The Name: Light Of The World

Light is vitally important.
John 8:12 ...I am the light of the world...
Isa 9:1-2, Luke 1:76-79

What does this mean for us?
1. Jesus is the light of salvation. The world has no other light than him. John 8:12, follow me and you will have the light. John 1:1-5, 8:12 those who do not follow him will walk in darkness. John 8:23-24 Jesus is not of this world, believe in him so you don't die in the darkness of your sins. John 3:16-21, we have to understand how lost we are, so that we can understand what Jesus did for us.  Isa 29:13-16 What are you doing with the light of Jesus? John 8:28-30, 20:30-31

2. Jesus is the light for life for every day. John 4:10, 6:32-33, 8:12, 10:10

3. Jesus is the light of eternity. Mt 22:31-32, Isa 60:19-20, Rev 21:22-25

The Name: The Lamb Of God

John 1:29-34
1. Who is the Lamb? Jn 1:29 John said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Ex 12:12-13, Lev 4:32-35
- the Lamb was to be unblemished. Ex 12:5, Lk 1:26-35, 1Jn 3:5
- the Lamb was to be slaughtered. Lev 4:33, Isa 53:10, Heb 9-10
- the Lamb's Blood was for forgiveness of sins. Lev 4:35, Atonement - the broken relationship was repaired
- the Lamb offered salvation. Ex 12:13
2. The Lamb was Jesus. Heb 9:11-15, 10:11-12
3. Our response to the Lamb of God
- believe in the Lamb. Jn 12:12-13, 17-18, 3:16, Rev 6:15-17
- tell others about the Lamb. Jn 1:35-41
- behold the Lamb. Rev 5:1-8

* from Ron's notes on youversion.

The Name: No Other Name

Jesus: Mt 1:18-21  Jesus means - God is salvation, the Lord saves.
Christ: the Messiah, the anointed one of God
Lk 1:31-32a Jesus is great
1. His greatness is seen in his birth through the Holy Spirit. Mt 1:18, Col 1:15-17, John 1:1,14, 8:56-58. C. S. Lewis - Lord, liar, or lunatic.
2. His greatness is seen in his life. We are not as great as we think we are. Mt 20:25-28. He turned our idea of greatness upside down. Phil 2:5-8. He was a servant and was sinless.
3. His greatness was seen in his death. Rom 3:23, 6:23, Col 2:13-15. 1 Pet 5:8 - Jesus conquered our enemy.
4. His greatness was seen in his resurrection. John 20:26-28. He rose from the dead.
5. His greatness will be seen in his return. Hallelujah!
6. His name is the greatest name! Acts 4:12, Phil 2:9-11

Rescued: Helpless 11/2/14

Rom 6:1-7

Rom 5:6,8 God loves me in all of my brokenness and sin.  He died for me while I was still in my sin and shame. v.8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God takes sheer delight in me, he is crazy about me, even as I struggle with sin.  He wants to help, and stands ready and waiting.

Rom 6:1-1, 6-7 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" v.6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin."  2 Cor 5:17 We become a new creation.

I am helpless on my own to change myself.  Only Jesus can change me, through the Holy Spirit.  He is maturing me every day to make me who He wants me to be.  I am freed up from trying to fix myself.

- It starts with repentance. To rethink, to change one's mind. Mk 1:14, Acts 2:38, 3:19, Rev 3:19  Coming to grips with those sin areas we need to overcome.  To agree with the change He has already given to us through his death and resurrection. Growing into who Christ has already made me to be.  To see our sin as God sees our sin, and to turn from it.

There is no such thing as a true Christian who is not changing.  We should always be changing to become more like Christ. 2Cor 7:8-9

Rescued: The Exchange

How do I overcome the sin with which I struggle?
Rom 7:14-25, 8:1-14
1. I have no power in myself to live the Christian life. (Chainsaw example: you won't cut the wood unless you turn on the power of the saw.) v.18
2. We are given the Spirit when we are saved. Rom 8:1-4
3. We have an obligation to live by the Spirit. Rom 8:12-14, Acts 1:8, Gal 2:20 & 5:16
4. We need to be filled with the Spirit.
Eph 5:18, let the Holy Spirit of God have control of you, and do this over and over again. Eph 4:30 Do not quench the Spirit.

