http://bible.com/events/48533642

It’s far more important for those in our community to understand what we are FOR rather than what we are AGAINST. It’s not even close.
Week 1: We are for Jesus.
Week 2: We are for holiness.
This week: We are for compassion.
What is compassion? It literally means “to suffer with”. We know that it must always involve action, so we often say that compassion is “love in action”.

The story of God is marked by a God of compassion.
-“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” Exodus 34:6-“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Isaiah 49:15-The compassion of God in the Old Testament continues in the New Testament. God sends Jesus as the ultimate display of His compassion.-Jesus’ ministry is marked by compassion, and He ultimately suffers on our behalf, dying on the cross for the sin of all mankind.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
-In our suffering, we experience the God of comfort and compassion. He suffers with us in our pain.-And we aren’t just comforted for our own good, but for the purpose of sharing that comfort with others.-We don’t have to conjure up comfort, because we can’t. Instead, we comfort because we have been comforted.

Compassion flows out of us because it has been poured into us.
Luke 6:32-36
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

http://bible.com/events/48528471

For What? Part 2: We’re for Holiness

It’s far more important for those in our community to understand what we are FOR rather than what we are AGAINST. It’s not even close.
Last week: We are for Jesus.
Being “for Jesus” is about an intimate relationship not some ideal reverence.


This week: We are for holiness.
There are many things about holiness we may not understand. Let’s focus on two important questions:-What is holiness?-Why does holiness matter?


1 Peter 1:14-16NIV14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
First, what Peter is NOT saying:-You have to be perfect to be a Christian. (1 John 1:9)-You better never sin or no Heaven for you. (Luke 23:39-43)-You earn your way to eternal life. (Ephesians 2:8-9)-If you sin it means you aren’t really saved. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
What Peter IS saying:-You will be faced with evil desires and temptations.-When you are tempted, do not conform to them. Do not obey them for they are no longer your master. (Romans 6:15-23; 1 Peter 2:9; John 8:11, etc.)-Holiness is tapping into the power of Christ in you.-You are not relying on your power and your strength to somehow rise above, but tapping into His power to refuse to conform to evil desires that well up in you.-Holiness is not something you do, it is something you receive.


What is holiness?
Holiness is possible-We can walk in holiness by the grace and power of God Himself through Jesus.-Some teach that we are doomed to walk in the grip of sin, but we believe we can walk in the Light by His power, love and grace.
Holiness is freedom (not a burden)-Holiness is the reflection of the freedom bought by Jesus on the cross.-This is NOT something impossible we have to accomplish. It is something that Jesus has already accomplished – that’s where the freedom is.
Holiness is rooted in love (not duty)-God, our Father, desires for us to live in this freedom because He loves us and so we can be blessed.-The motivation is not one of fear or punishment if we fall short. There is blessing in living according to the freedom available to us in Christ.


Why does holiness matter?
-Holiness is God’s deepest desire for you. It is His redemptive vision for all humanity.-Holy is the way God is. He is incapable of being other than He is.-The whole purpose of God’s redemption is to make us holy and to restore us to the image of God.-Ultimately, we surrender to our God and leave our happiness in His hands.


Hebrews 12:12-14NIV12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

God’s ultimate goal is not your happiness, but your holiness.


“Go to God and have an understanding. Tell Him that it is your desire to be holy at any cost and then ask Him never to give you more happiness than holiness. When your holiness becomes tarnished, let your joy become dim. And ask Him to make you holy whether you are happy or not. Be assured that in the end you will be as happy as you are holy; but for the time being let your whole ambition be to serve God and be Christlike.” -A.W. Tozer

http://bible.com/events/48526816

Part 1: We’re for Jesus
WHAT JESUS?A counterfeit or the real Jesus
John 6:25-66 
John 14:5-8 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
“Jesus isn’t rocking a cardigan, and he doesn’t talk softly through his nose. He’s a roaring lion.”-Jeff Bethke
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “FOR JESUS”?
John 12:1-4Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.

BOTTOM LINE:BEING “FOR JESUS” IS NOT ABOUT HOLDING AN IDEAL REVERENCE TOWARDS HIM, BUT ABOUT HAVING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIMGalatians 2:2020 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Extra scripture for study:
Isaiah 26:8Matthew 6:33Matthew 8:18-22Mark 8:34-35

http://bible.com/events/48498177

Ephesians 6:10-12

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
1. Who the enemy is not (& why we get it wrong)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” Ephesians 6:12

-We are living in a world that is more divided than ever, and the temptation is to view each other as the enemy.-Your enemy knows how to divide. These spiritual forces know how to divide by culture, race, skin color. These powers of this dark world know how to divide by political affiliation.-They win if they get us fighting each other. Which is why Paul wants us to declare emphatically who the enemy IS NOT.

2. Who the enemy is (& why he doesn’t want you to know)
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11

-Jesus told us about our enemy, satan (Luke 10:18)-We know that while on this earth, we are living in enemy territory (1 John 5:19)-Our enemy has a plan to destroy us (John 10:10 & 1 Peter 5:8)-The Bible’s names for satan help us understand his purposes: accuser, deceiver, father of lies, tempter, enemy.

3. Who wins the battle (& how)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10

-If you are in Christ, then the victory is certain!-Some of us live in fear and we lack courage. Some of us live in foolishness and we lack wisdom.-We win this battle by fighting the right fight, not in our strength, but in the Lord’s strength.

http://bible.com/events/48450269

When it comes to the Kingdom, the call is to participation, not observation.
Acts 1:4-84 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
-This is an account of the resurrected Jesus, who has suffered on the cross, but now has been raised to life. He is preparing to ascend into heaven.-Jesus is commissioning his disciples to be his witnesses, meaning active participants in this kingdom.-Passivity will kill the church. But we are not called to passivity, we are called to action.


The Kingdom lives in you, so it must live through you.

-When we pray “thy kingdom come”, we are not just praying that the kingdom would show up in our lives. We are also asking the kingdom to come through our lives.-As we pray, the Lord invites us to be a part of seeing that prayer come to pass.-You can ask God to advance His kingdom and, at the same time, even today, you can be an agent of that advancement.

Matthew 25:14-30NIV14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
-This parable always seems harsh to us, but Jesus tells it so that there would be no doubt that in the kingdom there are expectations.
-Notice it does not matter to the king how much you’ve been given. What matters is that we are called to use what we have to be participants in his kingdom.