Growing Gracefully: Holiness
Awake Us Now
Holiness is a gift, offered to us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But once God has made us holy, we are then called to pursue holiness in our lives!
info_outline
Questions - Week 21: Why Do You Believe He Is Risen?
Awake Us Now
Happy Resurrection Sunday - Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today’s question is “Why do you believe He is risen?” Pastor starts today’s class with a personal testimony in which the Bible changed the direction of his life at the age of 15. Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Pastor shares the Evidence Trail of Jesus’ Resurrection on the bases of writings from believers, unbelievers, recorded data, and old and new studies. The Evidence Trail...
info_outline
Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 14
Awake Us Now
Last week we ended our study time looking at a great king of Judah, Hezekiah. Today we start with one of the worst kings of Judah, Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. Manasseh reigned from 697-642 B.C. His story is found in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. Manasseh reigned 55 years. He reigned longer than any other king and did more damage than any other king. He did evil in God’s eyes. It is a disgusting and tragic story. He destroys everything good his father had done. King Manasseh ⁃ Apostasy and Idolatry - 2 Chronicles 33:33 ⁃...
info_outline
Growing Gracefully: Obedience
Awake Us Now
Growing gracefully in obedience is a response to the salvation God has worked in our lives through Christ Jesus. We are called to walk in obedience as a response to our faith in Jesus. Obedience is not necessary for salvation, but obedience is necessary! Join us as we explore Growing Gracefully in our relationship with Jesus Christ through obedience to Him and His Word. Obedience does not save, but neither is it optional. God desires not simply outward actions, but inner obedience to His Word. Pastor focuses on two important Biblical truths: 1. Obedience does not save - Jesus saves --Grace of...
info_outline
Growing Gracefully: Training
Awake Us Now
Despite the most rigorous physical exercise and training regimen, our bodies will age and, eventually, die. But there is a training - training in godliness - that lasts into eternity. The spiritual diet we eat, the spiritual exercise we do and the spiritual training we choose affects our ability to grow graceful as Jesus’ disciples. Training ourselves for godliness has benefits for today, tomorrow and for eternity. Spiritual training is timeless. Train to be godly - Christianity is not a spectator sport. We can’t be a couch potato. We must be in training to be godly. This is training with...
info_outline
Growing Gracefully: Contentment
Awake Us Now
Even in the most difficult of times, believers such as the apostle Paul have known contentment, an inner peace, a certainty that God is in control. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we know that, through faith in Him, we will live forever. That certainty brings true contentment!
info_outline
Dig Deeper - Week 9: Were Lambs Crucified?
Awake Us Now
Luke 22:7-8 ‘Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”” What we know about the Passover during the time of Jesus, is that the Passover meal had to be celebrated in Jerusalem itself. The lambs were killed at the Temple and the priests worked hours and hours to slaughter all the lambs needed for the meals - as many as a quarter million lambs were killed. The people came to the temple to pick up their lambs. This is where Jesus was sending...
info_outline
Growing Gracefully: Humility
Awake Us Now
The humility modeled for us by Jesus is not only refreshing, it is life-changing and God-pleasing! Pride, on the other hand, makes us nauseating not only to others, but to God as well.
info_outline
Growing Gracefully: Freedom
Awake Us Now
True freedom is living the full life that God always intended us to possess. In Jesus, we are freed from bondage to sin and are now free to please God!
info_outline
Questions - Week 20: Is Palm Sunday Jewish?
Awake Us Now
Happy Palm Sunday! Hosanna! Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem: Palm Sunday - Passion Sunday - story is found in: Matthew 21 Mark 11 Luke 19 John 12 Many of us know the Palm Sunday story, but do we know the details? Today we will look at some of the most fascinating and intentional details of this story. 1. Did you know that donkeys around the world have a similar dark marking on their backs that runs along the spine and across their shoulders? It is a cross. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a beast with a cross emblazoned on its...
info_outlineThis teaching is on Acts 14:8-22, “Incident in Lystra,” and is an account on idol worshipers. We are living in a time of great idolatry and how do we as followers of Jesus respond, react, and live?
In today’s story, Paul is teaching about Jesus in the town square of Lystra and sees a man lame from birth, but Paul also sees the man has great faith and Paul says, “Stand Up and Walk” and the man is healed.
While this story is nearly 2,000 years old, God has not changed and God still moves in remarkable ways. So let’s take note of the following OBSERVATIONS FROM THE STORY:
1. The Power of the Messiah - the power of faith in Jesus. We see the testimony that All Authority has been given to Jesus the Messiah and in His name this man was healed and God still heals today.
2. Inherently Religious Nature - human beings are inherently religious, longing for a power higher than themselves, a need. People find something to worship in their lives because we need purpose. We look for meaning for our lives in someone, something or in ourselves - a need to find something for our focus.
3. Created to Worship - We long for things greater than ourselves or things that matter most in our lives. People worship many deities today - we think we’ve outgrown idols, but we worship what those very idols of old represented: power, money, sports, sex, politics, living for things. How does a follower of Jesus respond to these, how do we deal with the pull of idolatry? Do we turn away? Engage? Do we demonstrate by our actions and words the power of God in our lives and do we worship Him alone?
4. Living God is Creator - at this time in history there is more evidence for the existence of our Creator than ever and that evidence points to the existence of God! Do we point people to the Living God, our Creator, and help them see we are created? This is a springboard to sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus people are lost forever.
5. Gospel Proclamation - Paul was stoned and left for dead. He left Lystra and headed to Derba. However, he returned to Lystra to share the good news of Jesus because he had a passion to share Jesus and had compassion for the lost to know Jesus as their Savior.
6. Reality of Hardship - Paul and Barnabus knew there would be difficult times, but they held to the truth of God’s assurance that He will take even the difficult times and turn them around for His glory and our good. It can be hard to be a follower of Jesus, but it is worth it.
And this Lystra story continues in a later chapter of Acts... In Chapter 16 we meet Timothy - a man Paul meets on his return trip to Lystra. God uses, to His glory, all that Paul suffered in Lystra the first time, as we see Paul become a spiritual father to Timothy. We learn more about Timothy later in Acts.
Today, many are blinded by idolatry and have lost sight of the Living God (who delivers us through Jesus His Son) so it’s important for us to practice what we learn from early missionaries as we share Jesus and honor, worship and serve the Living God.
Check out the video on our website:
https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one
Check out the video on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj