http://bible.com/events/705427
“Crossing the Divide”

Ephesians 2:11-12 
The Gentiles had no hope of a Messiah 
Jewish people, even in their darkest moments, were promised a Messiah
For the Jews, history was always going somewhere
But for the Gentiles history was going nowhere

Ephesians 2:13-15

There was an insurmountable barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles and there was no hope of unity.

Christ destroyed the barrier and made peace with God possible.

Ephesians 2:15 (cont) – 16
There are two words for “NEW” in Greek 
1. Neos….new in “quantity” meaning it is new, but has existed before
2. Kainos….new in its quality, meaning something that did not exist before

Jesus destroyed the barrier, creating something new that had not existed before.  

Ephesians 2:17-18
Just as we are called to be ONE BODY (verse 16), we have been given ONE SPIRIT (verse 18).

Ephesians 2:19 
There are no “outsiders” in the kingdom of God, but rather there is a seat at the table for each and every person.

Ephesians 2:20-22‭‭
Our unity, within the body, does not come from rituals, status, preference….It comes from Christ

2 Power Implications for us: 

1. Jesus crossed the divide 

Because of sin we were separated from God, without any hope on our own.  
Jesus bore our sin on the cross and made a way for us to be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18

2. We must do the same 

2 Corinthians 5:18

God has entrusted us with His mission to cross the divide.  
To bring hope to hopeless people.  
To love the unloveable.
To welcome the outcast.  

Jesus crossed the divide. 
We must do the same.  

http://bible.com/events/701320

Jesus & My Mask
 ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:6-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The moment that sin enters into the world shame is present.
Guilt says “I did something bad”
Shame says “I am bad”

We cope with shame by building a wall (a barrier)
We do this for two reasons:
1. We feel like we won’t be accepted as is
2. To protect ourselves from getting hurt again

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

God’s power is at its BEST when my power is at its WORST 

In response to shame we must choose vulnerability.   

Vulnerability: The courage to let go of who you think you should be in order to be who you are and in that to understand deeply that you are loved and accepted by God.

We have seen God meet people in their moments of their greatest vulnerability
Jacob: Genesis 32:31 Jacob wrestles with God and walks away with a limp
Moses: Exodus 4:10 Moses is asked to lead God’s people even thought he stutters
David: Psalm 51 David mourns in the midst of great sin and disobedience
Peter: Luke 22:60-61 Peter denies Jesus

2 Corinthians 6:11-13  Perhaps the best definition of Godly vulnerability is a heart that’s open wide.

1. Vulnerable with God
-Our response to shame is the same as Adam and Even in the garden: we hide.
-When we can’t be vulnerable with God:
-we place limitations on the depth of our relationship with Him
-we limit the work He can do in our lives

 2. Vulnerable with others
-Shame prevents us from experiencing love, belonging, joy, trust, and intimacy in our relationships.  
-Research of hundreds of people dealing with shame led to one powerful conclusion: it’s not that vulnerability was always comfortable, but it was always necessary.

Christ’s Mind Versus the Human Mind as it Relates to Vulnerability

The Mind of Christ/The “Merely Human” Mind
The truth will set you free./The better you look, the better you are.
We are precious to God as we are. (Matthew 13:45-46)/God’s acceptance is something we must earn.
We are loved. (Romans 5:8)/We aren’t worthy of God’s love. Not really.
We must be open and honest about who we are./We can’t be open and honest about who we are.
Risk/Pretend
Love/Protect
Step out in faith/Hide

https://www.bible.com/events/697695

Jesus & My Sin

Part four of our series: Jesus &: My World Through His Eyes

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 –

Romans 12:1-2

When it comes to your sin, what do you THINK?
John 8:1-11
The adulterous woman simply did not get what she deserved. She received MERCY.
Which describes you?

• You may be haunted by one big sin…the failing of a lifetime. And it won’t let you go.
• You have actually learned to entertain sin. It’s an escape. It’s something just for you. You feel guilty, but not guilty enough.
• Or perhaps it’s a matter of frequency. You want Jesus and you pursue him, but over and over and over again you fail. You hate it and you get caught again and again. You give up.

