Revelation 12:11 James 2:14-26 Does this disagree with the Apostle Paul? Ephesians 2:8-10 The Big Idea: Faith without Incarnation is worthless. 1. The Proposition (v 14-17): Dead faith cannot do a thing James makes his point with two questions: • What good is it? • Can such faith save him? 2. The Argument (v 18-25) • Works are evidence that a person has faith. • Even demons believe the Shema • When faith and deeds work together, anyone can please God 3. The Concluding Statement (v 26) The body w...
Aug 13, 2023•44 min
Revelation 12:11 James 2:1-13 The Big Idea: Our simple command is to love people. 1. Crucify your impulse to be God 2. Choose what God chooses 3. Live with your verdict in mind The Conclusion of the Matter: James 2:13 “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Response: • Leave judgment to God • Choose mercy every time • B.L.E.S.S. Your Oikos DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY ► Connection questions: 1. What are you thankful for? 2. What is a challenge you are facing? 3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” stateme...
Aug 06, 2023•43 min
Revelation 12:11 James 1:19-27 God wired three desires into your DNA • To properly worship God • To have God’s Blessing on all that you do. • To be used by God to change somebody’s World The Big Idea: To play the long game, “Listen Up, Grow Up, and Follow Up” Three Rules for Life: 1. Listen Up • Prov. 10:19 NLT “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” • The worst outcome possible: “He deceives himself and his religion is worthless” 2. Grow Up Hebrews 12:1 3. Follow Up ...
Jul 30, 2023•43 min
Revelation 12:11 We will overcome this way as well: The Blood of Jesus, the story of our obedience and life, and not loving our lives as to shrink from death. James 1:9–18 Big Idea: Temptation is an opportunity to move toward God or away from God. Two Forces on our Soul: 1. Outward trials and attacks that erode our faith in God. 2. Inward temptations to move away from our trust in God. Are you tempted to move toward God or away from God? Temptations become crossroads, an opportunity to press tow...
Jul 23, 2023•42 min
Revelation 12:11 James 1:1-8; 12 The Big Idea: Find joy in your trials because perseverance is the path. Doctrine of God: He is the generous, holy, unchanging source of good; He is sovereign and just. Doctrine of Sin: It is universal and indwelling all people, resulting in death. It expresses itself in anger, moral filth, blasphemy, discrimination, bitterness, pride, theft, and oppression. Doctrine of End Times: The day of rewards, the day when God’s Kingdom will be introduced, the day of judg...
Jul 16, 2023•47 min
The Big Idea: God has given us everything we need to be overcomers, and you are going to make it! John 16:7-15 The Better Way: Better than having Jesus right next to you is having the Spirit in you! 1. Never have to be Thirsty John 7:37-39 John 16:8 2. Never have to be Lost John 3:8 John 16:12-13 3. Never have to be Confused John 16:13b-15 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 What is holding me back? Am I Ignorant? Acts 19:1-3 Am I Negligent? 2 Timothy 1:6-7,14 Am I Resistant? Acts 7:51 RESPONSE: • Conf...
Jul 09, 2023•41 min
The Big Idea: Jesus was the most free human ever and He can take us into that same level of freedom. John 8:28-36 Three Steps to Total Freedom: 1. Make a Declaration of Dependence: John 15:1-8 2. Throw off Religious systems that create barriers rather than freedom. The Truth sets you free. It does not bind you into religious obligations Colossians 2:6-23 3. Take up your cross every day Luke 9:23-25 Philippians 3:10-11 Response: • Make a Declaration of Dependence • Take up your cross daily ...
Jul 02, 2023•44 min
Proverbs 18:1-4, 10, 12-13, 15-17, 19, 21, 24 Exodus 20:16 The Big Idea: Stop mindreading and actually talk to people • Stereotypes are thoughts. - Thoughts produce prejudices • Prejudices are feelings - Thoughts and feelings lead to Discrimination • Discrimination is an action. - Action creates culture. All of this began in Genesis 3: • I was afraid • Because I was naked • So I hid Three Skills of Relational Wisdom: Skill #1: Stop mind reading 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 Romans 12:1 Skill #2: Start Ta...
Jun 25, 2023•47 min
1 Peter 2:4–10 Big Idea: Community is built on God, with God, and for God. Observations from 1 Peter: Begins with the Living Stone Cornerstone The plumbline, anchor, base from which our community is constructed. Capstone The top level, shielding the wall from the elements and protecting it from cracking. Keystone The final piece in the arch, supporting a bridge of stones across an entryway. • Every follower of Christ is also a living stone. • God is fitting us together into a beautiful place for...
