Children of the Light #7: Live With The Holy Spirit

So far in this series…

Children of the light live without darkness.
Children of the light wake the dawn.
Children of the light don’t horde the light.
Children of the light don’t plant the wind!
Children of the light pray about everything.

1 John 1:7 says, “but if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Ephesians 3:1-20

Children of the Light walk in generosity. 

Children of the light display the Father’s goodness.  That’s how we spread the light.

Psalms 91:16
"I will satisfy you with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!" 

Ephesians 4:13
Paul describes how Christ gave us the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to help us grow into the "fullness of Christ". This represents becoming mature and whole like Christ. 

1 Peter 1:3-12
This passage discusses how salvation is a gift that gives us hope for an inheritance in heaven. It also says that our salvation is built on God's orchestration of people's obedience and sacrifices.

Children of the Light walk by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Children of the Light #6: Pray About Everything

Children of the Light #5: Don't Plant The Wind

Laziness now, means chaos later.

Hosea 8:7a

• NLT: “They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind.”

• MSG: “Look at them! Planting wind-seeds, they’ll harvest tornadoes.”

Hosea 1:2, “When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,” so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

Hosea 2:14-16
“But then I will win her back once again.
  I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there.
15 I will return her vineyards to her
    and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.
She will give herself to me there,
    as she did long ago when she was young,
    when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
16 When that day comes,” says the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’
    instead of ‘my master.’

Hosea 3:1, “Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”

A couple ways to avoid the whirlwind:
1.Church is not a vaccine.
Hosea 8:11 “Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning!

2.Stop making excuses.
Hosea 8:12 Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them.

3.Look for the root.
Hosea 10:13 But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins.

4.Allow the whirlwind to bring you back to Him.
Hosea 2:6 “I will fence her in with thornbushes.  I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way.“
How bloody do you have to be to repent?!

Hosea 2:16 “you will call me ‘my husband, instead of ‘my master.’

Hosea 7:13, “I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me. They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead they sit on their couches and wail.”

Hosea 14 Healing for the Repentant
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
    for your sins have brought you down.
2 Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord.
    Say to him,
“Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us,
    so that we may offer you our praises.
3 Assyria cannot save us,
    nor can our warhorses.
Never again will we say to the idols we have made,
    ‘You are our gods.’
No, in you alone
    do the orphans find mercy.”
4 The Lord says,
“Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
    my love will know no bounds,
    for my anger will be gone forever.
5 I will be to Israel
    like a refreshing dew from heaven.
Israel will blossom like the lily;
    it will send roots deep into the soil
    like the cedars in Lebanon.
6 Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees,
    as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon.
7 My people will again live under my shade.
    They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines.
    They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.
8 “O Israel, stay away from idols!
    I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.
I am like a tree that is always green;
    all your fruit comes from me.”
9 Let those who are wise understand these things.
    Let those with discernment listen carefully.
The paths of the Lord are true and right,
    and righteous people live by walking in them.
    But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

Children of the Light #4: Don't Hoard The Light

Acts 16:16-24

1. Dungeon Faith = Unshakable Faith

Hebrews 12:7-11

Acts 16:25

2. Midnight singing = seeing everything as an opportunity.

Acts 16:26-34

3. Children of the light don't horde the light to themselves.

Acts 16:35-40

4. Don't forget who you are.

John 16:33

Children of the Light #3: Wake The Dawn

2 Chronicles 20:3-30

1. Take Your Positions

• He acknowledged the problem & the source.

• -He prayed and worshipped

• He acknowledged his own limitations

2 Corinthians 12:9-11
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Job 1:21
21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

• -He obeyed and he marched.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2. Do not be afraid.

• They sang

Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
6 Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.

• The Lord is with you!