How do we become filled with the Holy Spirit? 1 John 1:9
1. Confess our sin.
2. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
3. Believe.

Rescued: Right on Time

Rom 5:12, Gen 2:25; 3:8-10, - we have fallen away from God, and are ashamed, so we wear masks to try to hide from each other and from God. We try to fix ourselves or hope that religion or other people will complete us.
The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. The problem is not stuff on the outside, it is my heart. Rom 3:23, Mk 7:14-23
Rom 5:1; 3:21-26; 5:2-5 We can now boast in the glory of God.
Rom 5:6-8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God takes delight in me, even as I continue to struggle with sin. God is crazy about me! Col 2:13-15
Run to Jesus! He loves me!

Rescued: Good grief!

1. We are broken.
2. We cannot fix ourselves. Jer 2:11-12,  We turn to ourselves and other stuff to try to fix our brokenness.
3. Jesus is the answer to our problems. He loves and delights in you.
4. A true follower of Christ will be changing. There should be a desire in us for change, to become more like Jesus. Rom 6:1-2, 6:6-7; 1Thess 4:1-3 be sanctified. If you know Jesus, you are already changed, 2Cor 5:17.
5. This change process begins with repentance. 2Cor 7:8-11.

Worldly sorrow: brings death.
- It is horizontal, it has nothing to do with God, we're just sorry we got caught.
- It is emotional not spiritual.
- It is passive, it's no big deal.

Godly sorrow: brings change.
- We see our sin. It's the story of the prodigal son. Lk 15:17.
- We feel sorrow about our sin.
- It is active and results in repentance. Ps 32:1-5, 40:1-10.
- It leads to action. Lk 19:8.
- It produces hatred for sin.

Rescued: Set free

Rom 6:1-12
1. God's grace demands that we fight against sin. v1-2 Should we continue sinning so grace will increase? NO! BUT - we often actually do this, we continue in our pet sins knowing that God is full of grace and mercy.
2. We are dead to sin. v2b However;  sinless perfection is not possible, and we do not lose our desire to sin. Gal 5:17. When Jesus rescues us, we are released from the power of sin.
3. Christ has made provision for our fight against sin. v3-8 Jesus died to save us from our sins, but he rose again so we can walk with him everyday.
4. We must make a conscious choice NOT to sin. v11-12 We need to consider ourselves dead to sin, and don't let sin control us - that's our job. Sin is not my master, Christ is my master.

Rescued: In The Beginning

God loves the broken me that I am right now, and wants to rescue me from my miserable, pathetic self.
Gen 1:1, 26-28; God created mankind.
Gen 2:25 all is well with God - beautiful verse; 3:6-9 Adam and Eve made masks to hide from God, "sin management," v8 naked and ashamed, they hid from God
Rom 5:12; 7:18-20, 24-25 Who will rescue me from my sin and death? Jesus!
We try to fix/rescue ourselves with:
- Ourselves - we can't fix ourselves
- Others - other people can't fix us
- The world - the things of the world won't fix us, they may numb us but not rescue us
- Religion - more Godly behavior does not fix us
Only the Lord can rescue us from sin and death.

Grace: Future Grace 8/30/14

1Pet. 1:13-16 Looking forward to the grace that will come to us when Jesus comes back
Our goal is to meet Jesus.  We don't think like that today, we don't pray like that.  Our mindset should be that of meeting Jesus, of being in perfect relationship with each other and with our Father.  "Therefore" - 1Pet 1:3-5 remember your salvation, remember the resurrection of Jesus and our salvation.  God's strength and power is shielding us (surrounding us like a military formation) until Jesus comes back.
Keep your mind on Jesus. v.13 "alert and fully sober" - be ready to fight, realizing that Satan wants to destroy us. 1Pet. 5:8-9.
Be holy. 1Pet 1:14-16 be obedient and holy. Titus 2:11-14 Say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.  We are a new creation, and should live like it, and strive to look more like God every day.

