.”  Richard Foster

“Discipleship means living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ and His people, growing in conformity to His image, and helping others to know and become like Jesus.”  Mike Wilkins

I.               Strong relationships with God begin with ______________.

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  Psalm 63:1

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Reflective questions:  What is it that is ruling my life?  Is the ruler of my life keeping you from God?  How is my walk with God? 

John 4:14 “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

A.   _____________ from destructive habits does not come by willpower.

Colossians 2:23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Colossians 2:21-22

Romans 7:23 But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

“As soon as you resist mentally any undesirable or unwanted circumstance, you thereby endow it with more power- power which it will use against you and you will have depleted your own resources to at exact extent.”  Fox

“As long as we think we can save ourselves by our own willpower, we will only make the evil in us stronger than ever.”  Heini Arnold

Declaration:  God I cannot save myself! I need your Spirit’s help in my life!  I will put my life in a place where God can change me from the inside out.

B.   Place my life in the soil of Jesus by ________________ in Christ.

Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”   (Hebrews 12:15) “Being bitter is a harder path than being filled with grace and joy.” 

Commitment: Placing myself in God’s soil will allow Him to work His life and deliverance in my soul.

II.             Learn to detach from this world and ________ to God’s kingdom.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 1:2 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 that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Some suggestions:  1. Slow down 2. Conviction of its importance. 3. Quiet place, no distractions.   4. Start with 5 to 10 minutes. 5. Read Luke 2:19 take one Scripture treasure it… ponder it in your heart.  6. Write down the scripture and try it for 3 times one day… Live with your chosen text for the day.  Murmur it. Memorize it. Pray it. Say it. Share it.

Reflective question:  What is it that keeps me from strengthening my relationship with Jesus?   Repent and believe….  Call it out, call upon!

“Only to sit and think of God, Oh what a joy it is!

To think the thought, to breathe the name Earth has no higher bliss.”  Frederick Faber

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Spiritual Growth Questions for April 28, 2019

Opener: Describe a time of spiritual growth in your life?  What stands out as causes of this growth.

1.   Read John 15:1-5 three times slowly.  Circle words you see as important.  What was Jesus trying to get across to the disciples?  Write the passage in your own words.   What application can you make in your own life?  What things does God want you to change or do?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.   Read the following Scriptures and note what they teach about discipleship:  Luke 2:52 __________________________________

Luke 6:40_____________________________________________

Galatians 4:19 _________________________________________

2 Corinthians 3:18 ______________________________________

Romans 8:29 __________________________________________

From these passages, what is God’s plan or goal for your life?

3.   Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind.  Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it.  Two ideas are radically different.  It’s not just detachment, but attachment.  Read the following Scriptures and discuss the value of meditating on the Word of God.

Read Psalm 1:2, 63:6, 119:148, Joshua 1:8. Discuss what each verse says about meditating upon God’s Word.  What steps can you take to strengthen your walk with God?  Ask a friend to pray with you.

Four types of fruit: 

1. Spiritual fruit of Christlike love: John 15:9.          

2. Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith

3. Fruit of spiritual gift: Ephesians 4:12.

4. Fruit of new disciples: John 15:16.

4.   Read John 15:8-9. What is your strongest area of “fruit” production?  What is your weakest area of “fruit” production? What can you do to improve your weak area? 

Easter Sunday

Because Jesus Lives:  It Changes Everything

Selected Scriptures

Pastor John Lloyd

April 21, 2019  Resurrection Sunday

Luke 24: 44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance and  forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name

John 14:19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”



Big Idea:   Because Jesus lives, it changes everything!

I.              Why we ________________ Jesus lives.

Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.  Luke 24:44-47 I Cor. 15:13

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said: if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?  The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”  Tim Keller

1.   Jesus’ appearances  I Corinthians 15:5-8

2.   The changes in the disciples lives  (They became willing to die) (Acts 5:28-30)

3.   The empty tomb  (Matthew 28:6-7)

4.   Early proclamation of the Message.  (Acts 2:22-32)

5.   Conversion of James. (John 7:5, Acts 1:3, 15:13)

6.   Conversion of Paul.  (Acts 9:4-5)

7.   Changed lives here today!

Prayer:  Lord please open my mind and soul to understand what you have done, what you are doing, and what you would like to do in my life.