Children of the Light #2: Live Without Darkness pt2

There’s generally two kinds of shadows..and two ways that we can get stuck:

• The shadow of selfishness

  • Darkness of the world

  • Selfishness & sin...a little here and there

  • Comes between us and God

  • No longer standing in the light, we’re in the shadow

  • Wandering around in the darkness, trying to figure it out all on our own

  The shadow of the law

• A little more difficult to identify

• Religion

• Pride

• Rules & regulations

• Following everything so perfectly, and then once you feel like you are, you look down your noses at everyone else

We don’t only get to remain childlike as Christians...we have to remain childlike as Christians.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-18, 24

We have to stay AWAKE AND CLEARHEADED:
How?
-The breastplate of faith and love over your heart
-A helmet of salvation over your thoughts

Radical Honesty = not letting yourself get away with excuses. Dealing with the real issues within yourself. “Some of us will never move forward spiritually until we’ve broken secrecy with ourselves…Don’t put yourself to sleep by lying to yourself.”

Don’t let depression make you fall asleep.  Reject it.
Don’t let anxiety keep you bound. Take it captive. 
Don’t let intrusive thoughts keep you in darkness.  Serve them an eviction notice with the TRUTH. With the Word.

BE SKILLED. BE FAITHFUL. BE QUICK.

Easy ways to fall asleep, spiritually:

1. Stop seeing church as a people to serve.  BE SKILLED (at gently encouraging others). Stop seeing the world as a mission field. 

2. Compromise. BE FAITHFUL (to stand your ground. Help the weak to stand again). 9/10...we compromise with OURSELVES.  It’s our own sinful and selfish nature that we compromise with.

3. Let pride win. BE QUICK (to demonstrate patience with everyone). PRIDE HIDES THINGS. It causes GOD to hide things from you. God RESISTS the proud (1 Peter 5 and James 4). Matthew 11:25 says, “At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.”

Children of the Light #1: Living Without Darkness pt 1

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

Ephesians 4:17-19

Stop participating with evil.

Ephesians 4:20-24

Throw off the old nature, put on the new.

Ephesians 4:25-32

Practical Advice:

1. Stop telling lies.
2. Don’t let anger control you.
3. Quit stealing. Work hard, give it away.
4. Encourage, don’t tear down.
5. Make the Holy Spirit proud.

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Beginner’s Fast:

Monday - fast one meal.
Wednesday - fast two meals.
Friday - fast until dark
(If you mess any of these up, that’s okay, read the article above, and try again!)

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Deep Dive with Missionary David Romo

Exodus 3:16-17
16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob —appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 

Numbers 13:1-2
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”

Numbers 13:27-28
27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 

Numbers 13:30
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” 

CALEB WAS DIFFERENT! 

 1. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT SPIRIT 

Numbers 13:31-33
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” 

Numbers 14:6-8
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 

2. YOU ARE GOOD SOIL!!!

Numbers 14:9
9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 

 3. THE DEVIL’S TIME IS UP!  

Joshua 14:10-13
10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

 Exodus 3:7-8
7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey 

 Colossians 2:13-15
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 

 Romans 8:17
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

As For Me And My House #6: We Will Take Up Our Crosses

Matthew 16:13-26

The extra fences:

• Make us feel constricted & not free, and so we feel beat up by God, not blessed

• Make spiritual abuse much more possible

• Pride rules–self-righteousness (if I can make myself righteous, than I’m better than you)

• Makes us question God’s ACTUAL rules

• Hide the HEART of the Father…so we lose the ability to make our own judgment calls. It's’ hard to “grow up” like that…I try to always tell my kids WHY I make a certain rule, or decision…once in a while it’s necessary to say “because I told you so”...but even still, I always try to swing back around, and let them know the WHY’s.  Because if you know WHY you are more likely to make a better judgment call for your own safety, when it comes time to do that. Aaron & I want them to know our heart and our wisdom behind the calls that we have to make.

Our relationship with Jesus must be founded on the voice of Jesus ALONE.
When we get too addicted to any ONE piece of the character of God, we miss the other pieces.  
Religion can be just as powerful of a false god, as Baal or Ashtoreth.  
If Satan can’t get you off of it, he may try to get you TOO into it!  Too prideful in it.
SO into your hoops and rituals and religions that you miss Jesus completely. 

Jesus used the word ‘dangerous’ here. Peter thought he was being helpful, and encouraging, and supportive…but Jesus called it dangerous.  

