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BIRTHDAY WEEKEND: What You Delight In

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Psalm 1:1-6

  1. The Power to Do Joy

    1. vs. 1 “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers”

  2. Comes From What You Delight In

    1. vs. 2-3 “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

    2. Delight in: they choose to like the safety of the walls of sobriety, the challenge of living different, the benefits of serving God, the truth of the gospel. They willingly comply. Delight in how booze makes you feel, or how that high affects you, and you will lose yourself to it.

  3. But Unfocused People…Don’t.

    1. vs. 4-6 “But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.  Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”

    2. Wickedness is different from occasional evil; wickedness is a settled, chosen, practiced evil.

      Wickedness happens when we stop believing in the reward for living well. We begin to believe that wickedness will win, and all we can do is give in to it.

For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,  but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

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BATTLES: We Are Citizens

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Psalm 73:25, ""Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you"

Acts 16:16-24

  • Bad things are not always bad things.

    1. Hebrews 12:7-11, “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

Acts 16:25

  • Midnight singing & dungeon faith

    • “Those who wish to sing, will always find a song.”

    • “God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas--but for scars.” Elbert Hubbard

Acts 16:26-34

  • SUDDENLY--

Acts 16:35-40

  • We are citizens.


Here’s what I’ve learned about battles…

  1. BATTLES are not always bad things.

  2. We need the battles, to shape who we are, and to teach us who God is.

  3. Faith isn’t what makes it all work out in the end (God has already done that)...faith is what gets us through the middle part.  It’s the substance of things hoped for, it’s the evidence of things not yet seen...it’s mysterious and magical and amazing..It creates, it imagines, it hopes, it designs, it’s the language of God, because it is CREATING. CREATING LIFE.

True faith does not merely resign itself to a divine plan, nor trust detached promises; faith embraces a promising Person. That person, values spiritual health, above everything, because physical health and physical wealth don’t last for eternity.  

We must remember the promises in which Christ is clothed, but let us never preach a set of clothes. It’s the person of JESUS that stands at the center of saving faith.

In the end, this series about been about faith.  Faith in the face of battles. Enemies that cannot be overcome. Walls that cannot be torn down.  Relationships that cannot be restored. Faith in the face of the impossible. But not faith in yourself. Or the universe. Or love, or faith in faith itself.  Faith in Jesus Christ, the overcomer. The victorious savior of our souls. We are citizens in HIS kingdom. And we fight our battles as HIS warriors, ‘cause there is nothing that can stop our God.




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BATTLES: Wake The Dawn

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2 Chronicles 20

  1. Take Your Positions

    1. Acknowledge the problem AND the source

    2. Pray & Worship

      1. Names of God

        1. Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide

        2. Jehovah Nissi- The Lord is our banner (deliverer)

        3. Jehovah Shalom - The Lord sends peace (comfort)

        4. Jehovah Rapha - The God who heals

        5. Jehovah Ra’ah - The Lord is the Way, my shepherd

        6. Jehovah Tsidkenu (Sid-ken-ew)- The Lord is our righteousness

        7. Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is our light, ever present

    3. Know your own limitations

    4. Decide to obey & march

  2. Do Not Be Afraid

    1. Obey & march

    2. SING

    3. Declare victory

    4. “Wake the Dawn” Psalm 108

    5. Put on armor Ephesians 6

  3. The Lord is With You

    1. Who can be against you?! Romans 8

    2. YOU don’t need fight

    3. Freedom & hope for a future

    4. Valley of Blessing

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DISCIPLEMAKERS: Fishers of Men

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Luke 5:1-11: The First Disciples

Stages of Faith
Unbelievers
Believers
Disciples
Servant-Leaders
Reproducers

  1. Find Jesus

    1. (unbelievers & believers)

    2. You can see that Jesus moved these early disciples through these stages pretty quickly.  From unbeliever to believer after just a few teachings and a miracle.

  2. Move Forward

    1. (believers & disciples)

    2. Jesus may have called them where they were, but he didn’t let them stay where they were...He called them and helped them move forward..

  3. Do Something

    1. (servant-leaders & reproducers)

    2. If you’ve been truly freed..you naturally want others to feel that too.  

To find the practical ways that we do this at FV, and to HELP in that process, go see The FV Pathway!