Prayer: Prayer and Fasting

Fasting - a Christian's voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.
Mt 6:16-18 There is an expectation that we will fast. Our fast should be between us and God, not outwardly visible. Fasting was practiced throughout the Bible.
It is to be done with a purpose. (guidance, direction, deliverance, perfection, overcome temptation, to humble yourself, for spiritual focus, etc.)
Isa 58
- v3 fasting is not about religious activity. It's easy to get distracted by religious activities, and forget that we need to have a heart that is connected with God.
- v3 it's not about manipulating God. Our fasting should be about praying and being connected to God.
- v3-4 do not let fasting bring out anger.
- v7 let fasting make your thoughts more like God's thoughts, and care about others.
- v8 if we fast in the proper way, God will hear our prayers and answer them, He will make us more like Jesus. God will have our back.

Prayer: House of Prayer 9/20/14

Mt 21:12-17 Jesus cleared the temple
What should have been a beautiful act of worship, was turned into an ugly business where they could make profit. They were focused on the wrong thing.
Jer 7:1-11 v4 the people were trying to justify their sinful actions because they were going to church. Den of robbers equals religious activity without a heart change.
Isa 56:3-7 House of prayer is for all who love God and serve him. All who truly love him are welcome. Come with a heart that is broken and full of love, and God will accept you.
What does a house of prayer look like?
There is healing. Mt 21 v14 Jesus healed. Jesus saves. v15 wondrous equals more than just what man could do.
There is praise. v15-16 Hosanna to the son of David means that a savior has come. 2 Chron 7:1-4 The glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Prayer: Big God, Big Prayers

Jeremiah 33:1-3
1. We have been given an incredible invitation. v.3 Call on me.
- it is personal - from Yahweh
- it is powerful - God is all-powerful. The power behind the offer is based on the competency of the one making the offer.
2. We have been given an incredible promise. v.3 And I will answer you.
Psalm 139:1-16, Mt 10:29-32, Eph 1, Psalm 135:6, Ex 32:9-14  God would love to say yes to our prayers. Luke 11:9-13 Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jer
32:26-27 There is nothing we can bring before God that he doesn't know or can't handle.

Grace: Sufficient Grace

Have you ever felt like God disappointed you?
2Cor 12:1-10
1. We all have the tendency to become conceited. Paul's boasting in his own weaknesses challenges our preoccupation with ourselves.
2. The thorn was given to Paul. God allowed it. The thorn tormented Paul and it was ongoing. It caused him to cry out to God to take it away.
3. Sometimes God's best answer is No. 2Cor 12:9. Maybe the thing we want to get rid of is the thing that makes us reliant upon God. No matter what we are facing or dealing with, God's Grace is sufficient.
4. Let God's Grace rest upon you. 2Cor 12:9. "Rest" means "to pitch a tent over." God drapes over us like a tent. Sufficient grace does not promise us life without struggles, but it does promise us that God will be draped over us. 2Cor 12:10. How about you? Will you rest in God's Grace and strength?

Grace: Excel in Grace

2Cor 8:1-9 a lifestyle of generosity
1. Grace comes down. v1
All generosity begins with the grace of God, it flows from the overwhelming love and grace of God. Eph 2:8-10, 2Cor 12:9. Everyday we have to walk in God's strength and grace. Common grace: a beautiful sunrise, a delicious meal, hugs, etc.
2. Joy rises up. v2
Overflowing joy can come from the grace of God in the midst of extreme poverty or circumstances. Everyday we need to examine where our joy is coming from - God or our stuff? We can enjoy our stuff, but our true Joy should come from Jesus. Job 1:21
3. Generosity flowed out. v2-9
When our joy truly comes from God, we will overflow with generosity for others. God will show us where He wants our overflowing joy to be poured out.

