This morning as we look at the next two struggles in chapter 4, I want us to keep humility at the front of our minds because it is the solution to these struggles as well. That’s why I have creatively titled this message Living the Humble Life: Part 2.
Throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, it was firmly held that the Heart or the affections are the starting point and motivation of all of our decisions and actions. We as modern, refined, intelligent adults may pride ourselves on our ability to think critically and use logic and rationalism to make informed decisions throughout our daily lives. But the Bible says that it is really the heart, our passions, desires and affections that determine all we think say and do.
Today we're going to be talking about living the good life. We’re going to see two opposing ways of living and explore the foundations for each of them. When we finish today, I think you’ll agree that we reflect Christ when we live pure and peaceful lives rooted in the wisdom that comes from intimacy with God.
Today we learn that our faith should not only influence our actions but also our speech. In this series of crosscurrent living… we will be tackling the topic of the tongue. I would argue the current of our speech is a current that we all get caught up in. Speech is critical to us as a society. It’s our main form of communication. It is through speech that we transfer thoughts, ideas, preach, instruct, crack jokes, love, hate and as we will learn even give life or kill. Our tongue is the single m...
Today we are going to diagnose our faith as either dead or alive by looking at 3 characteristics of a dead faith which James gives us here in James 2:14-26.
Reflecting Jesus in adversity is hard, Reflecting Jesus in how we relate with one another is difficult and today we see James calling us to take another step into the North Platte (if you will) of reflecting Christ through the current of favoritism.
Last week, in verse 18, James said that God gave us birth through the word of truth. Today I want to look at verses 19-27 and talk about how the effect of the word should be evident in our everyday lives and relationships.
Today we start a brand new summer series in the book of James that we’re calling Crosscurrent Living. As people who love Jesus we are called to live differently than the world around us. That’s why this series is going to be so good: it’s going to focus on living in a way that reflects Christ in all life’s challenges. James is practical, applicable, foundational stuff for the first century church and the 21st century church. Early Christians had the same mission we do: to love God, love others a...
Welcome to our Annual Celebration service. Each year on the first Sunday in June we take a Sunday morning and we celebrate a few mission victories over the past year, and we review the big picture on our proposed budget to resource the year of ministry ahead of us.
As we think back over David’s life he models a number of important attitudes and attributes each of us would do well to learn and practice. For our purposes today, I want to highlight four key practices for a life that is “after God’s own heart.” I would argue, if you learn to live these attitudes and actions out in your life, God will build his heart into you life. Live these out; build God’s heart in!
Today we get to review what the “Man after God’s own heart” had to say in his twilight years—after facing countless battles, transitions to power, big failures in his leadership, and writing a number of gut wrenching, soul lifting songs and poetry. How does a man who lived like David lived sum things up? After all he’d been through, what nuggets would he offer you?
Once again today the final story I want to review with you reminds us that as great a man as David was, he was still a HU-man. So, turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 24 where we see that even as a seasoned God follower and leader, David falls prey to a spirit of pride. Read 24:1-4
Personally, domestically, and politically David was hurting. At this point, his opportunistic son Absalom could smell blood in the water. As we step into chapter 15 he’s conspiring and working the crowd in Jerusalem’s town center to garner support for his run for the throne.
The topic of sin seems to be disappearing out of our conversation, even in many churches. The idea of a person taking personal responsibility for his or her sin seems to have become non-PC. But here is the truth. While our culture tries to suppress it or redefine it, sin has not gone away and its powerful affects have not been diminished. God is God. His truth is truth and does not change. Sin is SIN! In whatever form it comes, it is a putrid smell in the nostrils of our holy God....
At this time David was probably about 50 years old or maybe a few years older. He had been on the throne about 20 years. He had distinguished himself as man of God, as a composer of psalms, as a faithful shepherd, as a valiant warrior on the battlefield, and as a leader of his people. He not only led the people in righteousness, he gave them the glorious music of the psalms. He was a man of passion as well as compassion. The sobering truth is that despite having a solid heart for God, David had ...
This week we are going to explore a real live story just like this out of the life of David—A story of a crazy, undeserved, game-changing offer made to one with no hope and no options.