This is why we need UNCOMMON sense, not common sense.  We need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit of the God of the universe who made all things and knows all things.  How could we possibly understand his heavenly plans and how we fit into all of them?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Romans 5:3-5 
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

As For Me And My House #5: We Will Trust The Lord

Joshua 2:1-11

Joshua 6:1-7

Jericho:

• looked to their walls for safety

• chose the “wait them out” tactic

• did not repent

Israel:

• represented God well

• persevered through His battle strategy

• surrendered totally to His will

• TRUSTED in the Lord

Rahab:

• not righteous

• saved by faith

The truly baffling part of this story is not that Jericho experienced such extensive judgment and destruction but that Rahab and her family received such extensive mercy and grace.

As For Me And My House #4: We Will Consult The Lord

"As For Me And My House" is a FVChurch Summer 2024 series about how to lead our households toward Jesus in a world full of idolatry. It’s my prayer that we can take up the mantle of leadership in our households, and accept that we are called to live SET APART and obedient (to Jesus) lifestyles, so that our children and our children’s children can enjoy the blessings and freedom of Jesus!

Joshua 9:1-21

vs. 14 “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.”

We have to consult the Lord, and we have to teach our children how to consult the Lord!!
Because the deception of this world is wildly effective.

This is a major tactic that the enemy uses here in the western world, he wants you to believe that you have to SEE it, to believe it.  That you need your eyes to SEE the truth, personally. You have to see the SCIENCE, and see the data, etc, but the problem is that the other side has data and science too.  Everyone can back up their opinion to a certain degree.  Some of us better than others, but we all think we’re on the better side. 

Our culture is so FULL of lies right now, and the lies are SO LOUD. And so convincing.  

Disney tells you to follow your heart, the BIBLE tells you your heart is endlessly wicked, who can trust it?!  
Don’t follow your heart, follow His WORD.

Luke 9:24, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

You can’t know what God WOULD say, if you don’t know what He HAS said. 

The Israelites assumed too much.  It showed their hearts.  Too quick to say yes. 

“The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” (Gen 19 - Sodom & Gomorrah)

We can trust Him.

We have to learn to listen! Even to the whispers.  We have to learn to QUIET all the other things, and just listen. 

Dallas Willard said, the biggest advice he has for anyone wanting to grow spiritually…is to RUTHLESSLY eliminate hurry from your life.
When we’re in a hurry, we miss things, and we miss people.  The story of the Good Samaritan is an example of this.  He STOPPED.  He put value on a man in a ditch because he stopped for long enough to see him, help him, take care of him.  We have to learn to listen.

One other thing that I think played into their participation with deception here.
I don’t think the Israelites were yet used to being a power. 
They weren’t used to wielding and holding power yet. 

We have a new identity.

Matthew 5:33-37 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Luke 14:28…who sets out intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it

James 1:5,”If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

As For Me And My House #3: We Will Obey

Joshua 5:2-12

The book of Joshua exists in a time AFTER they wandered in the desert for 40 years.  AFTER they were freed from slavery in Egypt.  They had now entered the promised land, there were THERE, they just hadn’t settled in yet.  

They weren’t circumcised on the way to the promised land, because they were almost always in motion.  There wasn’t time to heal.  God is so merciful…even in the things He asks of us like this…He’s so merciful!  (They also were probably still using Egyptian technology and tools, which is why he also instructed them to make the correct tools, the the smoother, sharper flint knife was an older technology, but a better suited blade for surgery)

We’re called to a higher level of obedience in the promised land.

1 Timothy 3:6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.

Sanctification is a process. We need to allow other people to move through the process without judgment. I didn’t say without correction!! But without judgment. It’s okay to mess up! You DID mess up though. You DO need to repent. We confront each other using the very specific outline laid out in Matthew 18 (see below). When a believer sins against me, I confront it. I don’t go telling everyone else…I talk to THEM. It helps me process forgiveness, but it also holds THEM accountable and helps them move through the sanctification process.

They were reestablishing covenant ceremonies.  To be freed from slavery is one thing. To get to the land of milk and honey is one thing. But to LIVE IN the land of milk and honey is another thing.

Obedience rolls away shame.

God chose Israel to be a model nation and an example to the world, teaching other peoples important lessons. God wanted Israel to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), and to serve as a "covenant for the peoples". Israel was to be a "light to the nations," showing the one true God to those who lived in darkness and drawing them to worship God. God also gave Israel the words of God, and entrusted them to deliver good news to the world for the salvation of all. 

