WRITTEN IN THE STARS: Our Best Worship

Luke 2:1-20

THE BEST GIFT OFFERING isn’t about some big need, or goal to hit, it’s about stirring up a generous spirit within the church, and passionate worship.

I taught the kids about worship a lot:

1. Worship isn’t about the music--it’s about your focus.

2. Worship isn’t about you--it’s about Him.

When worship is TRUE & GENUINE, (in spirit AND in truth) it has some amazing byproducts:

• Contagious

• Attractive

• Inspiring

But the flip side is also true..when you have disingenuous and religious worship, it’s also:

• repulsive

• repelling

• depressing

Gen 49:10, “The scepter will not depart from Judah,

•     nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

• until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,

•     the one whom all nations will honor.”

Daniel 2:44 says, ““During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.”

FAITH AND FEAR are constantly at war. Worship is a discipline.

Worship is about seeing the bigger picture. The magnitude who God is.

When we understand that the plan of salvation has always been written in the stars...that’s when we can bring him our best worship.

WRITTEN IN THE STARS: The Best Gifts

“If you believe that something is written in the stars, you believe that it will be made to happen by a force that controls the future.”

Matthew 2:1-12

We DO know about the Wise Men:

• They were probably rulers of some sort,

• They were devout followers of God, even if they weren’t Jews.

  • Zoroastrianism

• They were called wise men because of how they studied the stars.

  • Gen 1:14-17

• HERE’S THE ONE THAT STRUCK ME THE MOST: They came to bless the Messiah. Not to be blessed by Him.

The BEST Gifts

• GOLD

  • Born a King on Bethlehem plain,

  •     Gold I bring to crown Him again,

  •          King for ever,

  •          Ceasing never

  •     Over us all to reign.

  •                         O Star, &c.

• FRANKINCENSE

  • Frankincense to offer have I,

  •     Incense owns a Deity nigh:

  •             Prayer and praising

  •             All men raising,

  •     Worship Him God on High.

  •                         O Star, &c.

• MYRRH

  • Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume

  •     Breathes a life of gathering gloom;—

  •                Sorrowing, sighing,

  •                Bleeding, dying,

  •     Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

  •                         O Star, &c.

The Wise Men’s gifts were:

• Useful & Generous.

• Precious & Valuable.

• Respectful & Worshipful.

VICTORIOUS: Finishing the Race

Pastor Candace has been saying all these weeks that God’s victories are WHOLE and complete, I’ve been fighting the good fight, why don’t I have all those things NOW?!

If you’re in that place--first, let me say to you a few things:

1. Your story is still being written. (patience)

2. Let the past be the past. (forgiveness)

3. Stop wondering IF God has a plan for you, and start preparing for it. (trust)

   1. For me, Bold & Brave is such PROOF of this.

      1. Denyse Yates: “It has challenged me to not quit when things get hard. To go deeper with God and do things I was normally not comfortable doing. It has challenged me to deal with stuff I haven’t wanted to and say yes to. And you have challenged me to go deeper into the word.”

      2. Rebecca Strevig: “Bold and Brave has taught me to dive so much deeper into God's Word, ask questions and not quit when it gets difficult. Going deeper into the word has changed my relationship with Jesus in a huge way.”

         1. “Also, the relationships! I love the ladies in Bold and Brave and it's amazing to know I have strong women in my life I can lean on and go to for prayer.”

      3. Susann Simon: “I’ve learned so much about how to study the Bible and not be intimidated by it. I’ve gained confidence and am learning to look beyond my own understanding to find answers, and not get frustrated when I don’t understand. ❤️”

      4. Chaulin Corona: “[I am] understanding a lot more every day about the word of God as a child I went to church but as a child we didn’t pay too much attention in learning, and understanding his word. I learn so much that he can do so many things in your life! I am learning to understand to not fear things and not stress things that everything will be alright God is always with me!

Look for the PATIENCE, TRUST, OR FORGIVENESS in this:

2 Timothy 4:1-22

Paul is NEXT LEVEL VICTORIOUS: 

1. He declares himself VICTORIOUS! 

2. He has an eternal perspective. Not only does he see things through the lense of the Word, but also through the lense of ETERNITY.

3. He not only understands that HIS story is still being written, but that other people’s stories are being written = next level victorious.

4. He lets the past in the past, even when he’s still dealing with the consequences of THEIR actions = next level VICTORIOUS.