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DISCIPLEMAKERS: In the Dust of the Rabbi

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Luke 14:25-35: The Cost of Being a Disciple
We talk a lot about the benefits of following Jesus, and there are many...but here, Jesus addresses the cost.

  1. Know the voice of your rabbi. Luke 14:25-27

    1. Identifying exactly who your leader is, is important because it also identifies exactly who your leader is not.

    2. There IS pain in this. Sometimes what your friends and family want, differs from what your God wants. Who will you listen to?

    3. There is freedom in knowing who the Boss is.  It’s not all on you anymore!

  2. He hasn’t called you to fail. Luke 14:28-33

    1. Jesus is issuing a warning here, not to turn people away…but to help them understand the testing seasons.  

    2. Our calling, is worth being crucified for!

  3. Count the cost so that you succeed. Luke 14:34-35

    1. You can't just be a disciple forever...at some point, you must mature into also MAKING disciples.

    2. THERE IS ROOM IN THIS HOUSE!

JOIN US IN THE DISCIPLEMAKERS CHALLENGE

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STAY (OR NOT TO STAY): Shake It Off

Matthew 10:11-14

Stay and Be a Blessing

Shake It Off

  • The Dust of Offense

  • The Dust of Distractions

    • Psalm 119:15, “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”

  • The Dust of the Past

    • 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

  • The Dust of Loneliness

    • John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

  • The Dust of Life

    • Romans 12:21, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

John 13:10, “Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”

One easy way to help grow the church? Check in on Facebook when you're here! Social Media is the new town square..help us get the word out! #FVChurch

HOME GROUP ASSIGNMENT:
Pick one of the above linked passages.
Which one means the most to you, and why?

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STAY (OR NOT TO STAY): The Tale of Two Prophets

1 Kings 13

  1. When you’re in obedience, God is your defender.

    1. Most of us give up because we don’t ACTUALLY believe the words written in this book.

    2. Pro Tips for “Staying”:

      1. Develop systems of reminding ourselves of His Word.

        1. The 40 I Am’s (HOME GROUP ASSIGNMENT: Read over these…which one means the most to you right now?)

        2. Daily Bible Study

        3. Weekly corporate Worship

        4. Gratitude for what God’s done in the past

      2. Don’t let your guard down

  2. Doubting God’s Word, can be dangerous.

    1. BUILD faith..

      1. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Good News about Christ!”

        1. Learning, hearing God’s Word is what BUILDS faith.  Block by block.

      2. One of Jesus’ last words was not “go”, but “wait”. He needed his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to empower them, to be able to accomplish the job they had to do.

  3. We don’t know the old man’s punishment...but it’s not about that.

    1. What you WANT to learn is only going to feed your pride and ambition and ego..

      1. What you NEED to learn will make you humble, meek, and kind.

    2. This story is about STAYING even through deceit.  Even through the storm. Even through the testing seasons.  Even through the the valley of the shadow of death.

      1. This is about not relying on anyone else for the WORD of God, BUT the WORD OF GOD.

      2. This is about trusting God before anyone else!

      3. Are you the kind of person that STAYS?!  STAYS true to what God is calling YOU to do?!  STAYS...even when it’s hard.

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STAY (OR NOT TO STAY): Keep Knocking

Luke 11:5-13

  1. This story isn’t about selfishness or laziness.

    1. “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” Prov 28:20

    2. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:10-12

  2. This story isn’t about annoyance.

    1. James 1:2-8

  3. This story is about shameless persistence.

    1. 2 Sam 12:15-23

What have you observed Jesus doing lately?  

What are you asking him to be taught right now?

When you feel the urge to run--do you examine that urge, or do you run?


Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #ToStayOrNotToStay and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!

HOME GROUP ASSIGNMENT: Pick one of the above linked passages. Study it. Share with the group, one thing that you learned from that passage, and how it relates to “STAY”.

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NEVER JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY: Who do you follow?