II.            Because He lives, supernatural ________________ are available.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus [4] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Ephesians 3:16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,

Power over sinful destructive habits (Romans 6:6 &11)

Power to love anyone, even enemies (Romans 5:5, Matthew 5:44)

Power to pray with power (Romans 8:26)

Power to give new life (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Power to forgive (Luke 23:34, Ephesians 4:32)

Power to be restored (John 21:17)

“But resurrection is not just consolation-it is restoration.  We get I all back-the love, the loved ones, the good, the beauties of this life—but in new, unimaginable degrees of glory and joy and strength.” Keller

III.          Because He lives,  ____________ is conquered.

Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, (2 Tim.1:10)

I Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

“The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all his people.  Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence.  Easter says you put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise.” Clarence Hall. (Isaiah 25:8, Psalm 16:10)

Matthew 28:6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  Philippians 3:10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death,

Reflection:  What do I believe about the resurrection?  Where do I need resurrection power in my life?  Am I willing to yield control of my life to Jesus?

IV.           Because He lives, I must __________ this good news with others.

John 9:25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit..

Romans 10:9 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 11:27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Because He lives, any life can be transformed!

More Resurrection Passages for reflection this week:

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

I Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

Romans 4:25 Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Romans 1:4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

2 Corinthians 1:21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 

Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades

The Faithfulness of God / Prophecies of Christ

The Greatness of God and His Faithfulness

Selected Passages

Pastor John Lloyd

Sean Degerness, Rodrigo Burgos, Evan Rogers

April 7, 2019

Can I trust God with my life?  How do I know His Word is true?  Can I trust His Word for my life and situation?  How do I know Jesus is the Messiah? Today, our team will demonstrate the faithfulness of God to fulfill His promises about His Son Jesus.  God is faithful!

Psalm 33:4 For the Word of the Lord is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness.

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalm 119:90  Your faithfulness continues through all generations.

2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Lamentations 3:23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Big Idea: God fulfills His promises!   Remembering His past faithfulness brings strength for the present and hope for the future.



I.              God faithfully fulfilled his promises about the _________________ and ____________ of Jesus. 

Genesis 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (fulfilled in Luke 1:33-34)

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (fulfilled in Matthew 1:21-23)

Micah 5:2   But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (fulfilled in Matthew 2:6)

I remember God’s faithfulness to send the promised Messiah.

II.            God fulfilled His promises about the __________ and ________________ of Jesus.

Zechariah 11: 12Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. (fulfilled in Matthew 27:7-10)

Psalm 41:9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.  (fulfilled in John 13:28-30)

Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Psalm 118:22  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Jesus shared it again Luke 20:17-18, fulfilled in Acts 4:11)

I remember God’s faithfulness to Jesus in his most difficult times.  Jesus will help me through my difficulties.

III.           God fulfilled His promises in the ____________ of Jesus.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. (fulfilled in Mt.26:63)

Micah 5:1  Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.

Isaiah 50:6  I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. (fulfilled in Matthew 26:67)

Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; (fulfilled in Matthew 27;39-43)

Psalm 22:18 They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. (fulfilled in Matthew 27:35)

Psalm 69:21  They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. (Matthew 27:34 & 48)

Psalm 34:20  He keeps all his bones;  not one of them is broken. (fulfilled in John 19:33)

Zechariah 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.  (John 19:37)

I remember God’s faithfulness in the smallest details of our Savior’s death.  Jesus knows what I need and will provide strength and grace.

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 2 Tim.2:13

Lamentations 3:23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Remember God is faithful!

Spiritual Growth Questions for week of April 7, 2019

Opener:  What is the most trustworthy possession you have ever owned? 

1.   What helps you to logically understand the Bible's truths? Is it science? Is it historical records?"

2.   Read the genealogy/bloodline of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17.  How do you see God’s faithfulness in this genealogy?  Who in particular stands out as an example of God’s faithfulness?