5. He’s not only NOT doubting that God HAS a plan...he understands that His plan is GOOD.

6. All of this---it’s not JUST in a sermon.  It’s not JUST in teaching. This language and attitude is mixed in among everyday things like a coat, and the winter, and “bring my books along too please!” The place Paul has gotten to, near the end of his life...sitting in a prison cell, suffering because of the Gospel...VICTORIOUS just comes out of his mouth! 

It’s PATIENCE, because He is still writing the story.  It’s FORGIVENESS, because we can let the past be the past, when we know who’s in charge of the future.  And it’s TRUST because God has a plan, and IT IS GOOD.

God will let you live in whichever state you can settle for. 

1. A space outside the will of God. (culture)

   1. Lowest level of living

   2. Decisions guided and governed by my own will and wishes.

   3. I’m going to consult God when I need Him to bring MY will to pass.

   4. At this level, God is a deliverer, not a leader.

2. The permissive will of God (spiritual knowledge, church)

   1. The average level of living.

   2. A space & place where things are better than they used to be, but aren’t as good as they could be.

   3. He permits, but doesn’t prefer.

   4. It is salvation, but not transformation.

   5. We quote scripture at this level...but may not live it. 

3. The preferred will of God. (spiritual experience, Jesus)

   1. Kingdom living is what life looks like when JESUS leads it. 

   2. Church is not the end, it’s the MEANS to this level.

   3. At this level, we LIVE scripture.

   4. THIS is VICTORIOUS-living. Because it’s TOTAL reliance on God, ABSOLUTE trust with no reservations, and COMPLETE surrender to HIS will.

VICTORIOUS: The Wrestling

Hosea 12:3-4

Genesis 28-32

Jacob = ”Grabber/deceiver”

The enemy might be crafty but he is not creative. He wants us to believe not only that we’ve done something wrong, but that we ARE SOMETHING WRONG.

Incorrect victory breeds fear.

Correct victory [God-given victory] gives life.

Jacob’s enemy was himself.

Candace’s Word for the 11:15:

Genesis 32:24-28

24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, (because we often FEEL alone, and never are)

and a man came (because God’s help often comes looking a lot like people)

and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break (because there may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning).

25 When the man saw that he would not win the match (because Jacob wouldn’t give up like so many others),

he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. (sometimes we NEED changed physically to REMAIN changed spiritually)

26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” (because things often look very different in the light that a wrestling match with God can bring!)

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (don’t stop wrestling with God UNTIL you get your healing)

27 “What is your name?” the man asked. (God often asks questions He already knows the answers to--for OUR benefit, not our own)

He replied, “Jacob.” (because sometimes we have to label our pain, before we can heal from it. Faith is not the absence of reality, or the denial of it, it’s the belief in something greater.)

28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him (because only God has the power to change names AND identities from the inside out).

“From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” (and God gives WHOLE victories. HE RESTORES OUR SOULS, not just our bodies, not just our minds….OUR SOULS)

VICTORIOUS: Stacking Victories

1 Samuel 18:14, “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.”

Know the Why:

2 Samuel 8:1-14

• He won constantly! When David lead Israel as King he lead them into a season of unimagined victory and property that would be continued by his son Solomon.

• Why do you want to win?

• Winning feels good, losing stinks. But that’s not why David wanted to win.

Know the Why: To Honor God

Psalm 29:1-2, “Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings; honor the LORD for his glory and strength. Honor the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”

God wins when we attribute our victories to Him. “Famous enough” means that I am famous enough, God should get more of the praise.

How to Win:

1 Samuel 17:31-37

How to Win: Baby Steps

1 Samuel 17:36-37

Don’t rush into battle until you’re ready. Stacking victories. David knew what he was capable of when he saw Goliath, because he had tested it.

You came to church! That is a win. Baptized? There is a win! Worshipped God? Heard the Word? All wins! Stand on those, start with what’s right in front of you. For so many of you, that’s PRAYER. If your life doesn’t depend on it right now, IT WILL.

Better to set identity-based goals, than outcome-based goals. Changing who you ARE, not just what you DO.

David knew God was with Him, because he had done it before.

How to Win: Big Steps

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

Join the conversation! What’s your main takeaway from this message? Post a quote on social media using the hashtags #Victorious #FVChurch

VICTORIOUS: Let Me Get This Straight

Judges 10-12

• Judges 10:10, FINALLY!

  • How far lost do you have to be that it takes that much destruction for you to cry out to the Lord for help?!

  • But although confession here is a start--finally God is talking back!! that‘s what confession does, because it’s honest--it’s not enough.

    • Acknowledging your faults is ONLY the first step.  It’s not enough to invite the rescue of God.

