Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

Building Blocks

Prayer

Today we begin a new teaching series called “Building Blocks”.

Building Blocks is a series focusing on the essential features, the basics, of the Christian life. And it’s not intended just for new believers in our midst, but as an important refresher for even those of you who are veterans of the faith.

Our series begins focusing on prayer- our communication with the Lord.

Prayer is the fundamental and anchoring unit of our relationship with God. It defines and strengthens that relationship.

As often as prayer is mentioned in the Bible (in the KJV its 547 mentions), you don’t have to study Genesis to Revelation to develop a correct and impactful theology of prayer.

You can simply watch and listen to Jesus in the pages of the gospels- he left us lots of examples. If your thinking about prayer matches his, you got it.

Matthew 6:5-8

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

It could be easy to imagine that anything goes in prayer, just so long as you’re doing it, right? But Jesus begins his teaching on prayer with a warning against bad motives in prayer- there is a wrong way to pray.

Jesus first warns about praying in such a way as to gain the attention of others

Jesus also warns against “babbling like pagans” in your prayers- you could transliterate that as “do not get into a bunch of blah blah blah”

Matthew 6:9-10

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We are halfway through the prayer that Jesus taught us- and so far, it’s all about him.

An honest question for you and me today: Do we give half of our prayer time to focusing on the Lord. To worship, adoring, and praising him?

Matthew 6:11-13

Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’

In this very short yet profound prayer- we see what mattered most to Jesus in prayer:

i.The fatherhood of God

ii.The worship of God

iii.The coming of His Kingdom

iv.The desire or will of God

v.The protection of his people.

vi.The eradication of sin

vii.And victory over Satan.

We have called this series “building blocks” because it doesn’t matter if you are new to the faith, or have been following Christ for 60 years, the importance of these foundational practices never fades.

There is never a point in any relationship when you can just give up- when you can stop communicating, when you can stop trying, when you can stop giving 100%. The same is true in our relationship with the Lord.

To be clear, building blocks is not about EARNING our salvation, it’s about learning to live it out. The goal of this series is not to make you feel bad about your walk with the Lord, it’s not to shame you into action.

This series is an invitation to experience the Lord in a powerful way. To know him intimately, to be transformed by his presence, to experience the journey of relationship. And friends, that journey begins in prayer.

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If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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https://www.bible.com/events/49142092

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Family Values Part 4

In our families, let’s lead with grace. Let’s give grace the first word.

Today we continue our teaching series called “Family Values” where we are taking a deep dive into strengthening our family relationships.

Family is so important. Though often challenging, family can be some of our deepest and closest relationships- and those matter!

We believe your family matters, and perhaps most importantly, your family matters to God.

Family Values is about walking out faithfulness to God within our families. Over the next few weeks we will consider what it takes to build strong family relationships.

Whether you are a son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, your family relationships matter to God.

Throughout this series, we are clinging to two truths that we believe can change everything for our family relationships.

There is hope and there is help.

Today as we conclude our series, we are looking at the importance of extending grace within our families.

Hebrews 12:14-15

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

The New Living translation says it this way: “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. “

This idea of grace is so important that we are to look after one another to ensure that everyone gets to receive this gift. Everyone is included, and no one has to miss out.

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

So how does the grace of God impact how we live in relationship with one another?

How does this gift of grace show up in our families?

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

-That word ‘bear’ is so important (verse 13). Extending patience is a good way to define it, but even more this word implies “suffering”.

-You are to extend patience to the point of suffering. That is grace!

God’s Word isn’t arguing that extending grace to one another is easy or simple.

-Just as providing grace took sacrifice on the part of our Lord, extending grace in our families is a sacrificial act for the good of the other person and for the good of the family.

Because families are full of flawed people, the extension of grace is a mandatory family value.

-You can’t talk about healthy, God-honoring families with talking about grace

-Not only are your family members flawed, but they are different from you – with different personal styles and perspectives.

-If you expect everyone in your family to think and act like you do, both of you will be frustrated. Grace is the antidote.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Ephesians 4:29

Colossians 4:6

1 Peter 4:10

James 2:13

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

Family Values Part 4

Grace

Today we conclude our teaching series “Family Values” where we are taking a deep dive into strengthening our family relationships.

Family is so important. Though often challenging, family can be some of our deepest and closest relationships- and those matter!

We believe your family matters, and perhaps most importantly, your family matters to God.

Family Values is about walking out faithfulness to God within our families. Over the next few weeks we will consider what it takes to build strong family relationships.

Throughout this series, we are clinging to two truths that we believe can change everything for our family relationships.

There is hope and there is help.

Today as we conclude with Part 4 of our teaching series Family Values, we are looking at the value of grace in our family relationships

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

No one is proposing that extending grace to one another is easy or simple and that’s not what this passage says either.

Grace means that we are to bear with one other – extending patience, withholding anger, not insisting on our own way. Extending grace requires something of us and sometimes, it requires A LOT of us.

When a family holds grace as a family value, words that might describe that family could be: peaceful, loving, patient, understanding, growing, nurturing, authentic, safe

But a family that withholds grace from each other, you might describe as: Tense, anxious, fearful, hesitant, bitter, and certainly un-healthy

How will you define your family?

By peace, understanding, and compassion

Or by bitterness and tension?

Will you be one that holds grace as a value in your family?

Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Paul is reminding his readers that we have a new life to live in Christ. We have new values and a new focus. These values apply to our lives, our friendships and certainly our families.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

It’s interesting, all these terms are relational in nature, meaning that our faith and trust in Christ as our savior, must show up in how we relate to one another.

To bear with each other is to make allowance for imperfections in others. In other words, you could say “Put up with each other”

To bear with is to withhold retaliation. To endure patiently with anther.

I think we would say- be gracious to one another.

Paul separates this act of being gracious and forgiveness

Forgiveness is largely reactive. It’s a response to an offense, intentional or not.

Grace is proactive- it’s an ongoing forbearance or allowance of daily human shortcomings.

Grace is relational flexibility that is required of us daily in family.

Grace is the proactive choice to love our family despite their flaws, just like we have been loved by our heavenly father.

G- God’s gift to you

R- Resist emotional responses

A- Adjust your thinking

C- Communicate with kindness

E- Express gratitude

If you have been a part of family for more than a minute, you can guess, this won’t always be easy.

Family is messy, but it’s worth it.

Will you be the one to lead the change with grace?

Will you proactively love others as you have been loved?

That’s grace. That’s family values. And you can be the one to bring it to your family.

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If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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Grace- unmerited favor

“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Hebrews 12:15

See to it, that no one misses grace.

Grace is love that cares and stoops to rescue.- John Stott

Grace is a word that we attach to God and he has to attach it to us.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:4-10

God’s Grace is compelling when explained but it is irresistible when it is experienced.

Kyle Idleman

When grace gets a hold of you and your life, you can’t sit still, you can’t sit silent, you can’t celebrate it on your own.

https://www.bible.com/events/49138345

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Family Weekend

Welcome to Family Weekend – a time of revival and celebration for our whole Church Family!

Today we welcome Pastor Kevin Griffin as our guest speaker for the weekend. Pastor Kevin was a faithful part of our church for 13 years before stepping into full-time ministry on the Philadelphia District Church of the Nazarene in 2018. In 2021, he was called to serve as the Lead Pastor at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene in Ephrata, PA. He and Ruth have been married for 20 years, and have two children, Jasmine (18) who will be a freshman in college this fall, and Jeremiah (13) who is going into 8th grade.

Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Mercy Has moments- and Mercy says “ I see You”.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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