FRUIT OF THE FLESH part 4: What Are the Fruits of the Flesh? // Sunday, August 11, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, August 11, 2024 

Fruit of the Flesh IV

What are the Fruits of the Flesh?

 

We have two natures:

1.               Sinful nature

2.               Spirit (Holy Spirit) nature

A continuous, life-long war between our flesh and the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5: 19 - 21 (NLT)

    When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

Sins of Animosity

5. Hatred / Hostility – echthra

The breakdown of interpersonal relationships.

Intense, hostile intentions and acts.

Extreme dislike or enmity

 

Romans 8: 7 (NLT)

    For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.

 

6. Discord / Quarreling – eris

Quarreling, antagonism;  a struggle for superiority.

 

Romans 1: (NLT)

    But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.  20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.

 

1 Corinthians 11: 10 – 12 (NLT)

    I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.   12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

 

Philippians 1: 15 (NLT)

    It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.

 

7. Jealousy – zēlos

Resentfulness, envious of another’s success

 

Romans 13: 13 (NLT)

    Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.

 

1 Corinthians 3: 3 (NLT)

     For you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

DO NOT DESPAIR // Sunday, July 28, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday — July 28, 2022

 

Do Not Despair

 

Where do we find encouragement 

  1. The Word

 

Matthew 5: 13 – 16 (NLT)

     “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 “You are the light of the world —like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

    

John 1: 4 & 5 (NLT)

    The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 7 (ESV)

    …we walk by faith, not by sight. 

 

Romans 13: 11 & 12 (NLT)

    This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

 

Psalm 30: 5 (NLT)

    Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

 

1 John 2: 7 & 8 (NLT)

    Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment — to love one another — is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

 

We find Encouragement in…

1.               The Word

2.               History

 

Christianity is responsible for tremendous social transformation.

  • Equality in purity standards

  • Gladiatorial events

  • Compassion for poor and outcast

  • William Carey

  • Abolition

  • Welsh Revival

  • Roe v Wade

Roma Learning to Fly

 

Healthy people grow!

Growing people change!

Changed people, change people!

 

THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT II // Sunday, July 7, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday — July 7, 2022

The American Experiment

 

Psalm 78: 5 - 8 (NLT)  

   For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,so the next generation might know them — even the children not yet born — and they in turn will teach their own children.  7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.  8 Then they will not be like their ancestors — stubborn, rebellious,

and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

 

John Dewey

    As non-theists, we begin with humans, not God, nature not deity…While there is much that we do not know, humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.

 

The Cyclical View of History

 

Repeating historical cycles with no ultimate purpose or goal.

 

The Marxist View of History

 

Class Struggle:  Resulting in the “Perfect Socialist State.”

 

Existential View of History

 

The Providential View of History

 

The Founders wrote the Constitution, not the Apostles.

 

1.               What influenced the Founders?

 

Researches spent 10 years working through 15,000 writings from the Founders era.

 

Isolated 3,154 Direct Quotes

 

The Bible   34%

2.               They wrote the Bill of Rights;

        not the Ten Commandments.

 

Daniel St. Thomas Jenifer
Signer of the Constitution

    In the name of God, Amen. I, Daniel of Saint Thomas Jenifer . . . of dispossing mind and memory, commend my soul to my blessed Redeemer. . .

 

William Cushing
First Associate Justice Appointed

by George Washington to the Supreme Court

    Sensible of my mortality, but being of sound mind, after recommending my soul to Almighty God through the merits of my Redeemer and my body to the earth . . .

 

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Signer of the Constitution

To the eternal, immutable, and only true God be all honor and glory, now and forever, Amen!. . .

 

Roger Sherman

Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution

I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. . . . that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God. . . . that God did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus to lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer.

 

John Langdon
Signer of the Constitution

 

In the name of God, Amen. I, John Langdon, . . . considering the uncertainty of life and that it is appointed unto all men once to die [Hebrews 9:27], do make,  ordain and publish this my last will and testament in manner following,  that is to say - First:  I commend my soul to the infinite mercies of God in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, who died and rose again that He might be the Lord of the dead and of the living . . . professing to believe and hope in the joyful Scripture doctrine of a resurrection to eternal life . . .

