Joy drives us toward one another Our true joy will point towards God as well as what He is doing or will be doing Our joy reminds us of the bigger picture What is your joy rooted in? How are we able to experience more joy? What might need to change in our lives?
Mother Teresa - “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Ronald Reagan - “Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Jewish people were working through some conflict. Joseph was working through some conflict. The voice of the Lord brings peace. True peace is connected to the presence and voice of God, not just outcomes. Peace is built on God’s faithful promises. Peace is built on God’s faithful promise...
We can cloud hope with wishful thinking. HOPE is confident expectation, it is security in knowing, it is expecting an awaited outcome. Holiness and Faithfulness do not protect us from disappointment or even suffering. Unmet longings can become places to encounter HOPE. God’s answers often look different than our expectations. Jesus at one time was the future hope who became, and still is, the present hope and continues to be the future hope. Jesus is our confident expectation, Jesus is our se...
WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD? WE CAN ENDURE HARDSHIP AND BECOME RIGHTEOUS WE CAN EXPERIENCE SALVATION AND THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WE CAN BELIEVE IN GOD AND OVERCOME OUR UNBELIEF HOW CAN WE LIVE OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD? 1) GIVE UP YOUR GOOD LIFE FOR GOD’S BEST LIFE 2) GIVE UP TRYING TO OBEY GOD FOR FOLLOWING GOD 3) GIVE UP WHAT WE VALUE FOR GOD’S POWER 4) GIVE UP WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR WHAT GOD KNOWS IS POSSIBLE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HOPE IN GOD? WE ARE ENCOURAGED AND WORSHIP HIM WE ARE QUIET AND WAIT ON HIM WE DEPEND ON GOD AND BELIEVE IN HIM WE FEAR GOD AND LOVE HIM HOW CAN WE LIVE WITH HOPE? 1) LIVE OUT THE SALVATION OF JESUS 2) OBEY THE COMMANDS OF JESUS 3) BE HOLY LIKE THE NATURE OF JESUS 4) TRUST IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE NEW LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST? WE ARE CONTROLLED BY THE LOVE OF CHRIST WE ARE DEAD TO OUR OLD LIVES AND ALIVE TO CHRIST WE ARE NO LONGER EVALUATING OTHERS BECAUSE OF CHRIST WE ARE LIVING NEW LIVES IN CHRIST HOW CAN WE LIVE A NEW LIFE IN JESUS 1) WE WORSHIP IN SPITE OF OUR DOUBT 2) WE TRUST GOD WHILE WE MAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS 3) WE TEACH OTHERS WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED WHILE WE LIVE WITH ASSURANCE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND SEEN? WE PROCLAIM THAT JESUS IS ETERNAL LIFE WE PROCLAIM THAT JESUS PROVIDES FELLOWSHIP WE PROCLAIM THAT JESUS GIVES JOY HOW CAN WE LIVE AS EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS? 1) WE COMMIT OUR LIVES TO JESUS 2) WE COMMIT OUR CONFUSION TO JESUS 3) WE COMMIT OUR FUTURE TO JESUS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND SEEN? WE TELL EVERYONE WE BECOME IDENTIFIED WITH JESUS WE EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS HOW CAN WE LIVE AS EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS? 1) WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES 2) WE TRUST GOD’S PLANS AND TIMING 3) WE STAND AGAINST EVIL 4) WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF GOD