  • It wasn’t until verse 16, where it says, “Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery

    • When we worship God with honest hearts, He’s moved to compassion for our situations.

• ENTER JEPHTHAH.

  • Tob-Living

    • What you think disqualifies you--might just be the very thing God uses.

  • WHY do you want victory??

    • We have to examine our own motives. Our hearts are endlessly wicked, the Bible says--we can make excuses for all kinds of behavior...but if we have selfish motives, at some point, it’s possible to want something TOO bad..

• Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

  • But HOW did Jephthah get his victory?

    • Because victory on the battlefield doesn’t necessarily mean victory at home. 

God’s victories are WHOLE. When he restored Job, he restored EVERYTHING Job lost, including family.  When he restored Moses as a leader, he restored EVERYTHING. When we restored Joseph, he restored EVERYTHING..and not just everyTHING, but everyONE, in every case.  And God’s math isn’t addition, multiplication. When you look out for the purposes of God, He looks out for you.

We have to examine our own motives, and rely only on the Lord for strength.

This series isn’t about being victorious in politics, or triumphing over our enemies.  It’s about seeing breakthrough in your life--but before we set out to see breakthrough, we must be aware of our own motives, and be VERY clear on WHO wins the victory for us. 

Jephthah’s story is a cautionary tale. It could have been vindication for Jephthah.  It could have been restoration for an individual. But he didn’t examine his own motives..and he didn’t rely solely on the Lord. God still worked it out for the good of HIS PEOPLE...this story is a victory story FOR THEM.  For the repentant. For those who confess and turn from their ways. But it could have been so much more.  

1. I think I have been praying with selfish motives, and I need to examine them.

2. I’ve been relying on my own strength--not His.

KINGDOM COME: Forgiveness & Justice in the Kingdom

Matthew 6:7-15

Common misconceptions about forgiveness among Christians:

1. You don’t have to do anything to receive God’s forgiveness. Not true, it must be accepted.

2. Forgiveness must be earned. Not true, it can only be given.

3. Trust should be given, not earned. Not true, trust & forgiveness are two different things.

4. Forgiveness is a feeling. Not true, forgiveness is a choice.

5. Forgiveness is the belief that they won’t mess up again. Again, not true. Forgiveness is the belief that they probably will mess up again, but choosing love anyway.

Romans 12:17-21

We can easily forgive, because: 

1. God’s much better at vengeance.

2. We’ve been forgiven of so much.

3. It’s much more effective at conviction (and therefore, life change)

4. That’s how you conquer evil.

KINGDOM COME: Complications of the Kingdom

REVIEW: Ways that we are a part of the kingdom: 

• God is King 

• We are his subjects 

• This is his castle

The Complications of living in the Kingdom.  Being a Christian doesn’t make things easy.

Romans 8:1-39
Freedom From Condemnation

• We all have a choice: be dominated by guilt or liberated by grace. Because of Christ’s presence in our lives, we become saturated with God’s grace, which makes us more gracious people. Gracious people are better at home, at work, and in the community. It’s the best way to build your foundation.

Freedom from Inadequacy 

• I know I am not enough but the good news is, I was not made to be enough!

• The only standard we should be trying to live up to is that of Christ our savior and we will always fall short.

• I am not less. I am a Child of God.

Freedom from Victim Mentality

• We have conquered Death and the grave! We are above, not below. We are victorious!

KINGDOM COME: Kingdom Subjects

John 12:16 NLT

The word “Gospel” = a single event, happening within a much larger context, that changes the future, and as a result, everything is changed.

Matthew 5:1-12 MSG

OUR PERSPECTIVE

• What we believe, influences what we think, and what we think influences how we see ourselves, and how we see ourselves influences how we behave.

Matthew 5:13-20 MSG

OUR BEHAVIOR

Matthew 5:21-48 MSG

OUR ATTITUDE

• a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.

KINGDOM COME: The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9-13 New Living Translation (NLT)
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

Romans 14:17 (NLT)
17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1. God is our King.

2. Subjects of the Kingdom.

3. The Castle.

EPIC Weekend - Eran Holt - Heart & Soul

You can’t be right with God, and be wrong about Jesus.

WHY is Jesus the only way? How do I share my faith?

4200 different religions in the world. Two MAIN differences.

1. Legalism= you HAVE to follow all the rules. There’s a god out there, and the god may or may not choose to love you based on whether or not you followed all the rules.