Jun 18, 2023•41 min
The Big Idea: We grow and thrive together or we do not grow much. Mark 3:31-35 Two Things This Means to Us: 1. Jesus’ vision for the church is that of a family. 2. Family is the place of our deepest hurt and our deepest healing. Adult Patterns of Relationship as established in our childhood: (Attachment Theory) 1. Avoidant - People cannot be trusted. 2. Anxious attachment - People are consistently unreliable. 3. Scattered -I cannot trust other people or myself. 4. Secure - “I can trust most pe...
Jun 11, 2023•38 min
Romans 12:9-21 Big Idea: Honor others above yourself. Honor: (timé): a valuing, a price 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 How it is, we honor others within community: 1. Cultivate Humility Romans 12:14 Matthew 5:44 Philippians 2:3-4 "True honor comes from selflessness, placing the needs and interests of others above our own, and esteeming them as valuable in God's eyes." - Rick Warren 2. Extend Grace Romans 12:21 1 Thessalonians 5:15 "In a culture of contempt, our response to evil should be unwavering goodn...
Jun 04, 2023•46 min
The Big Idea: Christian community, while difficult and terrifying, is God’s ongoing incarnation of His love. Read the 4 biographies of Jesus and it is clear that he had 2 core commitments: • Solitude with the Father • Life in Community 1 John 3:11-18 What is Community: Not Connection Not Chemistry But Koinonia: People with a shared commitment, physical proximity, and regular engagement. Matthew 10:1-4 Enemies of Community: Individualism: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Francois Fenelon - “Within every person is...
May 28, 2023•44 min
Hebrews 5:7-14 The Big Idea: We become complete in God the same way Jesus did. How Jesus Was Made Complete The Barrier to our perfection Learning the Jesus Way Jesus was made perfect through His faith, fervency, and submission in suffering. The Barrier to our perfection is laziness. (v11) “There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.” (NLT) “Concerning this we have much to say which is ha...
May 21, 2023•43 min
Philippians 4:4-13 The Big Idea: The antidote for anxiety is the Presence of God. The Call: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” - Charles Spurgeon 1 Peter 5:7 The Cadence: • Rejoice in the Lord • Present your requests to God • Get your mind focused - “Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If...
May 14, 2023•40 min
James 5:13-16 What if the thing that leads to our greatest security in life is not building walls barriers, but rather building a connection? Big Idea: The greatest peace we can experience is by living in authentic connection. Authenticity with God "Our relationship with God is the foundation of our entire lives. It affects how we see ourselves, how we see others, and how we see the world." - Charles Stanley Genesis 3:6-10 • “made coverings for themselves.” • “and they hid from the Lord God” • “...
May 07, 2023•44 min
In a world that pressures to divide, devalue, and discard, followers of Jesus must shift to a God-perspective and see the image of God in ALL people. Big Idea: There is no us and them—there is only us. Jesus calls the Church to change our vocabulary from THEM to US, from a verbiage that SEPARATES to a verbiage that LOVES. Genesis 1:26–31 Luke 10:30–37 Problem: Division moves to devaluation which devolves to hatred and death. The Ramifications: An Us vs. Them mindset is the fuel for hatred, divis...
Apr 30, 2023•36 min
Genesis 3:8-19 The Anatomy of Human Captivity: • Fear - our core emotion • Shame - our core motivation • Hiding - our core strategy • Blame - our self-deception • Curse - our cultural reality The Big Idea: Perfect love is the only thing that sets captives free. 1 John 4:18-19 Freedom is not the absence of some thing; it’s the presence of Some One. How we deepen our own captivity: Colossians. 2:8 The Three D’S of POW’s held in war: • Debility • Dependence • Dread The Decisive Deliverance of Jesus...
Apr 23, 2023•45 min
Isaiah 30:15-16 Matthew 11:28-30 The Big Idea: Real rest is a 24/7/365 invitation for followers of Jesus. The Problem: I’m worn out, overwhelmed, and rarely at rest. The Ten symptoms of “hurry sickness”: 1. Irritability—You get mad, frustrated, or just annoyed way too easily. 2. Hypersensitivity—It takes very little to throw you into an emotional funk and ruin your day. 3. Restlessness—When you actually do try to slow down and rest, you can’t relax. 4. Workaholism (or just nonstop activity)—You ...
Apr 16, 2023•42 min
Luke 23:13-25; 32-34; 38-43; 46-47 Three witnesses of the King’s Love: 1. Barabbas - Receives a pardon he does not deserve 2. A Criminal on his cross - Receives an eternal paradise he does not deserve 3. A Centurion executioner at foot of the cross - Receives a revelation about God that he does not deserve. How do I know that this is real and certain? His resurrection is the guarantee of this promised reality, both now and forever. 1 Peter 1:3-5 Response: • Receive what you do not deserve, by ...