 

3.               Freedom of Religion.

              NOT Control by Religion

 

Letter from the Danbury Baptists:

October 7, 1801

 

1.               Religion is personal between the individual and God

 

2.               People should not be discriminated against…

 

3.               Government =  criminals.

 

4.               The Constitution was too vague in the matter of government infringement in religion.

 

5.               Jefferson could not legislate.

 

6.               Fed can’t usurp State Rights

 

President Jefferson’s Reply:

January 1, 1802

    Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man
and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only,

and not opinions, Free to Believe…

    I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would “make no law respecting an establishment of religion,  or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

 

John Adams
Signer of the Declaration of Independence Second President of the United States

[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.

 

[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

 

    It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

 

The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If “Thou shalt not covet,” and “Thou shalt not steal,” were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free.

 

4.               They created a Democracy,

not a Theocracy

  

                    Constitutional

Democracy      Republic      Oligarchy

    People              Law                    Elite

 

5.Christianity is not a political party

 

Micah 6: 8 (NLT)

    No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT // Sunday, June 30, 2024 // Pastor Jeff Hines

Sunday, June 30, 2024

 

The American Experiment

 

1.               You Will Own Nothing…

2.               Kingdom / Monarchy

3.               Village

4.               Hierarchy

 

MSNBC -  Heidi Pryzbila:

"The thing that unites them as Christian nationalists, not Christians because Christian nationalists are very different, is that they believe that our rights as Americans and as all human beings do not come from any Earthly authority. They don't come from Congress, from the Supreme Court, they come from God,"

 

Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness. 

 

Separation of Powers:

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

                                       Jeremiah 17: 9 (NASB)

 

Three Branches of Government: 

For the Lord is our judge, Judicial
The Lord is our lawgiver, 
Legislative
The Lord is our king;        Executive
He will save us—

                                           Isaiah 33: 22 (NASB)

 

Exodus 18: 21 (ESV)

    Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

 

Constitutional

Democracy       Republic      Oligarchy

    People              Law                    Elite

 

FRUIT OF THE FLESH pt 3 // Sunday, June 23, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, June 23, 2024

 

Fruit of the Flesh III

What are the Fruits of the Flesh? 

We have two natures:

1.               Sinful nature

2.               Spirit (Holy Spirit) nature

A continuous, life-long war between our flesh and the Spirit.

Galatians 5: 21 (NLT)

    When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 

Mark 7: 14 - 23 (NLT)

   Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” 

he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. 17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 

                   Jim Oliver

   18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you?   19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)    Judaizers…     Syncretism

   20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” 

3.               Idolatry (eidōlatria)

Colossians 3: 5 (NLT)

   So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality,  impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Isaiah 44: 8 – 10 (NLT)

   How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?   11 All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen - mere humans - who claim they can make a god. 

1 Thessalonians 1: 8 - 10 (NLT)

    And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere,

   even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it,  9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

4.               Witchcraft ( pharmakeia)

 

 

FRUIT OF THE FLESH- part 2 // Sunday, June 9, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, June 9, 2024 

Fruit of the Flesh II - Part B

What are the Fruits of the Flesh 

We have two natures:

1.               Sinful nature

2.               Spirit (Holy Spirit) nature

A continuous, life-long war between our flesh and the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5: 21 (NLT)

    When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

Proverbs 11: 22 (NLT)

    A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

 

1.               Sexual Immorality (porneia)

 

2.               Impurity (akatharisia)

 

Colossians 3: 5 (NLT)

    So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

 

 

Debauchery  (aselgeia)

 

2 Corinthians 12: 21 (NLT)

    Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

 

1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 11 (NLT)

    Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?  Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people — none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.  11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

2 Corinthians 8: 7 (NLT)

    Since you excel in so many ways — in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us-I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

 

1 Corinthians 7: 1 (NLT)

    Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

 

Fruit of the Flesh // Sunday, June 2, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, June 2, 2024

 

Fruit of the Flesh II

What are the Fruits of the Flesh?

 

1.               Sexual Immorality (porneia)

Prostitution, Fornication

 

Exodus 20: 14 (ESV)

    You shall not commit adultery.

 

Matthew 19: (ESV)

    And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.