2. Fatalism= your fate has already been determined for you, and it has nothing to do with you.

The biggest difference with Christianity is FREE WILL. Genesis 2:3-9 / Deut 30:15-19

John 14:6 - the verse that makes Jesus seem very bigoted & intolerant to our culture. If you were to remove every other religion’s leader, what would still exist? Every other religion. If you were to remove Jesus from Christianity, what would we have left? Nothing.

4 reminders on Christianity being exclusive. 1. Jesus made the statement, we’re just repeating it. 2. Christianity is not the only religion that claims exclusivity. Most religions do. (Don’t make Jesus just one of the guys. Don’t lower your perception of Him. HE IS GOD.) 3. Truth by its very nature is exclusive. 4. Jesus is inclusive to everyone. Why is there a way at all?! Because Jesus came for us. Jesus isn’t an app on your phone, he’s the whole iOS!!

God speaks through creation. Romans 1:20

God speaks through conscience. Romans 2:15

God speaks through comfort. John 16:5-15

God speaks through scripture.

God speaks through conversation. Romans 10:8-15

What about the kids in Africa?? What about the people who don’t know yet? Yeah—what about them?? I didn’t know you cared so much! Have you gone to tell them? Do you give and equip the people who are going to tell them?

John 3:16

Acts 17:26-27

Romans 10:14-15

Check the statistics—the Gospel works!
It works because it demands a response.

EPIC Weekend - Eran Holt - 11:15

Genesis 35:16-21

“Ben” means son, “Oni” means sorrow.

Those that are experiencing the most sorrow, are also living out the most strength. The past sorrow, produces the future strength.

Don’t forget to focus on the negatives. Going down produces just as much strength as going up. There are some things you can only learn through the sorrow.

“Ben” means son, “jamin” means MY RIGHT HAND. You can call it “my sorrow” if you want, or you can call it MY BLESSING. Call it blessed.

“I just call it what it is”….how’s that working for you? That doesn’t take any faith, does it? I’m really grateful that God didn’t just call it what it is.

EPIC Weekend - Eran Holt - 9:15am

Genesis 25:24-34

1. The bowl tempts us to trade faith for feeling. 

• Our culture has whipped up a recipe for you to figure out your identity. The world will tell you:

  • Ask yourself, “How do I feel? I feel therefore I am.”

  • Ask yourself, “What do you like? Who are you attracted to?”

  • Ask yourself, “What are you good at?”

  • Ask yourself, ”Where did you come from?”

  • Ask yourself, “What have other people said about you?”

2. The bowl tempts us to trade calling for comfort.  

• There’s nothing comfortable about fulfilling the calling of God in your life. Destiny never comes at a discount.

• Comfort has become the drug of choice, for Americans today.

• There’s no growth in the comfort zone, but there’s no comfort in the growth zone.

3.  The bowl tempts us to trade our future for our present.  

• Also said like: what you want now for what you want most.

• The devil’s not playing checkers with you, he’s playing chess.

• You can have a birthright of peace in your life, or you can have the bowl of anxiety.

Don’t be an Esau. Don’t squander your birthright. Don’t drink from the wrong bowl.

EPIC Weekend - Eran Holt - 6:15pm

Hebrews 12:1-3

Judges 2:7-12

Look back.

• Embrace the crazy. Get some faith and some encouragement from the crazy faith of the past.

Look in.

• Stop asking: “is it wrong?”

• Start asking: “will this help me run my race better?”

Look down.

• Race envy. We get too busy looking at everyone else’s race, that we can’t focus on our own.

• If you’re not running your race, who will?

• Anointing: the ability to go beyond.

Look up.

• Fix your eyes on Jesus.

The Big Comfy Couch

As Christians, we enjoy a certain amount of favor...and many blessings from God. We forget, easily, that his blessings are conditional on our behavior.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18)
"Pray continually." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray." (James 5:13)
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

When God says to stop praying:

1. When there’s unrepentant sin. Joshua 7

   1. Matthew 5:23-24

2. When It’s time for action. Exodus 14

3. When you’re doing so with selfish motives. Luke 10

Bottom line: Don’t get too comfy on the couch. The ONE THING worth being concerned about is relationship with your heavenly father, through Jesus Christ. If that’s right, the rest will be worked out.