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND SEEN? OUR LIVES BECOME TRANSFORMED OUR LIVES FOCUS ON GLORIFYING GOD OUR LIVES ARE LIVED WITH CONFIRMATION HOW CAN WE LIVE AS EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS? 1) WE BECOME DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES 2) WE BECOME DISCIPLES WHO GROW IN FAITH 3) WE BECOME DISCIPLES WHO SHARE JESUS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND SEEN? THE RESULT OF OUR FALLEN NATURE IS RESTORED THE MESSAGE OF OUR FALLEN NATURE IS CHANGED THE LIFE OF OUR FALLEN NATURE IS FOCUSED HOW CAN WE LIVE AS EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS? 1) DEPEND ON GOD FOR YOUR NEEDS 2) GROW IN FAITH ESPECIALLY THROUGH HARDSHIPS 3) REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE AND GLORIFY HIM WITH IT
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? THAT JESUS REPRESENTS ON YOUR BEHALF THAT JESUS REMOVES YOUR SIN THAT JESUS RETURNS FOR YOUR SALVATION HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) NEVER GIVE UP IN PRAYER 2) NEVER GIVE UP IN LOVE 3) NEVER GIVE UP IN TRANSFORMATION 4) NEVER GIVE UP IN GLORIFICATION
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? THAT JESUS SERVES AS OUR HIGH PRIEST THAT JESUS BECOMES OUR SACRIFICE FOR SIN THAT JESUS KNOWS SUFFERING IN THIS LIFE HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) WE LIVE IN FREEDOM BY BELIEVING 2) WE LIVE AS CHILDREN BY FAITH 3) WE LIVE IN UNITY BY CHRIST JESUS
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? WE MUST NOT NEGATE OUR FAITH WE MUST RECEIVE BY FAITH WE MUST LIVE BY FAITH HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) WE LIVE BELIEVING IN THE UNBELIEVABLE 2) WE LIVE HOPING IN THE IMPOSSIBLE 3) WE LIVE UNWAVERING IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? WE MUST SHARE WITH THOSE WHO KNOW WE MUST SHARE WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW WE MUST BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S MESSAGE HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) WE LIVE SURRENDERED TO GOD 2) WE LIVE IDENTIFIED WITH GOD 3) WE LIVE CALLED BY GOD
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? WE MUST BE OBEDIENT TO CHRIST WE MUST SUFFER FOR CHRIST’S SAKE WE MUST BE TRANSFORMED BY CHRIST HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) WE LIVE OFFERING JESUS 2) WE LIVE FOLLOWING JESUS 3) WE LIVE RECEIVING FROM JESUS
WHAT IS TRULY NECESSARY IN LIFE? WE ARE AWARE OF OUR NEEDS WE ARE AWARE OF OUR LACK WE ARE AWARE OF OUR POTENTIAL HOW CAN WE LIVE FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL THINGS IN LIFE? 1) WE LIVE WITH REPENTANCE 2) WE LIVE WITH GODLY SORROW 3) WE LIVE WITH CONVICTION
HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT IS NEXT? WE KNOW THE GOD WHO KNOWS ALL THINGS WE KNOW THE GOD WHO REIGNS FOREVER WE KNOW THE GOD WHO WILL GUIDE US HOW CAN WE LIVE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT THING? 1) WE LIVE WITH A GROWING FAITH 2) WE LIVE WITH A GROWING ASSURANCE 3) WE LIVE WITH A GROWING EXCITEMENT
WHAT DOES GOD GIVE US? GOD GIVES US HIS SON GOD GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE GOD GIVES US SALVATION HOW CAN WE LIVE WITH HUMILITY THIS CHRISTMAS? 1) HUMILITY IS SEEN IN SUBMITTING TO GOD’S PLAN 2) HUMILITY IS SEEN IN ACCEPTING YOUR PLACE IN GOD’S PLAN 3) HUMILITY IS SEEN IN WORSHIP OF GOD’S PLAN
WHAT DOES GOD GIVE US? GOD GIVES US THE RIGHT TO BE HIS CHILDREN GOD GIVES US SPIRITUAL LIFE GOD GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SEE HIS GLORY HOW CAN WE LIVE WITH FAITH THIS CHRISTMAS? 1) THE VIRGIN BIRTH EXPLAINS GOD’S INCARNATION 2) THE VIRGIN BIRTH FULFILLS GOD’S PROPHECY 3) THE VIRGIN BIRTH CONFIRMS GOD’S POWER 4) THE VIRGIN BIRTH REVEALS GOD’S SALVATION
WHAT DOES GOD GIVE US? GOD GIVES US HIS WORD GOD GIVES US HIS SALVATION GOD GIVES US HIS RELATIONSHIP HOW CAN WE LIVE WITH GRACE THIS CHRISTMAS? 1) WE MUST RECEIVE WHAT GOD GIVES US 2) WE MUST RESPOND TO WHAT GOD GIVES US 3) WE MUST REVEAL WHAT GOD GIVES US