 

Matthew 5: 31 & 32 (NLT)

Divorce

    “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

 

1 Corinthians 5: 1 & 2 (NLT)

    I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you — something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

 

2.               Impurity (akatharisia)

 

A work of the flesh.

 

Fornication (porneia) and Impurity (akatharsia) together cover every kind of sexual sin, in other words all sexual intercourse outside marriage is wrong.

 

Ephesians 5: 3 (NLT)

    Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

 

Colossians 3: 5 (NLT)

    So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

 

(Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:21)

 

Debauchery  (aselgeia)

 

2 Corinthians 12:21 (NLT)

    Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

 

1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 11 (NLT)

    Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?  Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive,

    or cheat people — none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

2 Corinthians 8: 7 (NLT)

    Since you excel in so many ways — in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us —  I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

1 Corinthians 6: 9

 

1 Corinthians 7: 1 (NLT)

    Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

 

 

Sunday, May 26, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, April 21, 2024

 

Fruit of the Flesh

 

We have two natures:

 

1.               Sinful nature

 

 

2.               Spirit (Holy Spirit) nature

 

 

A continuous, Life-long war between our flesh and the Spirit.

 

Genesis 3: 1 (NLT)

    The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

 

2.               Mount Sinai

 

Exodus 32: 1 - 3 (NLT)

    When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”  So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.  Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

 

Hosea 4: 4 - 7 (NLT)

    “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols.

 

Galatians 5: 17 (NLT)

    The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

 

Romans 8: 5 - 8 (NLT)

    Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 

    So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.  That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

 

We do have a choice…

 

Romans 8: 12 & 13 (NLT)

    But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 

    10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 

    11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.   12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

 

Galatians 5: 21 (NLT)

    When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

DISCOVERING THE HOLY SPIRIT- Evidence of A Spirit-Filled Life- BOLD // Sunday, April 7, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, April 7, 2024

 

Discovering the Holy Spirit

Evidence of A Spirit-Filled Life

Bold

 

2 Timothy 3: 1 – 5 (NLT)

    You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

 

A Spirit-filled life has a hunger for God’s Word…

 

Psalm 19: 8 (NLT)

The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

 

A Spirit-filled life is permeated with God’s love…

 

1 Corinthains 13: 4 – 7 (NLT)

     Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

A Spirit-Filled Life is Bold…

 

Romans 1: 16 (ESV)

    I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

 

Ephesians 6: 10 – 17 (ESV)

    Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 

 

Jude (NLT)

    This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

    I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.  2 May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 

    I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your  

    churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 10: 3 – 5 (ESV)

    For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the fleshFor the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

 

1 Peter 3: 15 (ESV)

   …in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

                                      

2 Corinthians 10: 5 (ESV)

    We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

 

Evangelism Training

 

Saturday, April 27th

 

8:30am – 3:00pm

 

WAIT // Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, March 31, 2024

 

Easter - WAIT

 

John 2: 1 -11 

Water into Wine

 

John 4: 43 – 54

Healing the nobleman’s son

 

John 5: 1 – 14

Healing the Paralytic

 

John 6: 1 – 15

Feeding the 5000

 

John 9: 1 – 40

Healing the man born blind

 

John 11: 1 – 43

Raising Lazarus from the dead

 

Matthew 6: 33 (ESV)

    …seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

John 11: 21 – 26 (NLT)

     Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.  22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

    23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

    24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

    25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.   26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

 

When you’re in the “Wait”…

Do you believe?

 

Faith in the midst of doubt

 

The disciples struggled when they were in the “Wait.”

 

John 20 (NLT)

    One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 

    25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

    26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 

    27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

    28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

    29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

 

John 11: 25 -27 (NLT)

    Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.  26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

    27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 

 

 

PALM SUNDAY // Sunday, March 24, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, March 24, 2024

 

Palm Sunday

 

Luke 19: 35 - 38 (ESV)

     …they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—

the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 

Luke 23: 13 - 25 (NLT)

    …Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

    18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 

    19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 

   20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 

   21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

  22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.” 23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

 

1.               Jerusalem From Mount of Olives

 

2.               Garden of Gethsemane

 

3.               Map MT of Olives – Golgotha

 

Hebrews 4: 13 (NLT)

    Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

 

1 Corinthians 11: 22 – 30 (NLT)

 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people — an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”  26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.  27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.