Never Just Another Sunday Series Review

1 Corinthians 3:1-23 TPT

  1. Got Milk

    1. Children focus on where they can’t go, instead of getting the most out of where they are.

    2. vs. 4-5

  2. Fighting Over Favorites

    1. Are you serving the style or the savior?

    2. Value in a preference, danger in a favorite.

    3. They were fighting about who they followed, creating factions that would fracture the faith.

    4. vs. 6-10

  3. A Family of Farmers

    1. On a farm, all are equal and necessary

    2. At FVChurch, we grow disciples, the soil we grow them in is Christ alone.

    3. vs. 11-13

  4. The Problem with Preferences

    1. Materials matter, but when Christ is the foundation he will reveal the victory.

    2. Straw is not as precious as gold, but if you are feeding a horse gold, you are a fool!

    3. vs. 18-20

  5. You Think You Know

    1. vs. 21-33

  6. Never Just Another Sunday

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NEVER JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY: Never, Ever Neglect

Hebrews 10:19-25

  1. Hold tight to hope

    1. v.23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

    2. John 3:16

  2. Motivate each other

    1. V.24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

  3. Do not neglect meeting together!

    1. V25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

    2. You can’t do the first two (hold hope, encourage other) if you don’t do the third! (meet together)

Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #NEVERJustAnotherSunday and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!

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NEVER JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY: When God says no...

2 Samuel 7:1-17

When God says no…

  • Have gratitude & give honor

    • He realizes that God is sovereign.  That even though David is a king, God is THE king.  Even though you may be a leader, God is THE leader.  It’s an important distinction, because it shifts your focus from YOUR will, to HIS.

    • What IS in my hand to do?

      • We see in 1 Chronicles 22, that David had fully accepted God’s Word on the matter, and he starts setting up his son Solomon for success.

    • David set an example here for us, of learning to live within God’s direction, and not outside of it.

    • Sometimes we pine for other people’s callings….and we completely miss our own.

  • Set up the next generation for success

    • Care more about what God thinks of you, than what people think of you

    • Passion for preparation. Luke 14:28

  • Have a teachable heart

Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #NEVERJustAnotherSunday and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!

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NEVER JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY: Passionate, not Passive

John 2:13-22 MSG

  1. Passionate, not passive

    1. Jesus couldn’t be perfect, and passive, at the same time.

    2. PASSIVE: accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance

    3. There comes a point when you’re complicit in the wickedness..

  2. Passion is singular in focus.

    1. God-focused, not self-focused.

    2. “Tear down this temple”...he knew they worshipped the temple, not the God in the temple.

  3. Start flipping tables.

    1. What table of corruption are you allowing in the house of God (your soul)?



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NEVER JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY: Good to Come Home

1 Samuel 3:1-14 & 3:21

Points:

  1. Vs - 1-5  Hearing but not recognizing

  2. Vs.- 5-7  Hearing from others

  3. Vs.- 8-9 Hearing wisdom

  4. Vs.- 11   Hearing and responding

Application - Have you heard?

Have you responded?

Are you in God's House?

Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #NEVERJustAnotherSunday and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!

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WONDER: The Life

John 15: 1-8

  1. Connectedness matters

    1. v. 4 Remain in me and I will remain in you.

  2. Disconnectedness matters

    1. v.   5 ...Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  

    2. God expects and blesses productivity! Do SOMETHING!

  3. Productivity matters

    1. v.8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #WONDERseries and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!

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WONDER: THE REMEDY


  1. The Promise. “And you know the way to where I am going”

    1. John 14:1-7

    2. The joy of faith is the best remedy against the griefs of sense.  A remedy with a promise. The promise of grace.  The promise of joy. The promise of hope. The promise that death isn’t the end.

      1. For you believers out there, the hopers, the dreamers..the promise is enough.

      2. But it’s also a remedy with a proof.

  2. The Proof. “Just believe…or believe because of the work you have seen me do.”

    1. John 14:8-11.

    2. JESUS came to prove God’s grace, goodness, and love. There’s no longer any question!

    3. Psalms 19:1-6

Can you begin to see yourself the way He sees you?

John 14:27, “I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!”


Join the conversation! Use the hashtags #WONDERseries and #FVChurch to post quotes, scripture, and pictures from today’s message!


Want to learn more? Check out these resources! And come back next week for our final installment of our Wonder Series.


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