THE COUCH POTATO: The Whirlwind

THE WHIRLWIND: “You have planted the wind”

• Laziness now, means chaos later.  The chaos is often our fault. Hosea 8:7a

Hosea 1:2

Hosea 2:14-16

Hosea 3:1

A couple ways to avoid the whirlwind:

1. Church is not a vaccine. Hosea 8:11

2. Stop making excuses. Hosea 8:12

   1. Knowing the laws, and happily being obedient to them, are two different things.

3. Look for the root. Hosea 10:13

4. Allow the whirlwind to bring you back to Him.

   1. Hosea 2:6 How bloody do you have to be to repent?!

   2. Hosea 2:16. could be said as, God is my partner. Not my slave-driver.

   3. Hosea 14 Healing for the Repentant

More of Candace’s favorite verses in the book of Hosea:

• 4:2, “You make vows and break them;

  you kill and steal and commit adultery.

  There is violence everywhere—

  one murder after another.

  3 That is why your land is in mourning,

  and everyone is wasting away.

  Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky,

  and the fish of the sea are disappearing.”

4:4, “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.”

4:9-11a, “And what the priests do, the people also do.’ So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds. 10 They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the Lord 11 to worship other gods.”

4:16, “Israel is stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
So should the Lord feed her
like a lamb in a lush pasture?

5:5, “The arrogance of Israel testifies against her
Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their
load of guilt.”

6:5-7, “I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. 6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”

6:11, “O Judah, a harvest of punishment is also waiting for you, though I wanted to restore the fortunes of my people.”

7:1, “I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great.”

7:7-9, “Burning like an oven, they consume their leaders. They kill their kings one after another, and no one cries to me for help. The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake! Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don’t realize they’re old and weak.”

8:2-3, “Now Israel pleads with me, ‘Help us, for you are our God!’ 3 But it is too late.”

8:5c, “How long will you be incapable of innocence?”

8:13, “The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices.”

THE COUCH POTATO: The Problem with Potatoes

The Problem with Potatoes

Mathew 21:28-31 NLT

• Called to Work

  • Fruitful Faith

  • Multiply mentality

• First Son's Faith

  • Feelings are often foolish.

  • Feelings change quickly. Lives change slowly.

  • Live for later

• Second Son's Sin

  • Right words

  • Actions matter

• Get Off The Couch

Matthew 7:21 NLT

THE COUCH POTATO: Love, The Beautiful Prize

Two types of Couch Potatoes:

• The eater

• The waiter

Mark 12:29-34 (TPT)

Loving God is meant to consume you.

Love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.

A well-rounded disciple, close to the Kingdom of God….will be passionate about BOTH. Being a learner, AND a servant. An eater AND a waiter.

1 Corinthians 13 in TPT

• “The Aramaic word for love is hooba, and it is a homonym that also means “to set on fire.”

• It is an intense affection that must be demonstrated.

• 1 Corinthians 13:5 - The Aramaic can be translated “Love does not stare at evil.”

• 1 Corinthians 13:8 - “Love never, not even once, fails [lapses]” or “Love never falls down” (it keeps going higher).

• The action phrases in this version really got me too...

  • Refuses to be jealous

  • Joyfully celebrates

  • Never stops believing

  • Never takes failure as defeat

  • Never gives up

  • Never stops loving

  • Extends beyond prophecy

  • More enduring than tongues

  • Remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten

We can’t afford to be too fat or too thin in our spirituality.  We can’t afford being lopsided Christians who only care about learning, or only care about serving.  We must love God, and love people, these are the greatest commandments. 

The Couch Potato Christian is an oxymoron.

CHURCH CAMP: Mountaintops 4 // Change the World

Acts 1:6-11

1. World changers are focused on their mission, and they trust God to work out the future.

2. World Changers have to go back down the mountain.

To do that, sometimes we need a few things.

1. They needed closure.

2. They needed a commissioning.

3. They needed a helper.

4. They needed to get to work.

In this series, we have defined VIBRANT, PASSIONATE, AND SELFLESS.

• VIBRANT disciples are single-minded in their dynamic life-worship of God.

• PASSIONATE disciples obediently pursue Jesus.

• SELFLESS disciples are willing to sacrifice comfort to demonstrate love.

• We CHANGE THE WORLD with the message of the Gospel.

“We aren’t the church because we all believe the same thing--we’re the church because we have a singular PURPOSE.”

In and out.  Up the mountain.  Down the mountain.

• Renew your vibrancy.  

• Feed your passion. 

• Practice selflessness.

• CHANGE THE WORLD.

CHURCH CAMP: Mountaintops 3 // Selfless

Mark 9:2-9

Selfless followers spend time alone with Jesus.

Luke 9:32

Selfless followers listen to Jesus.

Mark 14:35-36

Selfless followers lead others.

Sign up to serve SELFLESSLY.