Rolling back shame is something else God does, where he reveals to you just HOW MUCH He loves you, and how much He will provide for you, and even when you are sinful, He loves you, and His mercies are new every morning…and you realize, HIS LOVE is what makes you want to leave the slavery behind.  It’s His LOVE that makes you WANT to obedient.  It’s His LOVE that wipes away shame.

They were entering their “promised land era”. They were eating grains they didn’t sow, and harvesting crops they didn’t plant.  God had given it to them…but also, it wasn’t going to just show up tomorrow.  They wouldn’t be spoon fed anymore in the promised land.  They had been given the land, but now they had to go out and harvest it.  They’d have to plant it next year, and the year after that. 

God gave us the land, now we have to plant the crops.

God gives trees.

We’re called to be productive in the promised land.

So there’s 3 phases we see here…

1. Slavery

2. Wilderness

3. Promised Land

In slavery, we do what our selfish nature tells us too, almost all of the time. We do what we can get away with.  We’re in bondage to our desires.

Once freed, we may enter into a wilderness season for a while.  It’s confusing in the wilderness, because you are so used to letting your selfish nature win and be in charge all of the time.  So you have to figure out how to discipline yourself. 

But then once we’ve learned that…God ushers us into a promised land season.  A place where he’s called us to a new level of obedience, because he not only wants to save US, but save others THROUGH us.

Testimonies from Tanzania

I hope you all leave today feeling inspired!  Inspired to do two things specifically:

1. Go on a missions trip someday, or make it your mission to send others!  GET. READY. NOW.  And I don’t mean pack your bags…I mean get your heart ready now.  Get your spiritual life ready! But I also know that it’s not everyone’s calling (they are extremely physically taxing!), but the rest of us should feel a responsibility to send others as well.

2. See your world as a missions field. Minister to the hurting. Pray for the sick. Bring people into the church–there is hope and healing here!  This place in itself is a house of healing!  So many of you have experienced it…now it’s your turn to share it. It means ordering your life to make church on Sunday a priority.  Serving at church a priority. Inviting people along with you. 

As For Me And My House #2: We Will Tell The Truth

Joshua 7

“so I knew in that moment that his integrity was only worth $5.”
“those who are faithful with a LITTLE, can also be trusted with MUCH.”

“The wicked flee, though no one pursues them, but the Godly are as bold as lions!”

God is the God of nations, AND the God of individuals.

You began to learn that when ONE member of your team is weak, or lazy, or undisciplined, the WHOLE team is weak, lazy, and undisciplined.  We move as a team, we win as a team. 

Matthew 16:18 “…upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (NLT)
Romans. 8:31 “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (NLT)

We take the gifts that God gives us, and we horde them to ourselves.  

When you take things you did not earn…or weren’t given…how are you gonna use them?

As long as you are still hiding things, you are not repentant yet.
When you are finally ready to CONFESS. To volunteer information about your sin that no one asked for…ALL of it, not hiding anything away…THAT’S a heart God can work with.
The truth will set you free. (John 8) But when you hide it until you are found out, that’s a heart that God cannot work with. A stubborn, deceitful, prideful heart.

BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT. Numbers 32 says

Sin has a way of crying out to the Lord.  (Cain & Abel…“Your brother’s blood cried out to me from the ground.”) It has a way of becoming UNhidden.  Don’t be arrogant enough to believe yours will stay a secret.  Confess it now, be rid of it, live in freedom!

With the truth, comes freedom. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

With the truth, comes victory. Because God can work with an honest heart!

With the truth, comes provision. When you take care of His house (and His reputation), He will take care of yours.

1 John 2:16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

As For Me And My House #1: We Will Serve The Lord

1. We're set apart
2. We're called to lead.

Joshua 24:1-24

We HAVE to remember, and teach our children...

Make up your mind.

Deep Dive: Growing Through My Storm (with Eran Holt)

Mark 3:13-15 (NIV)
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send out to preach
15 and to have authority to drive out demons.

Mark 4:35-40 (NIV)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”
36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

1. Grow in Faith

Mark 3:13-15
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send out to preach
15 and to have authority to drive out demons.