The “Two Truths and a Lie” of Mercy.Truth #1: You deserve judgment and destruction for your sin. (The teachers of the law brought a woman caught in adultery.)Truth #2: There is an accuser who exists for your condemnation. (They made her stand before the group.)The Lie: Your sin is too much for Jesus, beyond His grasp and His grace. (“In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women…”)

Supplemental ScripturesThese additional texts might be helpful for your study.
Romans 8:1-4

Romans 7:21-25
Psalm 103:1-12

Psalm 40:11-13

http://bible.com/events/691561
Jesus & My Money

Jesus spoke often about money because He knew that there was a deep connection between our possessions and our heart.  
“It’s okay for us to have stuff, but it’s not okay for our stuff to have us.”

True transformation begins not by ACTING differently but by THINKING differently.
So that leads to the question:
“What is your mindset when it comes to money?”

Luke 12:13-21
The rich farmer is a fool not because he is wealthy or because he saves, but because he lives only for himself.

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21
What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:17-19‬ ‭
Understanding what it means to be rich towards God begins with a shift in our mindset, asking His Holy Spirit to give us the mind of Christ.  

My mindset defined is defined by:
“Me-Centered”

Four ways that our mindset must shift:

1. Owners vs Managers
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17

Everything we have is from God, which means we are managers and not owners.
Managers don’t feel guilty, but they feel responsible.

2. Goal vs Resource
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17

We don’t put our hope in money, but rather we understand that our money is a resource that can be used for powerful things.
….the love of money is the root of evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10)
…a spirit generosity is a root to something much greater

3. Keep vs Give
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18

At HFCN we believe in giving….
-Biblically a call to give the first 10%
-and then, at times, to give beyond that

A command them to be rich…
-rich in good deeds
-to be rich in serving
-to be rich in loving
-to be rich in extending grace

“Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can” John Wesley

4. Hoard vs Sacrifice
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:19

The entire life of Jesus and His call to all believers could likely be summed up in a word: SACRIFICE.  

The bottom line:
God’s generosity towards us moves us to be generous toward others

Christ’s Mind Versus the Human Mind as it Relates to Our Money
 Life does not consist of an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15) VERSUS Get all you can while you can
Our money belongs to God. (Psalm 24:1) VERSUS Our money belongs to us
Our stewardship of money is for His use and glory (Luke 16:1) VERSUS Our stewardship of money is to get more money for ourselves
We depend on Him for provision and providence (Ps 50:10-12; Phil 4:19) VERSUS God helps those who help themselves
Give (Acts 20:35) VERSUS Keep (See Ananias and Saphira)
Sacrifice (Luke 12:20) VERSUS Hoard

Other Scriptures for Consideration

I Timothy 6:6-10
Luke 16:1-15
Matthew 25:14-30‭James 2:15-17‭‭Biblical Principle of Tithing:

Previous Messages:
9-17-17 message begins at 28:00 https://vimeo.com/23455609811-11-19 messages begins at 40:10 https://vimeo.com/300184208
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭27:30-33‬ ‭‬‬
Malachi 3:6-10
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:23

http://bible.com/events/688612 
Jesus & My Enemies– September 15

True transformation begins not by ACTING differently but by THINKING differently. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-16

JESUS & MY ENEMIES 

Matthew 5:43-48 
Verses 43-44
Jesus speaks of AGAPE, meaning “unconquerable love” 
AGAPE love is not a feeling of the heart, but a determination of the mind.  
We need the mind of Christ to love in this way.

Verses 44-45
We love our enemies, not so we will be blessed, but instead because this is what it means to be children of God.  

Verses 45-47
Jesus does not call us to a love that is REACTIVE but rather a love that is PROACTIVE. 

Verse 48
Jesus call us to TELEIOS, meaning “growth” or “completeness” 
If we want to live out this radical call to love, then we have to allow the Spirit of God to make us like Him.

Jesus is not interested in making us moral people. 
Jesus wants to make us like Him.

How do we respond?

Admit
“This is beyond me”
 “On my own I can’t do this”

Surrender
“God, I need your Spirit”
“I need your power”

ENGAGE
I engage the world around me with the power of His Spirit.  

The powerful truth: 
“As the Spirit transforms us, each person who encounters us encounters the living God”.

Christ’s Mind Versus the Human Mind as it Relates to Our Enemies

The Mind of Christ The “Merely Human” Mind
Defaulting to love (Phil 2:4) / Defaulting to defense or fear
Building bridges (Luke 10:35) / Building barriers
Challenging feelings of animosity (Mt 5:43-44) / Feeling justified by hate
Making personal sacrifice (Luke 10:33-34) / Being inherently self-concerned
Looking for opportunities to approach / Looking for opportunities to avoid (Luke 10:32)