Big Questions - Who?... How?... What?...
Awake Us Now
Scripture repeatedly warns us against the dangers of simply going with what we want to hear - we usually end up listening not to God, but to deceivers who have no proper authority.
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David and the Heart of God - Week 13: Psalms
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Scripture: David’s Psalms. This is the final teaching in the “David…and the Heart of God” series. We will explore David’s Psalms today. In 2 Samuel 23:1 we read that David is described as the sweet psalmist of Israel. David’s psalms have influence and spoke to the hearts of people for millennia. C.S. Lewis said, “The most valuable thing the psalms do for me is to express that small delight in God which made David dance.” And Billy Graham said, “I used to read five psalms every day - that teaches me how to get along with God. Then I read a chapter of...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 12: Legacy
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Scripture: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 2 Samuel 7:16, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel 9:26, Acts 2:29-32. We will take a look at David’s legacy. 1 Kings 2:1-4, “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son, “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 11: Father Wounds/Father's Wounds
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Scripture: 2 Samuel 13-19. Father Wounds - are wounds brought into our lives through family members. Deep wounds with lasting consequences. Father’s wounds - are wounds to parents by their children. It is grieving because their children turned their backs on the things they were taught from the time they were little. Both are deep and painful wounds. How to deal with the pain and how to go beyond it. Our study covers: Amnon rapes Tamar (2 Sam 13) Absalom hates Amnon (2 Sam 13) Absalom murders Amnon (2 Sam 13) Absalom flees to thalami (2 Sam 13) Absalom conspires against David (2...
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Questions - Week 3: Did Jesus Really Exist?
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Did Jesus exist? Is Jesus a myth? Is there any evidence that Jesus actually lived? Is there any evidence outside the Bible? The answer is absolutely, there’s a great deal of evidence. Many are unaware of some of the very profound and powerful evidences for the existences of Jesus. Today we will take a look at the evidence for Jesus’ existence, coming at it from three different vantage points: Ancient Hostile Witnesses: (Pastor goes into detail regarding each of the following hostile testifiers to Jesus and His followers) • Tacitus...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 2
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Scripture: 1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 3:4ff, 1 Kings 3:16ff, 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5-7, 2 Chronicles 3:1, Genesis 22, 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Kings 9:4-5 This study helps us dig deeper into Solomon: Wise Leader ⁃ Pharaoh’s Daughter - 1 Kings 3:1 - Solomon secures a peace treaty with Egypt and a strategic marriage to one of the Pharaoh’s daughter’s. ⁃ Sacrifices at Gibeon - 1 Kings 3:4ff - shortly after taking the throne we see Him following his father David’s advice. We see Solomon going to Gibeon to offer...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 10: Moral Collapse
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Scripture: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Psalm 51, Matthew 21:9. This message deals with the difficult topic of moral collapse, specifically in David’s life. Painful as it is, it can teach us much about the importance of walking faithfully before the Lord and resisting temptation. David fell into temptation after seeing Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam (a trusted soldier) and the wife of Uriah (one of David’s elite soldiers). David had her brought to the palace and he slept with her resulting in her pregnancy. Instead of coming clean, David goes deeper into a dark place with more...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 9: Ark of Gold
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Scripture: 2 Samuel 6, Psalm 30:4-5, Hebrews 9:5, Romans 3:25. Today’s story of David is one that is an oft time ignored account from David’s life, but we will see ways it dramatically impacts and applies to our lives. We open with 2 Samuel 6:2 “David and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.” Pastor shares the history of the Ark from the Book of Exodus during the time of Moses, its description, and rules and regulations from God...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 8: Jerusalem!
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Scripture: 2 Samuel 5, Ephesians 2:14, 16, Luke 21:24, Revelation 21:1-2. Why is Jerusalem important not only to the Jewish people, but to Christian people? Let’s see what we will discover in today’s study of 2 Samuel 5. King Saul has died and civil war has broken out in Israel. David is the reigning King of Judea but the Israelites in the northern kingdom are at war amongst each other and realize David is their only hope for unity and for bringing the kingdom back together. A delegation comes to David saying that it is clear the Lord has anointed him as His king and that it is now...
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David and the Heart of God - Week 7: Strength
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Scripture: 1 Samuel 27:1-7, 1 Samuel 30 1-6, Psalm 23. This teaching dives into Psalm 23, a Psalm written by David, and the evidence we see in his life of the heart of God. We will see insights into David’s faith that will provide incredible encouragement to our faith lives as well. Have you ever been in a situation where everything seemed hopeless? Or have you ever come to a point where you feel that you’re all alone? No one to turn to, no one to help you? There is much to learn from David’s life that reveals where genuine strength comes from. David again is in need of escaping Saul and...
info_outlineIn Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus states that He has been given "all authority on Heaven and on Earth," and with that authority gives us our marching orders - make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit, and teach them to obey everything He has commanded. But this isn’t just about His command, this is about God’s faithfulness and His desire for us to experience that faithfulness.
Let’s begin by contrasting genuine faith with mere religion:
⁃ Relationship vs. Religion
⁃ Knowledge of God/Knowing God vs. Information/Knowing ABOUT God
⁃ Trusting in God vs. Believing only certain things
⁃ Obedience because we trust God vs. Acceptance of only certain things
We are to keep on growing in faith - to know and experience Him - to follow and obey Him. In our verses today, His desire is that we not only obey, but that we teach others to obey Him. He gives us the command to “Make disciples,” and to encourage us He gives us the promise of His faithfulness “to the end of the age.”
Jesus opens today’s teaching with “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
- Authority of Jesus: Why? because of His death and resurrection, His sacrifice on the cross and His glorious triumph AND His obedience to the Father. Thus we live in His authority, living by faith in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus continues, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”
⁃ Priority of Discipleship: Note that He didn’t say make church members. He didn’t say make Christians. He didn’t say make converts. He said make disciples (followers of Jesus) - build up each other in the faith.
Jesus goes on with, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
⁃ Unity of God: three, yet One.
And then He says, “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
⁃ Necessity of obedience: we are not saved by obedience, but when we know Him and are empowered but the Holy Spirit, our desire is to obey Him.
Then Jesus closes with, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
⁃ This is His assurance! His promise! And this gives us strength, hope, power, encouragement and peace, because God is faithful. God is good but above al else He is faithful and God can be trusted no matter what is happening in our lives.
Pastor goes on to share a very powerful and very personal story centered on his grandfather. It is an amazing story of God’s faithfulness. (Grab a tissue…)
Our good God is calling us to walk with him, to know him more and more, to experience the fullness of His presence, His Holy Spirit and His astonishing love in Jesus ,our risen and returning Savior, the One to whom all authority has been given, the One who tells us, “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..” And we can do this because He ends this Great Commission with this great promise, “ And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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