Mark 4:35 - That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”

2. Grow in Obedience

Mark 4:36-38 - Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

3. Grow in Authority

Mark 4:37-41 - A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Gospel Boot Camp #7: Rebuilding Our Spiritual Walls

Rebuilding Our Spiritual Walls by Fulfilling the Great Commission - In the power of the Holy Spirit! (Psalm 11:3) - if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Nehemiah 2:17-18, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Nehemiah prays to God after being broken in his spirit over the condition of Jerusalem, takes a major risk by asking the King to rebuild, and then returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls after the Babylonian exile.

Spiritual Parallel: Just as Nehemiah led the rebuilding of physical walls, we are called to rebuild the spiritual walls of our communities by fulfilling the Great Commission.

Purpose: To draw connections between Nehemiah's mission and our mission as believers (share the beginning story of Bethany and the same process that God brought her through to start Collision). 

I. Recognizing the Need for Restoration

Nehemiah’s Burden (Nehemiah 2:17):

  - Nehemiah saw the broken walls and rallied the people: “You see the trouble we are in… Come, let us rebuild.”

  - Spiritual Implication: Recognize the brokenness in our lives, churches, and communities - this brokenness especially impacting the next generation.

Application:

  - Acknowledge lostness in our community by intentionally praying and receiving God’s heart for lost souls, the spiritual condition of our community, and the brokenness that has resulted.

  - Understand that restoration begins with seeing the need. 

II. Uniting in the Mission (Nehemiah 2:18)(John 17). 

Collaborative Effort:

  - Nehemiah encouraged the people to work together: “Let us start rebuilding.” They replied, “Let us start rebuilding,” so they began this good work.

  - Connection to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20): Jesus commands us to “go and make disciples of all nations,” a collective mission. 

• Students united in the same great commission effort, the adults doing the same thing, modelling for them, encouraging them, and holding them accountable for their mission field. 

Application:

  - Embrace the call to work together as the body of Christ and take ownership of this community. 

  - Each believer has a role in the mission of evangelism and discipleship in our own homes with our children first and then expanding out to be spiritual mothers and fathers - especially to the younger generation. 

III. Being Ambassadors for Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

Christ’s Love Compels Us:

  - Paul’s message: “For Christ’s love compels us… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.”

  - Our Role: As ambassadors, we represent Christ in the world, calling out (like John the Baptist) to our friends, neighbor’s, family, and those who God puts around us to be reconciled through the blood of Jesus.

Application:

  - Live out our faith with the urgency and dedication of an ambassador. Being willing to submit to each other to accomplish the mission! 

  - Commit to share the message of reconciliation (the gospel), embodying Christ’s love and truth in our daily lives. Our Collision challenge of sharing the gospel with 12 and making three disciples. 

Call to Action:

  - Recognize lostness, the spiritual state of our community, and the areas of brokenness among the next gen. 

  - Unite as a community in the mission of restoration through evangelism & discipleship, this is the purpose of the Church! 

  - Live as ambassadors for Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission with passion, purpose, and intentionality. Commit to prayer, care, & share and hold each other accountable to do it. 

Gospel Boot Camp #6: A Good Solider

2 Timothy 2:1-13

Grace means undeserved favor. Just as we are saved by grace [underserved favor], so we must live by grace [undeserved favor]. This means trusting completely in JESUS and his power, not trying to live in our own strength alone.

Can you imagine our soldiers, our US soldiers throughout the world operating on their own strength??  They’d be crushed. There’s probably not enough of them in any given country around the world right now, to overtake an enemy all by themselves.  But they aren't operating by themselves are they??

They have BACK UP.

1. Wear the uniform (the uniform is grace)

2. Endure the training (the training is suffering)

Remember a few weeks ago, when I talked about how we’re always trying to do the LEAST. 

What’s the least amount I can get away with, and still follow Jesus?
What’s the least amount I can give to God, and still be obedient? Do I tithe on my net or on my gross??
What’s the least amount I can like someone, and still love them?
What’s the least amount I can go to church and still show God I am on his team?

What’s the LEAST…

That’s a civilian worry.  

Soldiers don’t get the luxury of asking that question. 

