Growing Gracefully: Prepared
Awake Us Now
Almost two thousand years ago, John the Baptist called people to repent and prepare for the coming Lord. Today, we are still called to have repentant hearts that receive and extend the forgiveness of the Living God, and to prepare fruit for Him in our lives!
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Dig Deeper - Acts Chapter 12: Herod's Demise
Awake Us Now
Herod Agrippa I Ruled 41-44 A.D. Grandson of King Herod the Great Imprisoned Peter during Passover in 42 or 43 A.D. He died before Passover of 44 A.D. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea following Peter’s angelic escape from prison. Herod was quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They joined together asking for an appointment with Herod requesting for peace as they depended on Herod for their food supply. From writings from Flavius Josephus “Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19” (Translator: Paul L. Maier) Josephus tells us that Herod met with the representatives...
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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!
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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...
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GOD ACTS! (Chapter 12) - He Proceeded to Seize Peter
Awake Us Now
God’s word brings light into our lives, gives us direction and points us to Jesus showing us where our hope and strength are found. Today’s story demonstrates this truth. Join us! Chapter 12 is about some of the persecution Peter experienced and we will look at Peter’s writings in 1 Peter in conjunction with this story in Acts chapter 12 for additional insights. THEN + NOW Persecution - Acts 12:1-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13 Herod Agrippa the First, encouraged by approval after arresting believers and putting the Apostle James to death, decides to arrest and imprison Peter. He has...
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Armor of God #10 - Keep on Praying!
Awake Us Now
"Prayer in the Spirit" is about taking time in the presence of the living God and allowing Him to nurture, nourish, transform, and renew our souls. It is not about "give me, give me, give me," but about "mold me, shape me, use me."
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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...
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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!
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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.
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Dig Deeper - Acts Chapter 11: The Origin of "Christian"
Awake Us Now
In Acts 11:26 we read that the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. “Disciple” is the most used word in the New Testament to describe followers of Jesus. It is used 261 times. The word “Christian” is used only 3 times in the New Testament. Brothers and sisters, believers, followers are also used but “disciples” is Jesus’ favorite word to describe His followers. Matthew 29:19-20 - the Great Commission - Jesus says, “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...
info_outlineDoes God exist? The Bible has described this as a reality for thousands of years. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
⁃ There was a beginning
⁃ There is a God
⁃ God created everything
This is looked at as a religious belief, but it is increasingly a scientific fact as the scientific world sees that the creation had a beginning.
⁃ Natural knowledge of God
⁃ Nature - Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
⁃ Teleological argument - “Design requires a designer.” It is obvious there is incredible design which requires a designer.
⁃ DNA - “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” Bill Gates. “The coding regions of DNA have exactly the same relevant properties as a computer code or language. We know books and computer codes are designed by intelligence, and the presence of this type of information in DNA also implies an intelligent source.” Stephen C Meyer, PhD. “What I think the DNA material has done is that it has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce life, that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinarily diverse elements to work together.” Professor Anthony Flew. There is a creator because DNA is so complex it requires a creator.
⁃ History - “I’m a lapsed atheist… I go to church every Sunday, precisely because having been brought up as an atheist I came to realize my career as a historian that not only is atheism a disastrous basis for a society… but also because I don’t think it can be a basis for individual ethical decision making” Professor Sir Niall Ferguson.
⁃ Conscience - Romans 2:15 “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.” The conscience bears witness to a Creator, to a God who is:
⁃ Transcendent
⁃ Immaterial
⁃ Timeless
⁃ Powerful
⁃ Personal
⁃ Brilliant
⁃ Caring
To simply know that God exists is good, but to know God - that is what is necessary. And that requires that God reveals Himself to us - the revealed knowledge of God - showing Himself and drawing us to Himself.
⁃ Revealed Knowledge of God
⁃ Bible - profound unity of what it tells us. Read and listen to His Word and allow it to speak into our lives.
⁃ Jesus Christ - The Living Word - Savior, Redeemer, our only Hope. God is love and gave Himself for us all. Forgiveness and new life. John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” The Old and New Testaments testify to Jesus. He died, He rose and He is returning.
⁃ Holy Spirit - John 14:26 “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.”
It is one thing to know that God exists but it is most important know God and to know to the Love of the Father through Jesus His Son and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith and who nourishes and guides us as we live a life of faith.
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