Questions - Week 7: How Should I Read the Bible?
Awake Us Now
Today’s question, “How should I read the Bible?” is often asked by new believers, church going people who’ve never read the Bible and those questioning what they’ve heard about the Bible. It is often stated this way: ⁃ Which is the best Bible translation? ⁃ Where should I start as I begin reading? ⁃ What schedule should I follow? ⁃ Where can I find extra help and resources? And the often not asked question, but should be asked: ⁃ What are...
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Rescued by Truth: Week 47
Awake Us Now
How do we deal with worry that threatens to overwhelm us? Be it money, job security, relationships, health, current events... the list goes on! How does a believer deal with these? There is clear guidance and Godly wisdom in the Scriptures. Scripture testifies to this truth: God cares for His Children. He calls on us to TRUST in Him, REJECT the lies of the Enemy, ACT on His promises, and GROW in the new nature He has given us through faith in Christ Jesus.
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Two Year Gospel Study Week 99
Awake Us Now
The Gospel of John Week 21 Scripture: John 16:1-5. This week we head into more of the final hours before Jesus’ arrest. We open with John 16:1-5 ““All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I...
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Real People, Real God - Zechariah: Faith
Awake Us Now
God's promises require faith on our part. But what does faith look like?
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Real People, Real God - Josiah: Revival
Awake Us Now
When King Josiah could have relaxed and coasted through the remainder of his life, instead he relentlessly pursued revival. Why?
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Real People, Real God - Hezekiah: Intercession (Part 2)
Awake Us Now
When under attack from enemies, is God our last resort... or our first resort?
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 11
Awake Us Now
Pastor beings today’s class with a Flashback to twelve years earlier from where we left off last week in order to take a look at the prophet Elisha. Elisha’s name means “God is my Salvation.” Even in this dark time of history, God uses Elisha to draw people back to Himself. Elisha’s Ministry ⁃ Moab revolts (2 Kings 3) against Israel. ⁃ Widow’s olive oil (2 Kings 4) God shows His love for individuals ⁃ Naaman healed (2 Kings 5) “The God of Israel is the God of the world!” ...
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Real People, Real God - Hezekiah: Intercession (Part 1)
Awake Us Now
When under attack from enemies, is God our last resort... or our first resort?
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Real People, Real God - Elijah: Angel Armies
Awake Us Now
Are we mere pawns of geo-political forces? Or is there more to this world than meets the eye?
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Questions - Week 6: Why Read the Old Testament?
Awake Us Now
Today’s question, “Why read the Old Testament” is often asked by church going people. It is often stated this way: ⁃ The Old Testament is so hard to understand. ⁃ I like the New Testament better than the Old. ⁃ God seems so angry and mean in the Old. ⁃ Hasn’t the New Testament replaced the Old? ⁃ All those animal sacrifices are a huge turn off. Why read the Old Testament? Here are four main themes which Pastor will use to answer today’s...
info_outlineThe Gospel of John Week 19
Scripture: John 14:6 - 31.
As we continue with more of the evening of Jesus’ last day with His disciples, we see Him sharing important teachings with them.
⁃ that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
⁃ that He is the only way to the Father
⁃ the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate
⁃ that He’s going way for a wile but will come back
⁃ that they are not to be troubled
⁃ that they are not to be afraid
⁃ that He is sharing all of this so that when it happens they will believe.
In John 14:26 Jesus tells them, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Pastor shares that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a living being - not a force - and that the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers.
Jesus then tells them, in verse 27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Pastor shares a personal testimony about the Holy Spirit teaching him the meaning of, “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid, means don’t even imagine the things that cause you fear!
The One saying this is the One who loved us enough to die for us, He’s the One who endured hell on the cross for our sins and He’s the One saying, “don’t sweat this!” Can you imagine how much that meant to the disciples that night, but also in the days, months and years afterwards as they came to understand Jesus was risen, ascended, coming back and had given them a mission to carry out.
Jesus is still telling us these same words today, we do not have to live in fear - we are to walk in His peace.
In verses 30 - 31 Jesus says, “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The prince of the world is the devil, but Jesus is telling them that the devil has no hold over Him!
Soon they will see Jesus arrested, beaten, crucified and put in a grave. They will be devastated, but Jesus is telling them in advance that HE is in control - not the devil - Jesus says the enemy has NO hold on Him.
He tells them He only does what the Father tells Him (and so He will go to the cross) and Jesus tells them, “My peace I give you, fear not!” for the devil has NO control over me!
1 Corinthians 2:8 says, “None of the rulers of this age understood it (God’s wisdom/God’s plan for salvation), for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
Even when it looks like the devil has won - God triumphs!
God flips what looks like disaster and turn it into salvation!
Today the battle goes on, BUT THE WAR IS WON!!!
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⁃ The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.
⁃ The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible. Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.
Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!