3.   Read Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:6. Consider that Micah wrote this at least seven hundred years before the birth of Christ.  Read Acts 17:26-27.  What does this say about God’s providence in reference to where we are living right now?  How does that encourage you?

4.   Read Zechariah 11:12-13 and Psalm 41:9.  What do the verses teach about the betrayal of Jesus?  Read John 15:20.  What does Jesus teach about betrayal?  How was God faithful to Jesus through the trial of betrayal?  What helps you when you have walked through a deep trial like betrayal?

5.   Read Isaiah 50:6, Psalm 22:5 &18 and Psalm 34:20.  What was prophesied in each one of these verses?  What stands out to you about these prophecies?

6.   Read Matthew 27:34-43 &48.  Why are the details of Jesus’ suffering so important for our faith?  How do they demonstrate God’s faithfulness to us? 

7.   Ask God to prepare your heart for these next two weeks as we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Memory Verses: Lamentations 3:23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

John Lloyd - Renewed Strength

The Greatness of God:  A Study of Isaiah 40

Renewed Strength from our Great God

Pastor John Lloyd

March 31, 2019

The name Isaiah literally means ‘the Lord saves.’  He saves us for eternity and helps us with our daily challenges.  Our passage today gives us a view of our God who never gets weary or faint.  He is ready to renew the strength of any weary follower who comes to Him. 

Passage:  Isaiah 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;  31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Big Idea: My emptiness or weariness is an opportunity to be filled with the fullness and strength of God.    



I.               The trials of this life bring ________________ and ___________________.

Isaiah 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Disregarded – passed over, to be alienated

Isaiah 40:30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. 

“By what means Satan first drew mankind from the obedience of God, the Scripture doth witness: To wit, by pouring into their hearts that poison, that God did not love them.” John Knox

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you;

yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Ezekiel 37:11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’

Declaration:  As long as I live on this earth, I am no match for the demands of this life.

Commitment:  I will seek God when I’m weary, faint or tired.

II.            My faith is rooted in the __________________ of our God.

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

A.    God is _____________________.

B.    God is the ______________ of everything.

C.   God does not get __________.

D.   God _____________________ my situation.

God does not suffer setbacks, and he helps those who do.  ESV Study Bible

“The wrong inference would be that God is too great to care, the right one He is too great to fail,” D.A. Carson.  Colossians 2:6-8

I John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Declaration:  I know God understands and cares for me.

Commitment:  I will humbly accept that I am a beloved child of God.

Prayer:  Lead me to walk with someone who is weary. 

III.          Trusting God’s promises gives ____________ for endurance.

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength

no might … increaseth strength—a seeming paradox. They “have no might” in themselves; but in Him they have strength, and He “increases” that strength (2 Co 12:9).

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  Exodus 19:4

Wait –  to live in confident, eager suspense. It means to live with the tension of promises revealed but not yet fulfilled.  It is waiting on tip-toe, waiting with eager longing.

The phrase renew their strength (31) is (lit.) ‘change strength’, as one might change into fresh clothes or exchange an old thing for a new.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

“I can plod,” said William Carey, the father of modern missions. “That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”  2 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 1:20

Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.  Hebrews 11:35-38

Hebrews 11:39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

Declaration:  God can bring strength to my soul in the midst of weariness.

Commitment:  I will live in expectation of God to renew my strength.

Spiritual Growth Questions for week of March 31, 2019

1.   Read Isaiah 40:27-31.  Read it slowly several times.  Ask God to speak to you through this passage.  What verse stood out?  Why?

2.   Read Isaiah 40:27.  Why was life so hard for the people of Judah?  Why do you think life is difficult on this earth for believers?  What is draining your strength at this time?

3.   Read Isaiah 40:28.  Isaiah shares four things about who God is and what He is like.  What are they?  How can each one of them bring strength to our hearts? Who could you encourage with these truths?

4.   Read Colossians 2:6-10.  How does Paul hope the Colossian’s faith will be?  What concerns him about their walk?  What does he tell them to do?