Grace: Legos and Grace

Grace in community. We are all a part of God's family.
Eph 2:19-22
1. Those who have experienced grace have become part of God's household. John
2. Jesus is the foundation of the family - the cornerstone. v19-20 Everything we do should start with Jesus.
3. Jesus is building his family. v21-22 We are all different (like Legos), but God uses all of our uniqueness to build His beautiful family.
The reason we need to be together as a family, is so others will look on and join God's family.
Acts 4:32-35, 2:42-47

Grace: Saved By Grace

Saved by grace: Eph 2:1-10
Mercy - not getting what you deserve
Grace - getting what you don't deserve
What we deserve is the full wrath of God, instead He gave us mercy, and through grace he gave us salvation through Christ Jesus.
1. Saved from what? Spiritual death and the wrath of God: Eph 2:1-3, we are dead in our sins and separated from God.
2. Saved by what? By God's Grace. Jesus took all of God's wrath and died on the cross for us! Eph 2:4-7
3. Saved for what? For good works, which God has prepared for us to do. Eph 2:10, 1:7-8

The Lord's Supper

It's an ordinance for the church (Jesus prescribed two practices for the church: baptism and the Lord's Supper). Lk 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:17-30
- The Lord's Supper calls us to unity. 1 Cor 10:14-17, 11:17-22. There should be no cliques in our church. We are all in this together.
- The Lord's Supper reminds us of Jesus' death. 1 Cor 11:24-25. How can we be divided if we are focused on what Jesus did for us on the cross?
- The Lord's Supper is a proclamation of Jesus' death.  1 Cor 11:26. He died for us, to cover our sins.
- The Lord's Supper is a time of anticipation. 1 Cor 11:26. He's coming back!
- The Lord's Supper provides an opportunity for self examination. 1 Cor 11:28-31.

Toxic: Toxic Finances

Toxic perspectives on finances:
- the more you make, the happier you will be.
- I've got to have it now. (debt: Prov 22:7, Mt 6:24)
- It's my money, and I'll spend it the way I want. Mal 3:6-10
- plant a seed, and God will give you everything you've ever wanted. Two trains of thought:
1. Prosperity gospel: God wants you to be blessed and have everything
2. Minimalist theology: you should not have much of anything

Mk 10:17-31 The rich young ruler asked the right question to the right person, and got the right answer, but went away sad.
- Money is a spiritual issue. It can stand between us and Jesus.
- We need to trust in Jesus and not our wealth/stuff. Do I love my stuff more than I love Jesus?
- The proper use of money is not for salvation, but a beautiful result of salvation. We should be generous, cheerful, sacrificial givers. 2Cor 9:6-8, 2Cor 8:2
- Make a plan for your finances: give, save, spend

Buried Treasure by Will Good

Buried Treasure - the eminent return of Jesus
What do I think of when I hear "the eminent return of Jesus" - heaven
God has given us great hope of heaven, but we focus on tiny problems. Are we joyfully expecting the return of Jesus? Ro 8:18-25
Three reasons we need to find the treasure:
1. Reward - there will be a reward for us in heaven. Heb 11:26, Mt 19:27-30  What have I sacrificed for Jesus? Mt 10, 24 Will part of my heavenly reward be to be responsible for things in heaven?
2. Fear - we have so many fears. 2 Pet 2, 3:10-14, Mt 24:27, 36-38 The enemy has stolen our proper perspective.
3. Loss - tragic losses: Col 3:1-2, we settle for less than the truth; missing out on things that we haven't yet experienced: but things will be made new in heaven, what if nothing is lost but everything is made new?

