The Basics Series - Money Part 2: Blessings vs Curses (Sept 15, 2013)

Money - Part 2

Blessings vs Curses

Malachi 3:8-11; Joshua 1, 6; 1 Kings 17; 2 Cor 9
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1.         Scripture Ref:  Malachi 3:8-11; Joshua 1, 6; 2 Cor 9

2.         Last week we talked about the principles of the firstborn, and the firstfruit.

a.    How God promises us if we’ll put Him first, He’ll bless us.

b.    How do you know what’s first in your life?  Look at your checkbook.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:21

c.    Money is an important resource, and what we do with our money (our treasure) is an indicator of where our heart is.

The Basics Series - Money Part 1: Principles of Firstborn & Firstfrutits (Sept 8, 2013)

Money - Part 1

The Principles of Firstborn and Firstfruits
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A few Sundays back one of the men in our church came up to me after the service, and said to me “Pastor Clay, I always pray for you when you start talking about money, because I know some people get really uncomfortable about that topic.”

Its true: Many people are uncomfortable when it comes to money and the church. The fact that I’m going to teach on money for the next three weeks is possibly making some of you uncomfortable right now!  I'd even be willing to bet someone didn't come to church today because I'm teaching on money ...some of you might not come back next week!  

So... I’m just glad we could just put that on the table! Some of you may be uncomfortable, and that’s OK – there are a lot of uncomfortable topics in the bible! However, just because something is uncomfortable doesn't mean we should ignore it. Ignoring something doesn't make it go away, it simply leaves us in ignorance about that topic.

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 6

The Spirit – Part 6

Ministry, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, Mercy

Romans 12:7-8
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Romans 12:7-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

...ministry, let us use it in our ministering;

This is simple;  Serving in practical ways….

(diakonia), to serve (where we get word for deacons). A wide variety of activities one performs with the help of God to comfort, encourage, support and build up God's people.

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 5 (Aug 25, 2013)

The Spirit Part 5

Discerning of Spirits, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues

1 Cor 12:9-10, 1 Cor 14
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Have you ever met someone who could almost sense what you were thinking? Some people have this gift of perception, almost like mind-reading!   Wouldn't it be useful to read between the line spiritually? Tell if something is from God? Thankfully the bible teaches us that it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

to another discerning of spirits,

1.         Natural Parallel – discernment - God given (as are all natural gifts)

a.    Discern: to perceive by sight or some other sense, or by intellect;

b.    to see, distinguish mentally

c.    Good or bad, motives, situational dynamics - read people.

2.         Spiritual gift: The supernatural ability to identify spiritual deception, false doctrine, false teaching, evil motives.

a.    Includes the ability to identify whether something is from the Holy Spirit, or demonic spirit.

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 4 (Aug 18, 2013)

The Spirit – Part 4 “Prophecy”

1 Cor 12:10, 1 Cor 14
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Last week:

1.         Faith - The unique supernatural ability to trust God in all circumstances,

2.         Healings - the ability to call on God to heal through supernatural means,

3.         Miracles - an event when the Holy Spirit chooses to over-ride the laws of nature

4.    This week, the word of prophecy...

to another prophecy, 1 Cor 12:10

4.         The ability to speak forth a message from God by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13

…for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:21

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 3 (Aug 11, 2013)

The Spirit – Part 3 “Faith, Healings, Miracles”

1 Cor 12:9-10

Last week:

1.         The word of wisdom, which is a gift of the Spirit that provides insight, guidance and counsel in a supernatural way. (Beyond your natural wisdom)

2.         Word of Knowledge is the ability to know something that could only be revealed supernaturally.

3.         Often work together:  Often when a word of knowledge is given, wisdom is needed to know how to proceed with that knowledge.

4.         Another gift that has a strong interworking aspect is FAITH:

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 2 (Aug 4, 2013)

The Spirit – Part 2 “Gifts”

1 Cor 12
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The Apple II:  introduced in 1977, In terms of ease of use, features and expandability the Apple II was a major technological advancement over any of its predecessors.  The machine had a motherboard with eight expansion slots, an array of random access memory (RAM) sockets that could hold up to 48 kilobytes worth of memory, color monitor with high-resolution graphics, sound capabilities and built-in BASIC programming language, the Apple II, changed the way people worked, and spawned a succession of more powerful computers that have revolutionized almost every aspect of our ability to work and produce:  Accounting, desktop publishing, graphic design, music, film, all use powerful tools that can accomplish in minutes things that would take days, or that were not even possible.  These machines give us the ability to accomplish things that are beyond our natural ability.

1.         In a similar way, God knew that in order to accomplish the things that He has called us to accomplish on this earth, you and I would need gifts and abilities that go beyond our human capacity.

a.    Which is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Spirit to us.

2.         Today we're going begin a walk through the different gifts that are noted in scripture: 

a.    What those gifts are, how they work, and what they look like in our everyday life.

b.    We won't get through them all today - no need to rush -

The Basics Series - The Spirit Part 1 (July 28, 2013)

The Spirit – Part 1

John 16
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1.         Imagine you and I are going to play golf, and on our way to the course I informed you that the Spirit of God had entered into me, and given me supernatural ability to play golf. What would your reaction / expectation be?

a.    Other than being a bit weirded out, after hearing that claim, wouldn’t you expect to see a significant improvement in my game?

b.    You would expect to see 300+ drives, right down the middle of the fairway; pinpoint approach shots (the ones that land behind the hole, then backup to right beside the cup!); drain every putt, walk off under par every time! (A reasonable expectation)

2.         But if we teed off, and I was driving into the next fairway, hitting into the water, missing greens, three-putting;

a.    Wouldn’t you question the reality of my experience? Yes, for there is a huge gap between my claim of empowerment, and my performance,

3.         And so it is in the lives of many Christians today, claiming that the Spirit of the Living God lives in them, yet their lives do not reflect that reality.

The Basics Series - The Word (July 14, 2013)

THE WORD

John 1
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1-5, 14

1.         "This bible that I am holding is the most unique book in the entire world.  Yet still, many people ignore it, or consider it to be old fashioned.  What is needed is a REASON - a reason to embrace this book into your life.  My hope today is that you’ll walk away with a renewed desire to read, study, meditate on the Word.

The Basics Series - The House (July 7, 2013)

The House

Acts 2 / Matt 16 / Eph 4
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1.         When you think of a "Church” - What image comes to mind?

a.    Most see – steeple, doors, cross, altar, country scene, autum leaves

2.         English word church comes from Greek kuriakos meaning “belonging to God”

a.    Found in bible it is the Greek ekklesia which means “the called out – the congregation”, IOW – the church are those who are called out by God, belonging to God,

b.    So when we speak of the church today, we are talking about the congregation of the believers

c.    Those who have believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, who have been washed by His blood, who have experienced his grace, and recieved new life.

d.    Not a facility – not a building - but it is a House, the house of Gods people

… (we are) living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. - 1 Pet 2:5

3.         Today we're going to talk about the house, the house of God

a.    Help us get a picture of the true house, our house