5.   Read Isaiah 40:30, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.  What principle can you take away from these verses about natural strength?  Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.  Why does Paul share his personal struggles with the Corinthians?  How does this encourage you in your situation?

6.   Read Isaiah 40:29 & 31.  What is God able to do?  What does it mean to “wait” on the Lord?  What is one thing you can commit to doing this week to wait on the Lord?  Share it with a friend.

Memory Verse: Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Chuck Wysong - The Most Encouraging Chapter In The Bible

THE MOST ENCOURAGING CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE

Romans 8

Chuck Wysong

March 24, 2019

5 Encouraging statements in Romans 8

1.     There is NO CONDEMNATION..

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Paul’s key phrase to describe Christians - “In Christ Jesus” 164 times in the NT

“God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

2. There is NO LIMITATION.

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

Romans 8:5-6 NLT

The Key to Victory in your Life - is YOUR MIND.

“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.”

Romans 8:11 NLT

3. There is NO DESPERATION.

You can rely on hope if you do 3 things..

•    You rely on God’s Promise

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18 NLT

•    You can rely on God’s prayers.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

Romans 8:26 NLT

•            You can rely on God’s Purposes.

 And we know that in all things, he doesn't say for all things, he says in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose . Romans 8:28.                                                                                                                                                         

4. There is  NO INTIMIDATION.

““What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” Romans 8:31-34 NLT

5. There is NO SEPARATION.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

John Lloyd - No Comparison

The Greatness of God:  A Study of Isaiah 40

No Comparisons:  God is Greater

Pastor John Lloyd

March 17, 2019

The name Isaiah literally means ‘the Lord saves.’  He saves us for eternity and helps us with our daily challenges.  Our passage today gives us a view of God from His viewpoint.  As we see Him from this viewpoint, it changes everything!  God’s wisdom and power are greater than all my possessions.   Nothing on this earth can compare to God and the blessings He brings to his children.

Passage:  Isaiah 40:12-26

Big Idea:  Help me view God and my life from His viewpoint. 



Declarations about God’s greatness:

I.                God’s ______________ is greater than mine.

Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure  and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?  13 Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? 14 Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

Erwin Lutzer “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?”  God has never learned anything, and he never will.  So no human being can teach God a thing. 

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Proverbs 8:10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.  James 1:5

God’s footsteps cannot be tracked by human reason- man cannot follow his train of thought. 

My declaration to God: I need your wisdom in my life.

My commitment to God:  I will seek your wisdom daily.

II.             God is greater than the __________________ nations and rulers.

Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. (Isaiah 41:2, Job 12:21, Ps. 107:40)

Ps. 107:43:  Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 2 Corinthians 12:9

       My declaration: I trust and need the power of God.

My commitment:  I will ask for God’s help and power.

III.             God is greater than my most beautiful _____________________.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. 20 He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.  (Acts 17:29)

Isaiah 46:2 They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.  (Isaiah 46:3)

Isaiah 46:4 even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.  Isaiah 46:12-13

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

I Corinthians 4:2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

I Corinthians 4:7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Declaration: God owns everything and I yield my possessions to Him.

Commitment:  I will be a steward, not owner, of what He’s given me.

IV.          God ____________ me and ___________ me with my challenges.

Isaiah 40:25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.  26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?  He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Declaration: I believe Jesus cares about me.  I ask Him to save me.

Commitment:  I will seek His healing and help for my challenges.

Spiritual Growth Questions for week of March 17, 2019

1.    Read Isaiah 40:12-26.  Read it slowly several times.  Ask God to speak to you through this passage.  What verse stood out?  Why?

2.   Read Isaiah 40:12-14.  What is the Lord saying through Isaiah to the people of Judah in captivity?  What is Isaiah teaching about the wisdom of God?  How does it break the hold of human wisdom? 

3.   Read Isaiah 40:15-17, 40:23-24.  What important truth is Isaiah sharing about powerful worldly leaders?  How could this be helpful for Christians suffering in North Korea, China and other persecuted countries?  How can seeing the world from God’s viewpoint help you? 