Toxic: Toxic Religions

Religion - an organized system of rules used to worship God or gods.
I don't have to go to church to meet some religious demands, I get to go to church to worship Jesus my Savior.
Gal 1:6-8
- Religion focuses on the external instead of the internal. Mt 23:25-28
- Religion promotes spiritual pride. Lk 18:9-14 Jesus's harshest words were towards the "religious" people. Lk 14:1-24
- There will be a banquet.
- Not everyone will be at the banquet.
- The least likely people will be at the banquet.
- You are invited to the banquet.

Toxic: Toxic Relationships

We can surround ourselves with life-giving or life-draining people.
- 5 types of toxic people:
1. The Critic: always finds the worst in situations and people. Ex 16:2-3
2. Mr. Negative: never have anything positive to say.
3. The Controller: control freak, always telling you what you should do
4. EGR (extra grace required): needy, drain you out
5. The Tempter: always tempting you to do something bad
- We need to be aware of these people, and evaluate ourselves too
- Choose your friends carefully. They will affect your life. 1 Cor 5:33, Prov 12:26, 13:20. You should be involved with your church family. Your closest friends should be believers, because the people who are the closest to you will be your greatest spiritual asset, or your worse curse.
- You may need to end some relationships. 2 Cor 6:14, Gen 39 - Joseph and Potipher's wife.
-A friend is someone who loves, is willing to have deep conversations, and is loyal. Prov 17:17, 27:9
Jesus is the ultimate friend. Prov 18:24, Jn 15:13.

Storms By Andy Erickson

Dealing with storms
As Christians, how do we deal with storms in our lives?
Ps 13:1-2, Mk 4
Our faith needs to be grounded in the kingdom of God, and growing strong. Even if our faith is very small, it can grow huge.
Mk 4:35-41 The disciples found themselves in a storm and instead of having faith, they questioned Jesus. They were more focused on the storm than on the savior. Jesus cared about the storms in their lives. Sometimes he takes the storms away, sometimes he just stays with us through the storm.
Ex 33:14 My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
Ps 121:1-2
Ps 13:5 trust in his unfailing love

Toxic: Toxic Words

-The tongue is powerful.
Prov 18:21 The tongue has the power to bring life or death. Jas 3:2-5, 9-10 If you find someone who can control their tongue, they can control their bodies as well. You can tell what is in someone's heart by what they say.
- The tongue speaks words of life and death.
Words of death - Gossip: Prov 16:28, 26:20-22, gossip destroys. Harsh and angry words: Eph 4:29. Lying: Prov 12:17,19, Prov 16:13.
Words of life - Should be nourishing, encouraging, and helpful: Prov 10:11,21,24.
- How we can speak words of life:
1. Talk less, listen more, ask questions. Prov 17:27
2. Think before you speak.
3. Speak gently. Prov 15:1.
All of this comes from the Lord, there's no way we can do it in our own strength. Luke 6:45.

Toxic: Toxic Influences

What toxic influences have I allowed into my life this week?
We live in a crazy, toxic world.
How do we handle the toxic influences?
- You need to guard your heart. When I don't, and I let all the toxic influences into my life, it's very hard to walk with God. Prov 4:23
- Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. 1 Cor 6:12, Gal 5:1
- Put it to the test. 1 Thess 5:21-22, Rom 12:2
*Am I being entertained by sin?
*Is this pleasing to God?
*Does this lure me away from Christ?
- Balance it out. Examine the influences in our life. Prov 5:21-22, Col 3:16, Ps 119:11
- Get a verse. Eph 5:1-4,15-20, 1Jn 2:3-7, 1 Pet 1:13-16

