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TEXT: Acts 2:41-47

Numerical growth is good but it can not be the primary metric that we use to measure how healthy our church is.

Giving everyday ordinary people a place to belong so they can experience an extraordinary life in Christ.

Faithfulness &Fruitfulness

I. PREACHING

Everything must revolve around the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

If setting the mood by way of production or entertainment becomes the point of a worship service, in trying to create an experience, then the message of the Gospel becomes expendable!

II. PARTAKING

I Peter 4:8, 9
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”

The goal of groups is to have a place where people can Connect on a more personal and deeper level. Where Community can be experienced. Where Care can be given and received and where Biblical Content can be shared and learned.

Quote:
“Communion places us in a personal and corporate encounter with the sacrifice of Christ and presses us to meet God, confess our sin, and embrace afresh the Gospel that saved us and continues to transform us.” Jared Wilson

III. PRAYING

I Timothy 2:1
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”

IV. PRAISE

Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

All true believers will have a deep desire to sing together; the church body was made for cooperate worship and singing together!

God has not called us to be spectators but participators as we Gather together!

Text: Mark 11:1-11

If you’re confused about who Jesus is then you’re going to end up being confused about everything else in your life.

I. Another Prophecy Fulfilled

Romans 15:4
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King is coming to you: righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The future promises of our faithful God will come to pass in His perfect timing!

II. A Fickle People

John 1:10, 11
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

Enthusiasm, excitement and emotion about Jesus are excellent signs but they must not be confused with evidence of authentic salvation.

- Aladdin Jesus
- Amazon Jesus
- Agenda Jesus

III. A Seemingly Uneventful Passage

- His purpose

Hebrews 1:3
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

- His passion
- His promise

In a world still confused about Jesus, Christians have been called to clearly proclaim the life changing message of the Gospel!

Text: Mark 10:46-52

Only Jesus can open our eyes to the truth about our self and those around us!

I. THE CALLOUS CROWD

While the people around us are crying for help too many Christians are telling people by their actions that Jesus is not really interested in you.

II. A COMPASSIONATE SAVIOUR

You will never know Jesus as a reality in your life until you know him as a necessity.

III. A CHANGED LIFE

The result of saving faith is life that follows Christ.

“It is one thing to understand the gospel but is quite another to experience the gospel in such a way that it fundamentally changes us and becomes the source of our identity and security.” J.D. Greear

Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Receive salvation today!

Start using your spiritual eyes!

TEXT: Mark 10:17-31

Having it all together doesn’t mean you have eternal life!

Being nice does not make you Christian!

I. A MAN WHO WALKED AWAY FROM JESUS

We can never be good enough, salvation is not about all that we need to do but all that Christ has done!

Philippians 3:4-6
“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the
Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Jesus is not going to drag anyone into the Kingdom kicking and screaming!

“The greatest enemy to the human soul is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.” C.H. Spurgeon

Philippians 3:7-9
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Salvation is realizing you don’t have it all together and your only hope of eternal life is found in the righteousness of Christ!

II. AN ASTONISHED GROUP OF DISCIPLES

I Timothy 6:9, 10
“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The greatest danger of wealth is that it can rob you of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life!

Following Jesus means forsaking the world’s value system and living our lives to the glory of God.

III. AN ADMONITION FROM THE SAVIOUR

Only people who have received Christ and make Jesus their greatest treasure come to the realization that without Jesus your life is bankrupt.

Luke 19:8-10
“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

In this life we will never really have it all or have it all together but in Christ we have all we could ever need and we have more than we could ever imagine to look forward to!

TEXT: Mark 10:13-16

The reality is children are little people but they are not little adults.

While times and cultures have changed and continue to change we must cling to the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

There is a difference between being childish in our actions and attitudes and in being childlike in our faith and trust.

I. ACCESS DENIED

II. A DISPLEASED SAVIOUR

Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Kids will learn more about what we really believe by watching our behavior than they will by how much we try and teach them the Bible.

III. THE DANGER OF RELIGION

Salvation is not based on what we need to do but on what Jesus did!

Your little child is a little sinner that needs the Salvation of a great Saviour!

I Corinthians 14:20
“Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.”

Romans 15:7
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

IV. A DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

John 6:37
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

The outstretched arms of Jesus on Calvary declare to the whole world that God loves us and the only way into the Kingdom of God is through His Son.

TEXT: Psalm 128

The never ending quest for happiness in the human heart is the souls hunger cry for God to be the center and source of our life.

1. This Psalm, while specific, also includes principles of blessings.
2. This Psalm is progressive in its path of blessings.

Romans 14:7, 8
“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.”

I. THE ROOTS OF LIVING A BLESSED LIFE

If you want to be happy as a way of life then pursue the source of happiness for your life.

Proverbs 23:17
“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.”

Too many people relinquish their happiness to the rulership of someone else.

*C. S. Lewis said:
"God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

The outflow of a life that has its foundation in the fear of the Lord is a life marked by faithfulness.

Psalm 16:11
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

II. THE REWARDS OF LIVING A BLESSED LIFE

Galatians 6:9
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

A. Blessing Experienced At Work

Instead of always seeking happiness “in” something or someone seek happiness “with” them.

B. Blessings Enjoyed In The Home
C. Blessings Expanded Globally

The transforming power of the Gospel is what will bring peace to the souls of men.

Colossians 2:6, 7
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

The blessed life is only experienced by being in Christ and faithfully following Him.