Apr 09, 2023•29 min
Apr 07, 2023•47 min
Luke 15:1-7 The Big Idea: Jesus is the best friend a sinner could ever have. Luke 7:33-35 The Lost Sheep How do Sheep get lost? One clump of grass at a time! Jesus leaves the 99 and goes after the one. And then throws a big party! The Lost Coin How does a coin get lost? It slips through someone’s fingers. Jesus loves people who fell through someone’s fingers. He lights lamps and searches all night. He sweeps and sweeps. He searches UNTIL HE FINDS THEM. The Lost Son How does a son get lost? Wanti...
Apr 02, 2023•43 min
The Big Idea: The more I know God’s Word, the more I will recognize His voice in all kinds of places. James 1:2-11, 21-25 1. Start with Why Why do you want to hear from God? What are you looking for? James 1 Suggests Four Good Reasons to Listen to God: • He is Good and Sovereign • He is committed to your development and growth • He is trustworthy. Placing your trust elsewhere makes you unstable • Life is a temporary assignment 2. Commit to Obedience 2 Timothy 3:14-17 C.S. Lewis said, “Obedience ...
Mar 26, 2023•43 min
3 Attitudes we might find ourselves in: • Confident • Curious • Cautious Big Idea: The Bible is the living, active Word of God that connects us to its author. John 14:1-7 Scripture is the telling of God’s story. Attitude towards Scripture dictates authority, the authority dictates transformation. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 • The Bible is not just true, it is TRUTH. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) Follow the Word - Following Jesus - Finding Truth - Finding Life • Be...
Mar 19, 2023•36 min
Can we trust this book to be what it says it is—a story of God’s plan for us? Luke 1:1–4 1 Thessalonians 2:13 John 20:31 The Big Idea: You can trust God, and you can trust His word 1. Why Has It Not Been Trusted? Perceptions and Misunderstandings • Preconceptions • Misunderstood contexts 2. Why CAN It be Trusted? The Historical Accuracy of God’s Word • There is eyewitness testimony • The biographies (gospels) and letters were accurately preserved • There is credible evidence outside of biographi...
Mar 12, 2023•42 min
Matthew 7:24-27 The Big Idea: The Bible is the solid foundation we all need. Three Things The Bible Is: 1. The Bible is the Word of God. Revelation 19:11-14 Hebrews 4:12 2. The Bible is the Story of God. A library of 66 books, written by 39 authors on 3 continents over 1,500 years. When we don't understand the context of God, we miss the details of God. 3. The Bible is Real, Raw, and Relevant “The Gospel is not just an answer that will work; it is the only answer that will work.” - Nabeel Quires...
Mar 05, 2023•44 min
Mark 8:34-38 Matthew 11:28–30 Big Idea: As we give God an undivided heart, He infuses our life with His Spirit as we learn to walk in step with Him. 1. We balance ON the rock–Jesus–our foundation Matthew 7:24-25 “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” ― Deitrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship 2. We balance WITH the Spirit–with all of our lives intertwined with the Spiritual (capital S), yoked in sync with Jesus "I think if you had asked Jesus about His spiritual life, He would...
Feb 26, 2023•43 min
Matthew 7:24-27 Matthew 22:36-40 Matthew 28:16-20 The Big Idea: If you don’t have a sense of purpose worth dying for, you will struggle to find anything worth living for. How to Build on Solid Rock: • Embrace that all authority in heaven and on earth is HIS • Entrust my entire life to the Lordship of Jesus, as I currently understand it • Be baptized into a living relationship with God • Commit to obeying everything Jesus taught and commands • Be a spiritual father or mother Romans 1:1-2 Oikos: E...
Feb 19, 2023•48 min
Psalm 133:1-3 John 17:20-23 The Big Idea: Christian community exists because of Jesus, through Jesus, and for the mission of Jesus. “The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing, who would ever have been spared?” - Martin Luthe...
Feb 12, 2023•54 min
Stability: To make an impact, one must remain in the same place for a long time. Jeremiah 1:10 Jeremiah 29:4-14 The French have a saying from the 15th Century: "Fleuris là où tu es plantée," which means, "Bloom where you are planted." Big Idea: God wants you to bloom where He has you planted. • God has a plan for your exile season. Jeremiah 29:4 Jeremiah 29:11 • Blooming where we are planted brings stability and power. Psalm 1:3 “A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but because ...
Feb 05, 2023•42 min
Genesis 1:26-28 Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17 Genesis 3:17-19 The Big Idea: For disciples of Jesus, our work is a prophetic act of worship. The Origin and Purpose of Work The purpose of our work is to add value - to bring value, beauty, and contribution to the world. The Curse Changed Our Relationship with Work. Many of us have a disordered relationship with work • Find (or lose) our identity in our work • Work is disconnected from our spiritual lives • Loyalties become misplaced The Restoration and Red...
Jan 22, 2023•43 min