Toxic: Toxic Thoughts

Toxic - poisonous, causing sickness or death
Satan wants to make us believe toxic thoughts and live a lie.
4 thought areas in which we struggle:
- Negative thoughts make us irritable and grumpy
- Fearful thoughts rob us of the peace that passes understanding
- Discontented thoughts take away the joy that Christ offers
- Critical thoughts clog up our ability to love other people
4 ways to reject toxic thoughts:
- take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor 10:3-5 - We have the power of God available to us to demolish Satan's strongholds.
- Replace toxic thoughts with truth. Phil 4:8 - get into the Bible.
- Change your mind. Rom 12:2 - be transformed by the renewing of your mind (continuously). Eph 4:22-24 - put on your new self.
- Get a verse. Replace toxic thoughts with God's truth. Phil 4:4-7, Rom 8:28, Isa 41:13, Isa 43:4, Mt 6:33

Psalm 42

Psalm 42
When you find yourself in tough circumstances, preach the gospel to yourself. Peter said that our hope is not in this world, but in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-9.
Who talks like this? No matter what they went through, they praised God. Psalm 42:1-2, Hab 3:17-19, Job 1:20-21, Phil 1:21-22
- Do I seek after God the way that a dehydrated deer seeks after water? Why not??? Idols are the reason I don't seek after God the way I should. We love other stuff more than we love God. Ex 32:1-6, Ps 106:19-20, Mt 6:19-21. What do I put before God? No matter what it is, it will someday be gone. God will always be there. 2Cor 4:16 This should be a reminder that my body and my idols will waste away. Ezekiel 14:1-5 God will answer us, but will focus on our idols and our hearts, because he wants our whole heart. Jas 4:4-5. God longs jealously for us.

Abigail by Rick Tucker

Abigail - 1 Sam 25
We can help ourselves and those around us avoid great pain if we use wisdom and do the right thing in the right way at the right time.
- Abigail did the wise thing. She showed great wisdom. A wise person knows the right thing, and does it. Prov 4:5-13, 3:13-18 Our wisdom will impact those around us. God, what is the wisest thing I can do in this situation?
Read Proverbs over and over again, and read all of scripture, seek wisdom from godly people.
- Abigail did the right thing in the right way. She came with grace and humility, chose her words carefully, and heaped praise upon David. She reminded David who he was and who God was. Prov 15:1 Do not answer with harsh words.
- Abigail did the right thing at the right time. She acted immediately. Wisdom requires action. She didn't let fear stop her. She didn't think or talk about doing the right thing - she DID it. Prov 6:6-11 Do not be lazy. Seek wisdom. Breathe, pray, ask for wisdom, then ACT.

Psalm 42

Life can be a struggle and a mess.
Ps 42 Longing for God, feeling of being rejected, forgotten.
Just because you are Christian, life is not always going to go the way you want.
v.9 God, why have you forgotten me?
-Humbly coming before God to admit our struggles.
- he acknowledges God's control v.7
- he sings and at night his song is with me v.8
- he talked to himself v.5, and answers himself - put your hope in God! No matter what, God loves me.
- he reminded himself of great times of worship. v.4
- he thirsts for God. v.1

Rescued: Baptism

Rom 6:1-6 Baptism
-What is baptism? It is our public declaration of our faith in Jesus.
-Why do we baptize? Jesus commanded it. Mt 28:19-20. Jesus modeled it for us. Mk 1:9-10.
-How do we baptize? By immersion, which is how Jesus did it. Acts 8:38. The Greek word for baptize means sinking down under. Immersion best symbolizes death and raising to new life.
-Who do we baptize? Believers - those have been saved, and who are old enough to give testimony of their faith in Jesus. Acts 2:41, 8:12, 18:8. No instances of infant baptism in scripture.
-Does baptism save? No. It is not a condition of your salvation, it is a sign of your salvation. Heb 9:22 The blood of Jesus is what saves us. Lk 23:39-43 The thief on the cross was saved, but not baptised.
-What should I do? The most important thing is salvation! Then be baptised as evidence of your faith.