Civilians worry about all kinds of things that don’t matter to a soldier.

I think sometimes we pray away the things that are meant to prepare us.  We COMPLAIN bitterly about things that God is USING to prepare us.

3. Follow our commander (our commander is JESUS!)

The world doesn’t mind a church who is doing nothing.  Taking no ground.  Not fasting, and NOT praying, not preaching the Gospel.

Good soldiers know their mission.  PRAYING and PREACHING.

They wear the uniform, representing their undeserved favor. 
They endure their training, suffering with forgiveness like Jesus.
And they obey their commander’s voice, tuning it with ferocity to the voice of Jesus.

Gospel Boot Camp #5: Disciple Making Groups

Matthew 28:16-20

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The disciples:

1. They said yes. (to following Jesus)

2. They followed. (Jesus in his ministry)

3. They made more disciples. (as they continued to follow Jesus)

After you’ve presented the 3 Circles, 

Your next question is…

• What’s stopping you from leaving brokenness and following Jesus? Are you open to making a decision to follow Jesus today? 

• If yes, they are a GREEN-Reply: Great! Can we pray together? This prayer isn’t what changes you, this is you just making a decision to follow Jesus. 

• Pray the prayer of salvation with them! 

• Ask if you can set up a time to start meeting and read scripture together to learn what it means to follow Jesus. Ask if they have any other friends who might want to join them. Be sure to get their contact info if you don’t already have it. Also, be sure to invite them to go with you to church and/or youth group. 

• If no, move to the next question.

• Are you at least open to learning more about Jesus before making a decision to follow Him? 

• If yes, they are a YELLOW-Ask the following questions: Can we set up a time to start meeting where you will have the opportunity to ask questions, read scripture together and learn more about who Jesus is? Do you have any other friends who might want to join us? Be sure to get their contact info if you don’t already have it. Also, be sure to invite them to church and/or youth group with you. 

These are the ones I want to focus on today.  Greens & yellows

Message Candace if you want to be on a DMG team, but were not in service in person!
717-634-7910

Gospel Boot Camp #4: The 3 Circles

TANZANIA UPDATE - $29,000 still needed ($15,000 to come from the team)
Matthew 17:24-27

Military Boot Camp Includes:
Marching (tactical)
Military knowledge (jargon, acronyms, general orders, rank structure)
Discipline (security & crowd dispersion discipline)
Physical Fitness
Weapons
Survival Skills
Teamwork
Healthy eating
Other skills (rappel, pass a hand grenade, small-team land navigation)

Acts 1:6-11

Be my witnesses.

3 Circles:

STEP 1: Ask the following questions: Has anyone ever shared the 3 circles? Can I share it with you? If they say yes, skip to STEP 3.
STEP 2: Watch the 3 circles video OR share the picture with them and read the script below.

• The first circle represents our broken world: We all live in a broken world. What are some things you see in the world that are broken? 

• The 2nd circle is God’s original design. A world full of love, joy and peace and unity with one another and in relationship with Him.

• Starting with the first person, we decide we don’t want to do things God's ways, this is called sin. Sin can be anything from lying to murder. Sin separates us from God and throws us into brokenness. 

• Since we were created to be in relationship with God, when we are in brokenness, there is a void in our life. We try to fill the void with things like fame, money, and relationships. Or, we try to drown out those bad feelings and struggles with things like drugs, alcohol, food, television, pornography, video games, etc. to try and make us feel good. These things won’t fix the problem and can lead to addiction. If we die in this state of brokenness, that is eternal separation from God, which is eternity in hell.  

• BUT, God loved us so much that He didn’t want to leave us in this place, so He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for us to pay the penalty for our sins and make a way for us to have a relationship with God again. 

• If we turn from our way of doing things, ask for forgiveness, and make Jesus the Lord of our life then He fills us with His Holy Spirit. We are then restored back into a relationship with God again and He starts to renew us from the inside out. We get to experience His love, joy, and peace. 

STEP 3: Ask the following question & respond appropriately based on their answer: What circle do you see yourself in? 

If in brokenness, ask these questions: What’s stopping you from leaving brokenness and following Jesus? Are you open to making a decision to follow Jesus today?