4.   Read Isaiah 40:18-22. Isaiah 46:1-7.  What is God’s viewpoint on our possessions and idols?  What does our culture teach about material possessions?  Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart about this topic.  Share with someone what you are hearing. 

5.   Read Isaiah 40:25-26.  Psalm 147:1-12.  How is God greater than nature?  What is the psalmist response to the greatness of God?  What response is God looking for from our heart? 

6.   How can we be an example of a person who is awed by the greatness of our Lord? 

What helps us see God from His viewpoint?Who could you help this week see the greatness of the Lord?Ask for one thing you could do that would help.Commit to it and share next week how it went.

John Lloyd - The Glory of God Brings Comfort to The Shattered

The Greatness of God:  A Study of Isaiah 40

The Glory of God brings Comfort to the Shattered

Pastor John Lloyd

March 10, 2019

The name Isaiah literally means ‘the Lord saves.’  Isaiah 40 begins a major new section of the book with the central theme being a proclamation of the glory of God!  Isaiah brings his readers into the presence of the living God  with seeing a future day and declaring the gospel to His people who are in exile, “God has not abandoned you.  Your best days are ahead.  God has a purpose of grace for you better than ever.  He is coming to save you.  Believe it and let hope fill your sails.”  Ray Ortlund

Passage:  Isaiah 40:1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,  “Behold your God!”10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Big Idea:  View God through my circumstances = small God.  View my circumstances through God = big God.  See His glory and feel His comfort! 

I.                Look at the glory of God’s work for ________________.

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.

A.    Our sins have been __________________ and paid for by Jesus.

Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Isaiah 53:10b When his soul makes an offering for guilt, …

Isaiah 53:11 my righteous servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  John 1:29

Hebrews 10:14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Real comfort comes to hearts who welcome Jesus into their souls!

B.    God’s ____________ meets us wherever we are.

Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” Psalm 139:7-8

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper/Comforter to be with you forever.  Galatians 4:6

John 14:18. He will not leave you comfortless. 

Real comfort arrives when we glorify God in our circumstances.

II.             Acknowledging the temporary makes clearer the ______________ glory.

Isaiah 40:6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

James 4:14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Psalm 39:4 “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Hold our suffering and success loosely and know our finiteness.                                     Hold onto God’s promises tenaciously and know His infiniteness.

III.            ___________ and ________________ God’s glory is our mission.

Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,  “Behold your God!”10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Luke 2:9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 13:31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.  I Corinthians 2:8

Isaiah 40:11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young

Welcome Jesus into our circumstances!                                         Help others welcome Jesus into their circumstances!

Spiritual Growth Questions for week of March 10, 2019

What in nature has revealed to you the greatness of God? 

1.    Read Isaiah 40:1-11.  Read it slowly several times.  Ask God to speak to you through this passage.  What verse stood out?  Why?

2.   How would meditating on God’s amazing attributes on display in this passage, help people go through times of suffering?

3.   Read Isaiah 40:1-2.  How does Isaiah comfort God’s people in exile?  How do these verses point directly to the cross of Jesus as the atonement for our sins?  How could God use this to comfort?

4.   Read Isaiah 40:3-4.  How did John the Baptist fulfill the predictions in this passage?  What brings comfort in these verses?  What do you hear God saying about your own present circumstances?

5.   Read Isaiah 40:5, Luke 2:9, John 1:14, John 13:31, 2 Corinthians 3:18.  How did Isaiah say His people will see his glory?  How do we see His glory?  What happens when we see his glory?

6.   Read I Corinthians 2:8. How do the rulers of this world miss his glory?  How do we miss it? 

7.   Read Isaiah 40:6-8, Matthew 24:35.  What is temporary in our lives and what is permanent?  Why is this so easy to forget?

8.   Read Isaiah 40:9-11, Titus 2:13, Revelation 21:23.  Discuss how God breathes new life into our souls through each one of these passages.  What would be your high mountain to declare His glory?

9.   What are some ways that help you view your present circumstances through God?  Invite a brother or sister in Christ to pray for you on your journey.  Join in praying for someone who needs the comfort of God in their lives.

Memory Verse:  Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.