Rescued: Man overboard

- Are you with me? Do you struggle with sin?  Rom 7:14-25 - I am a slave to sin. I don't do what I should do, and do what I should not be doing. Who will rescue me? Jesus! (This is written by Paul AFTER salvation and transformation.)
Rom 8:1-2 - There is no condemnation in Jesus!
- There is an expectation of change for Christians. We should be changing and becoming more like Jesus.  Rom 6:1-2, 1 Thess 4:1-3a.
- God is in the business of rescuing and changing people!  Ex 2:11-12 - Moses killed an Egyptian, but God still used him mightily. 2 Sam - David, Bathsheba, and Uriah. John 4 - the woman at the well. Lk 19 - Zaccheus. Acts 26 - Paul's story. Rom 5:8

The Movement: The best week ever

The best week ever for all of us happened about 2,000 years ago - Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday - Jesus' death and resurrection.
After all that happened to him, he said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." What kind of man says this? Only Jesus, the Son of God.
Mt 21:1-11
Malchus - John 18:1-11 Jesus used the same words as God, "I am." You've got to wonder what Malchus was thinking. Who is this man?
Peter - had no doubt about who Jesus was, claimed he would never betray Jesus, Mt 26:69-75. Peter wept bitterly after he betrayed Jesus. How often are we betraying Jesus, maybe not with our words, but with the actions of our lives?
Pilate - Mt 27:15-26 Stuck in the middle of knowing Jesus was innocent, and the riotous crowd wanting to crucify Jesus.
Barrabus - best day ever, was released even though he was guilty and Jesus was innocent.
Me - I was there. Crucifying Jesus because of my sin. Just as though Barrabus was set free and Jesus took his place, Jesus takes my place and the punishment for my sin and guilt.
BUT, there is hope! Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and LIVES.

The Movement: The midnight hour

Acts 16:16-34 Paul and Silas in prison
- God can take the worst of circumstances and make something beautiful. We allow our circumstances to shape our view of God, instead of allowing our view of God to shape our circumstances. Make a decision to worship God no matter your circumstances. v. 25, 2 Cor 1:8-9 We must CHOOSE to worship God.
- We must be willing to be inconvenienced to be a part of the movement. Acts 16:6-10, Rom 9:2-3
- The most important question someone can ask is "What must I do to be saved?"

The Movement: Not difficult!

Acts 15:1-31 Jewish Pharisees that were believers said Gentiles must be circumcised.
If we are honest with ourselves, none of us do well. We all need the mercy and grace of Jesus in order to be saved.
Acts 15:19 Do not make it difficult for others to be saved.
Acts 15:20 Be sensitive to others.
- Let's keep the message of Jesus simple. 1 Cor 2:1-2, Acts 15:19, Rom 10:9-13
- Let's always err on the side of grace. If we're going to make a mistake, it's better to go back to grace rather than laws, rules, and regulations. Eph 2:8-10, Gal 5:1-6
- Let's stay focused on those who are not yet believers. Don't focus inward, focus on the message of the gospel.

The Movement: Blinded by the light

Acts 7-9 The story of Steven and Saul, and Saul's conversion.
Acts 8:1 God used persecution to spread His gospel.
Acts 9 Saul had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was radically changed.
- God often allows suffering as a part of the Christian experience. Acts 9:15-16, 2 Cor 11:23-26,
- God often uses the most unlikely people in the most important ways. Acts 9:1, 16. God can use me! 1 Cor 1:26-29.
- God often saves the most unlikely people. Acts 9:20-21, 11-12. God knows me intimately and knows exactly what He desires for my life.

The Movement: The Name

Acts 5:17-42
The apostles rejoiced that they were worthy of suffering for the Name of Jesus.
If the movement is from God, nothing can stop it. We need to be on mission for God,  we will succeed.
What should we do?
- The main purpose of our lives as followers of Jesus is to advance the gospel to the end of the earth.
- We need to love our neighbors. Lk 10:27 I need to be more intentional about reaching out.
- We need to open our mouths and talk about Jesus. The most loving thing we could ever do is share Jesus with others, especially those we care about.
- We need to change our prayers and focus from:God keep us safe, to:God make us dangerous.

