Wednesday, May 24, 2017

The Right Season

Sermon title:  The Right Season
Sermon text:  Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message) Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.  Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We are going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous father in heaven.” 

·        What Does Salt Do? It Makes Things better.

·        What Does Light Do? It Makes Things brighter.

What You Need to Know as You Share Your Faith
1.     Most People Do Not Have a Correct picture of God.
        “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that  person, and they with me.”  – Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

2.     All Lost People Need to Be unconditionally Loved.
        “If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those   who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.  I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out  this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst.  Our Father is kind; you be kind.”  – Luke 6:32-36 (The Message)      

3.     Most Lost People Will Not Come to church for Help.
Matthew 10: 5-8 (The Message) “Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood.           Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons.  You have been treated generously, so live generously.” 

4.     Most Christians Do Not Connect strategically with Lost People.
Luke 15:2 (The Message)   “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” 
5.     Most Christians Need training to Effectively Share Their Faith.
 Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message) “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do  this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” 

6.     All Christians Need to Be Spiritually empowered to Share Their Faith.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NIV)    “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one  who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 

What You Need to Do to Share Your Faith

7.     Every Day  connect  with and care for Lost People.
Matthew 9:35-38 (RSV)     “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,  and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 
        Jesus connected with lost people in four distinct and important ways:
        •  Jesus went.                    He connected physically
        •  Jesus saw.                     He connected personally
        •  Jesus had compassion   He connected emotionally
        •  Jesus prayed.                He connected spiritually    

8.     Every Day Pray for an opportunity to Share Your faith.
 James 5:16 (NLT)     “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”  –

9.     Every Day Intentionally Share Positive thoughts About God.
1Peter 3:15 (NIV)      “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.        But do this with gentleness and respect.” 

10.   Every Day Build respect and relationship with Others by Adding Value to Them.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)   “You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 

11.   Every Day Find Some Way to Bring the Lost People in Your Life closer to Christ.
        Matthew 18:12 (NLT) “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on  the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?” 

Pray this simple prayer to ask God to reveal how you can be salt and light:         God, who have you put into my life that you want me to connect with, love unconditionally, and intentionally talk to about faith?

Life Application
1.   Create a list of people who you would like to see come to know Christ.
2.   Be intentional about praying for each person on your list each day.
3.   Find ways to demonstrate and live out your faith authentically.

4.   Seek opportunities to talk to them about God.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

2Die4!

Sermon Text: John 21 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Sermon Title: 2Die4!

Point 1: The level of love vs 15…do you truly love me… vs 16…do you truly love me… vs 17 …do you truly love me…Do you love me
The word love as it is used here is the two verbs agapan and philein “are used interchangeably in this Gospel” and that from the fourth century B.C. forward in Greek literature agapan became “one of the standard verbs for ‘to love.’ Eros, which many interject in the text is what we think Jesus intermingle in the text. The word eros—erotic is not found in the New Testament.  

Point 2: The evidence of love vs. 15…” Feed my lambs… vs. 16…” Take care of my sheep.” vs. 17…” Feed my sheep.
1. Vs. 15 Feed my lambs [children]   
2. Vs. 16 Take care of my sheep [pasture the flock Isa 40: 11 he will gather his sheep in his arms and bosom] 
3. Vs. 17 Feed my sheep [adults]

Point 3: The life of love vs. 19 …Then he said “Follow me!”
1. Keep your eyes on Jesus vs 20
2. Keep our eyes off what Jesus is doing for others vs 21
3. Keep your eyes on Jesus until the end vs 20

LifeChangers what are you doing to save the lost? Would you die for the lost? Would you die for Jesus. That’s what he is asking us to do. That’s what he asked Peter three times and Peter finally goit right. This wall is in part our opportunity to get it right!

Jesus is to 2DIE4

Thursday, May 18, 2017

How 2 Bounce Back from a Setback


Sermon Text: John 21: 3 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Sermon Title: How 2 Bounce Back from a Setback

BP: Move the hearers to bounce back

Point 1: Confusion always proceed a set-back John 21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way:

Point 2: Ceiling thinking closes off coming back John 21:2.3 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Point 3: Don’t let the wrong person convince you John 21:3 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Point 4: Correct your next steps John 21:6 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.


Point 5: Sit back what happen at night come back and happen in the day. John 21:12 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.


Life Application:

1. Stop doing what you are doing its not working….

2. Look for Jesus…

3.  Listen to his instructions…

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Fruitful Family


Sermon Text: Gen 1:28 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Sermon Title: Fruitful Family

Point 1: Fight for your Family. The enemy attacks Gods center of gravity – Family... Gen 3: 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Point 2: Fine tune its future. The family is always about the future... Psalm 127:5 Blessed is the man   whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

Point 3: Focus your family. Family life can become overwhelmingly too busy... Joshua 24: 15b But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 

Ruth 1:16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Point 4: Refine the relationships.  Relook at every relationship in your immediate family/extended family... is  Eph 5: 21,28,33 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Point 5: Fortify your Family. You must equip your family...Deut 6: 6-8 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Life Application:

1.  Sign up for Financial Planning Small Group

2.  Connect your children to Youth and Children Ministry

3.  Make God the focal point by what you do and not by what you say

Virtual Family Sunday Questions

What ways can we create community as a family? How has our viewership/church attendance enhanced or diminished our family covenant? What way...