God will not affirm you in something he hasn’t called you to. And today we are going to see quite plainly the truth of that statement. Today we will witness God tell David No. Lets look at it right now.
“Be very careful... how you live... not as unwise but as wise... making the most of your time, because the days are evil... therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”- Ephesians 5:16-17 Look at the charge here. Christians believers... make the most of your time don’t be foolish but understand the Lord’s will. Why? Why understand the Lords will? I would argue that if you are in a job, vocation, lifestyle that God didn’t call you to, then you are likely not experiencing ...
The Apostle Peter explains a great deal about the difference Easter can make in our lives and in our eternities in a talk he gave about 50 days after the very first Easter. Peter was speaking to a crowd, perhaps like all of us today—a crowd made up of people with mixed understandings and mixed feelings about the whole topic of Jesus—who he was, and what he did, and what impact his life has…if any…on our lives today.
Our story today brings us to the mid point of David’s life and a fundamental turning point in his journey. Once again David is facing some very real challenges in his life and chooses to put his trust in the Lord.
One of the great blessings of being a Christian, getting to know the Bible, and journeying through life with the Holy Spirit’s influence is that Christians have a ton more resource to draw from when it comes to understanding how to respond when conflicts arise. We have direct teaching about negotiating conflict in the bible. We have the example of Jesus who was the image of God in bodily form. And we have some real life, flesh and blood, fully human examples from other God loving, God following ...
Revenge is the plotline of many of our favorite movies. Do you remember the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe? I remember when I saw the movie and I was talking to the screen, “Get him!” I was fist pumping and rooting for Maximus to get his vengeance. We want to justify revenge when we, or those close to us, have been deeply hurt. But as God’s people, that’s not what He’s has called us to. And today we’re going to watch David honor God as he navigates his way through a very tempting opportunit...
I think everyone of us can identify with David’s escape to the cave. Where do you turn when the bottom drops out of your life? Where do you go when it feels like everyone and everything in life is against you? Who do you turn to when you face an issue that is embarrassing, humiliating, or even scandalous?
Today we’re going to look at a little chunk of 1 Samuel. Go ahead and open your bibles to chapters 18-21. Some of you have already done the math and realized that we’re going to be digging into four chapters! But don’t worry. I’m not going to read it all—you can do that on your own. Instead, I’m going to read chapter 18, then highlight some key sections in the other chapters. My goal is to help us better understand that God alone can give David what he needs to fulfill his calling—and the same i...
Today we take another step in our series on the life of David. Our text today contains the most widely known battle scene in the Bible. However, the battle is not between two armies but between two men—one man is named Goliath and the other named David. Turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17. There is perhaps no other story in the Bible that teaches us how we can overcome the overwhelming challenges and obstacles in our lives. Many of us likely came to church today with a giant obstacle that feels o...
“With me…without me” is the exact line the writer of 1 Samuel could use to describe chapter 16 as he compares and contrasts the rise of David and the demise of Saul. The presence and power of the Spirit makes all the difference. In this Chapter as David and Saul are set side by side in a study in contrasts, we should hear the Spirit of God saying, “With me…without me!” as God tries to help us realize the chances of our survival if we runs away from him.
Today we launch into a very important study of the life of King David of Israel. The life of David is perhaps one of the most relevant character studies we could walk through together because David is so easy to relate with. Like each one of us David goes through peaks and valleys in his life. He celebrates grand victories in his life and mourns to his core his failures. All the while staying in unbroken fellowship with God. As we begin our look at David’s life, I think it is worthwhile for us t...
I want us to consider the other side of trust which the Bible teaches us is a reality. Not only does God clearly invite us to trust him and grow in that practice of trust and enjoy the rest, peace, and freedom of that trust; he also wants us to know that he has put his trust in us as his people.
I want us to consider the other side of trust which the Bible teaches us is a reality. Not only does God clearly invite us to trust him and grow in that practice of trust and enjoy the rest, peace, and freedom of that trust; he also wants us to know that he has put his trust in us as his people.
The practice of trust is absolutely central in our lives. When you stop to think about it in order to live our lives, we are exercising trust in tons of areas each and every day. It’s crazy the amount of trust we are called on to implement or exercise in a given day.