The Movement: Holy Spirit 101

The Holy Spirit was front and center in the early church. Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 4:8-12, 4:31

Who is the Holy Spirit? One God who exists in 3 separate persons. Isa 40:25 - we cannot fully understand God. Gen 1:1-2; Mt 3:16-17; Jn 14:16-17; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 2:33*

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Eph 5:15-18 - be affected by the Holy Spirit, let your life be different because you're under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit every day, over and over again.

- What should be a normal, beautiful, unifying part of following Jesus is often considered abnormal, scary, and divisive.

- We live our lives and operate our churches without the Holy Spirit and have convinced ourselves we are okay.

- We need to stop and ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit (His Spirit).  If we do this we will love people and want them to follow Jesus in a good way, not like it's a project.

- We need to listen to the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit speaks to us in many different ways. If what I hear benefits others or if I find myself arguing with it, it's probably the Holy Spirit.

The Movement: Bold

Acts 3-4
3:13 the miracles are to point to Jesus
4:29-30 give us great boldness to speak for you, God
We need to be bold for Jesus and speak the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for boldness and a focus on Jesus and the gospel.

The Movement: Humble beginnings

The early church loved Jesus, loved other people, and were concerned and active about sharing Jesus with others. Acts 1-2

Do I really believe what I say I believe? Do I act on what I believe? What do I do with the things I believe? Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me?

The Movement:
- involved passionate followed of Jesus, Lk 9:23-24, 57-62
- the power comes from God
- people couldn't stop talking about Jesus
- is local and global, Acts 1:8
- there are no "lone rangers"
- the stakes are high
- Jesus is coming back! Acts 1:11

The Habit: journey to an acquired behavior: Evangelism

Evangelism - the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.
Disciple - a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure...
- the expectation of evangelism: Mt 4:18-20, Lk 19:9-10, Mt 28:19-20
- the importance of evangelism: Mk 16:15-16 heaven and hell are real and we need to share that with others, Mt 40-42, we need to have an urgency to share the gospel
- the process of evangelism:
--- tell your story. Jn 1:40-42, the most powerful thing you have is your own story. Be genuine.  Why don't we do it? Because we're afraid. Ro 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10, 10:13
--- bring them to Jesus
- the power for evangelism comes from God, not us
- the reward of evangelism: you get to have other people in heaven with you that might not have been there.

The Habit: journey to an acquired behavior: Prayer

The Habit of Prayer. Prayer seems crazy - actually being able to speak with God.
Prayer is one of the most important things we can do. Prayer is not about us, it's about God.
Mt 6:5-13 Don't be a hypocrite when you pray. Don't babble, my father God knows what you need even before you ask.
Carve time out in your schedule and make a special place where you can get alone with God and pray.
Our Father - we should stop right there and be in awe. God is everything.
Your kingdom come - trust God that whatever He does is good. What is most important is not what I want, but what You want.
Jas 5:16 the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - as we do this more, we will pray smarter prayers, aligned with God's heart.
Give us our daily bread - be thankful for what we have, that our provision comes from God.
Forgive us - confession of our sins. We also need to forgive others.
Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.
Declare God's greatness.
Surrender your will.
Acknowledge your dependence:
- provision
- pardon
- protection

The Habit: journey to an acquired behavior: studying God's Word

Habit - An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it becomes involuntary.

The Habit of studying God's word. The number one way God speaks to us is through his word. 2Tim 3:14-17 All scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Jas 1:22-25 Let God's word change us and make us better.
Why wouldn't you spend time in God's word, reading his love letter to us, allowing him to seep into our lives and make us better.
Training is long-term, and something we do BEFORE the moment we need it. This  in order that we are ready and equipped when the time comes. God uses his word to train us in righteousness.
How  we do this?
- SOAP scripture, observation, application, prayer (January: stay today with Prov 12, read a chapter a day. February: read a chapter a day in Acts) read a chapter, write about a verse you read, write about how to apply that verse, pray about it.