Text Message Part 3 "Help! How Do I Understand?"

Reading the Bible can be a challenge at times! However, the Bible is important to our relationship with God! It's it's truth or his reality. It shows us the way He designed life to operate. It deals with tough issues and guides us to His heart.

SO HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND?

A unique way to read the Bible is the "One Word Bible Study." Taking time and thinking through every word and writing other words that have similar meaning in the column." For example...

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.

ONE WORD BIBLE STUDY...

John 3:16--For God so loved (valued) the world (all people), that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever (everyone) believes (trusts) in Him will not die but have eternal life (on-going life).

I challenge you to continue to read God's text message every day. The one word Bible study forces us to slow down, meditate and think. It helps us digest the truth of what God is saying and makes it easier to apply to our lives.

HAVE FUN!

Text Message: Divine Love Letter

This past Sunday was part 2 in our series "Text Message." We talked about the Divine Love Letter. The Bible (God's text message to us) is not a book of rules or strictly a code of conduct.
It's a divine love story about God getting back (redeeming) what is rightfully His.

The Bible is a story of how our sin (missing the mark) broke our relationship with God and how God was willing to send His only Son to live, die and rise again so that relationship could be restored. We talked about how reading God's text message through the lens of relationship changes everything. As you read it through the filter of relationship you see that everything God does and asks of us is because He has our best interest in mind!

Let's practice reading God's text message through the lens of relationship. Insert your name whenever there is a blank in the Bible verse.

2 Corinthians 5:21--God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for _______, so that in Him _______ might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 53:5-6--But He (Jesus) was pierced for _________ transgressions. He was crushed for ________ iniquities; the punishment that brought _________ peace was upon Him, and by His wounds ________ is healed.

When we understand that's is Love not law and that it's a Divine Love Letter to us of how God has provided a way for relationship with Him to be restored...it changes everything.

MAY YOU NEVER READ THE BIBLE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Text Message: Truth Brings Freedom

This Past Sunday we kicked off our NEW SERIES "Text Message: God's Simple Message in a Complicated World." We are going to spend the entire month talking about the importance the Bible (God's Text Message) and how to understand it!

For part #1 we talked about how "Truth Brings Freedom." Jesus said in the book of John chapter 8...you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Jesus also said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

It also says in Galatians that it was for freedom Christ has set us free. God wants us to experience true freedom. He also shows us in His text message that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ!

Questions to wrestle with this week...

#1--Is there an area of my life where I need freedom? (Addictions, shame, past etc.)

#2--If so, what Bible verses from God's text message address those areas? (remember truth brings freedom)

#3--Who can I share the answer to #1 with? Our relationship with God and our spiritual growth was never intended to happen in isolation. The more you bring the truth out (even to others you trust) the more freedom you will find.

PS. We launched the "29 Day challenge" as well. Committing to reading once chapter in the Bible every day for 29 days starting in John 1. Join us!!

God is For-Giving

This past Sunday we were in between series so I shared the message "God is For-Giving"

We all are at different generosity stages and we all have a generosity point at which we pause and struggle to give.

We focused on the truth...learn to truly live by learning to truly give. As we cross the line into a relationship with Jesus, we become more like him. The more like him we become, the more we become for-giving!

We used the cheesy but fun acronym of (F.O.R.D-Frustrated over regular distractions) to talk about being generous with our time and (G.M.-Generous with our money) to talk about being faithful in giving in the church & outside as well.

#1-On a scale 1-10 (10 being the highest) how would you rate yourself on the generous scale?

#2-Why did you rate yourself the way you did?
#3-Where is your generosity limit?
#4-Why does it stop there? What is holding you back from growing in generosity?
#5--What can you do this week to grow in generosity?

Learn to truly live by learning to truly give!

"Big But's" Part 3 Blaming our Circumstances

I can't believe we wrapped up "Big Buts" this past Sunday with blaming our circumstances.

We talked about "When circumstances go wrong, remember to whom you belong"

We looked at John 5 and how Jesus asked a crazy question to a man who was paralyzed for 38 years..."Do you want to be made well?" Read John 5 and you will be shocked at his response.

We talked about learning the art of giving our circumstances to God

Psalm 55:22-Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken

We all will face tough, challenging or unexpected circumstances. When they happen we can either blame them for our ungodly attitudes & actions or we can take them to God in prayer.

Challenge for the week: Carve out 5-10 minutes each day to "Cast your cares on the Lord"
#1--Be authentic--share with God your true thoughts & feelings
#2--Spend time in prayer both talking to God but listening
#3--Spend time reading a chapter from The Bible (The book of John is a great place to start) be reminded that your identity is not in your circumstances but in GOD!

BIG BUT #2--Blaming Others

This Past Sunday we looked at "Big But" #2 Blaming Others. We talked about the reality that the moment we begin blaming other people we stop growing. "In Order to Grow we must let go."

#1--Who is one person you have been blaming for an attitude or action in your life?

#2--How has that been working for you?

#3--What will be the consequences for you if you don't let go?

#4--How different would your life be, if you do "let go?"

#5--What is one thing you can do today to begin the process today?

Here is a simple prayer..."Father God, I thank you that you love me and have my best interest in mind. I thank you that you have good things in store for me and that Your Word is truth regardless of how I feel. _______ has hurt me deeply and offended me greatly. I want to forgive and let go. Forgive me for my attitude and bitterness. Wash over me with your forgiveness and love so it can flow through me to others. Thank you for Your power and for helping me let go. I choose to let go today. In Jesus name...AMEN!

Does Anything Happen?

Yesterday, we finished our series "Starting Point: Going Deeper" with special guest speaker Pastor Cornell Jordan. He spoke on the topic of prayer....not how to pray but why we pray!

He asked tough questions like...

*When you pray does something miraculous, powerful or positive happen?

*If not then why?

James 5:16 says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (NLT)

The level of our prayer life will reveal the level of depth in our relationship with God. Why not begin to plan for prayer just like you plan to eat, take a shower and brush your teeth. The Creator of the Universe wants to have such a close relationship with you and be involved in your daily life. Will you let Him?