Growing Gracefully: In Joy
Awake Us Now
Unlike happiness, joy is not an emotion, dependent on particular circumstances. Joy is anchored in God, and through Jesus it is triumphant even over the sufferings of this world! Growing Gracefully In Joy - We are living in a time of chaos and uncertainty, a time of unbridled anger on all ends of the spectrum and if ever there was at time that the people of God needed to remember and reflect the joy of the Lord, THIS IS THE TIME! This is a great time to be growing in joy as we rely on the Holy Spirit to empower and strengthen us every day and in every circumstance and situation. The Bible is...
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Questions - Week 19: Are the Gospels Believable?
Awake Us Now
Today’s question is one that Pastor has heard most often from young people. The questioning of the Gospels seems to center around miracles, especially the resurrection. Atheistic Materialism Worldview ⁃ No God - universe is by chance ⁃ Matter only - Life came from non-life ⁃ No Miracles - Life is meaningless Bible’s Worldview ⁃ There is a Creator ⁃ He created life ⁃ Life has a purpose These two worldviews...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 12
Awake Us Now
Our story picks up with Joash (the hidden royal) being brought forth at the age of seven and hailed as the king of Judah followed by the death of Athaliah. Peace reigns in Judah as we see over 100 years of four fairly “good” kings reigning in Judah from 835-731 B.C. These kings started well but didn’t always finish well: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah and Jotham. King Joash ⁃ Takes the kingship at age 7 ⁃ Jehoiada, the High Priest, is Joash’s mentor, advisor and instructor ⁃ Spiritual reformation was taking...
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Growing Gracefully: Renewed Minds
Awake Us Now
True faith is not simply a matter of knowing certain truths. It is a matter of knowing Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and allowing the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out!
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Growing Gracefully: In His Word
Awake Us Now
The Bible is more than just a fascinating book! It was written by an author who loved us enough to die for us, and it is a book that leads us to the One we worship.
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Growing Gracefully: In Prayer
Awake Us Now
Prayer is not about rules and obligations! It is how God invites us to talk with Him in order to build a personal relationship. Discipleship, then, is about living that relationship in our daily lives.
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Dig Deeper - Week 7: Strong Man Bound
Awake Us Now
The past Sunday Pastor taught on “What’s the Answer - what is the unforgivable sin?” using Matthew 12:24-32. Today, Pastor digs deeper and takes a look at Mark 3:22-29 - which also talks about the “unforgivable sin.” In Mark 3:22-26 we read that the teachers of the law say that Jesus is possessed by the devil, doing healings in the devil’s power and doing what the devil wants. But Jesus responds by sharing parables and asking how can Satan drive out Satan? A house divided cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand. Jesus explains how...
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Growing Gracefully: The Great Commission
Awake Us Now
In 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...
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The Living One - Week 32: Personal Testimony
Awake Us Now
Scripture: Revelation 12:11, Romans 9:10, Acts 21-26. Pastor opens and closes today’s teaching with Revelation 12:11 and everything in-between these bookends focuses on the goodness of God through Jesus and the power and impact of our testimonies. Here’s Revelation 12:11, “They triumphed over him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb (Christ Jesus) and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Testimony - What’s your testimony? The Bible teaches if we confess Jesus is Lord with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God raised...
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Questions - Week 18: What is the Unforgiveable Sin?
Awake Us Now
Today’s question is one that Pastor says has been the question asked with the most fear. Other ways this question is asked: ⁃ What is the unforgivable sin? ⁃ What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? ⁃ How can I be sure I haven’t done this? ⁃ If I have done this is there any hope? ⁃ How do I avoid the unforgivable sin? Matthew 12:31-32 Jesus says, “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the...
info_outlineOur story picks up with Joash (the hidden royal) being brought forth at the age of seven and hailed as the king of Judah followed by the death of Athaliah. Peace reigns in Judah as we see over 100 years of four fairly “good” kings reigning in Judah from 835-731 B.C. These kings started well but didn’t always finish well: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah and Jotham.
King Joash
⁃ Takes the kingship at age 7
⁃ Jehoiada, the High Priest, is Joash’s mentor, advisor and instructor
⁃ Spiritual reformation was taking place across Judah as Joash starts out so well with Jehoiada as his advisor - until Jehoiada’s death
⁃ Joash then gets new advisors (2 Chronicles 24:17-18) and they led him astray, worshiping idols and God’s anger came.
⁃ Zechariah is the High Priest after Jehoiada. Zechariah was Jehoiada’s son. He tells Joash and his new advisors of their sin against God, so they plot to kill him. 2 Chronicles 24:20. Zechariah is stoned to death.
⁃ Hazael is victorious in bottles over Judah
⁃ Then Joash’s assignation follows
Amaziah
⁃ Amaziah is Joash’s son - Amaziah starts well but doesn’t finish well, following the pattern of his father.
⁃ Mercenaries come from Israel
⁃ Amaziah is given victory as he acts on the words of God through a prophet. 2 Chronicles 25:9
⁃ But then Amaziah brings idols back from that victory. 2 Chronicles 25:15. Again a prophet comes to Amaziah to warn him, but this time Amaziah doesn’t listen.
⁃ He is then defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel and he too is assassinated.
King Uzziah (also known as Azariah)
⁃ Uzziah is Amaziah’s son. 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 tells that he had godly counsel and as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
⁃ He was an extremely capable king
⁃ Ruled for 52 years
⁃ In Israel, Jeroboam II was ruling. Uzziah and Jeroboam II expanded both nations to the original size of the kingdom at the time of David and Solomon.
⁃ New prophets arise during the reign of Jeroboam II and Uzziah: Jonah, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah
⁃ Their kingdoms experienced the glory days of David and Solomon
⁃ But then Uzziah does not finish well. His pride went to his head and he usurped the role of the priests in burning the incense and immediately gets leprosy. 2 Chronicles 26:16-17
King Jotham
⁃ Uziah’s son, Jotham becomes king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 27:2. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the people, however, continued their corrupt practices.
⁃ Battle with the Ammonites - Godly king who is victorious over the Ammonites. 2 Chronicles 27:6
⁃ Prosperity & Spiritual decline begins. The renewal did not spread throughout all the people.
⁃ We see the growing power of their enemy in Assyria
Next week our story continues with the rise of the power of the Assyrians.
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