We all have a tendency to get comfortable when things grow and if we are not careful we can let the weeds grow as well. If, in our excitement and confidence, we don’t tend to the garden like we once did, the growth will go for a while but eventually will stop and the weeds can take over. All of a sudden we look up and wonder what happened and why we plateaued? Things may even get to the point where we ask, why are we declining either personally or corporately?
We must begin with transformation in every area of our lives. This is the prerequisite and the requirement before we can do anything. Once we allow the Lord to do this transformational work in our lives then the Lord can begin to use us as a conduit, a vehicle through which He can move in the lives of people so they can be transformed as well! What can jump-start this transformation? Connecting Deeply to Christ and the Church.
I am so excited about what we are sharing with you today! Our Vision Team has been working on and crafting this report for over a year & a half. Recognize them! This is isn't the Preacher’s Vision – this is this team’s vision alongside me. Remember last week we talked about a lot of "what if’s". What if we allow the Lord to do this or ask the Lord to do this or our members stepped up and did this, or our Church fulfilled it’s calling in certain ways? This morning we want to start looking at how to turn many of those "what if’s" into reality.
I’m so glad that you are here as we begin together this journey that will take us through the next 6 weeks helping us to make the most of the next 5 years, to get us to the next decade. We are praying that the Lord will do a new thing in us and in our Church just as He did in the book of Acts. They built off the foundation that was there and we will do the same. Then they launched into new territory as they depended on the Lord and sacrificed and surrendered their lives. Our prayer is that we would do the same...
Don’t you want to REALLY live? To live life to the fullest? To get the most out of it and to make a maximum impact on those around you? All of us want to feel that our lives matter, that we are making a difference. In order for this to be true, we must understand that how we view eternity affects how we live right here and now...
Let's celebrate what the Lord has done in the year 2014! Take a look at Ezekiel 37 and let's think about how this passage relates to us personally, relates to us corporately, and relates to us theologically...
What do you think of when you talk about kings? They didn't associate with commoners. They lived lavishly while most other people lived ordinary or even poor and peasant lives. They instilled a great fear in their own people. They were famous and had great prestige. They had servants to do their bidding - everything and everyone was beneath them. They had people who willingly laid down their lives for them. Yet here our King lays down everything for us, even his very life. Our King does not fit the standard picture for royalty. It really almost seems absurd. Let's compare Him and the typical definition of "king."
Jesus, Immanuel, Messiah, Son of God...Many different names are used to refer to Jesus--and there is meaning behind all of them. Join us this morning as we dive into the different names of our Lord and the BIG DEAL about each one!
Today, I wanted us to address what perhaps is the most important doctrine or truth that we base our Christian faith upon. If it breaks down here, or we say, "Well it is not really that important", the rest of His life and subsequent death all begins to unravel. Here is a quote from Larry King, former CNN talk show host when he was asked if he could choose to interview anyone from history, who would it be? His reply: "'Jesus Christ.’ The questioner said, ‘And what would you like to ask Him?’ King replied, 'I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.’”You see even he understands that this question is one of the most important question to answer and really it all begins here!
Let’s answer the question: what’s the big deal about Christmas? What’s so important about this holiday that we put so much effort into? This week, we ask: what’s the big deal about Jesus’ family tree? To the Jew, family pedigree was critical to knowing if one was a pure Jew. For the Priest, it was incredibly important. In fact, when some came back from being deported they could not find their genealogy and were not allowed to be priests any longer. In our passage today, Matthew establishes Jesus’ genealogy proving that He was in the proper line, and also fulfilling prophecy.
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