Take Courage: God is in Charge
Daniel 4
Key Idea: Who is God? And How Should I Respond?
We see God is Sovereign over all and humbles those who trust in themselves.
Recognize, God is Sovereign. (Daniel 4:1-3)
Be Shocked, God is All-Powerful. (Daniel 4:4-18)
Turn Away from Sin, God is Just/Right. (Daniel 4:19-27)
Be Humbled, God is the Ultimate Authority. (Daniel 4:28-33)
Worship, God is the Gracious King. (Daniel 4:34-37)
Mighty God
Colossians 1:15-23
Why does Jesus deserve to be first priority?
He is God.
He is the Leader Over Everything.
He is the Reconciler.
You can trust Him.
Hope In Dark Times
Daniel 6
What can we do in difficult times?
Be Faithful (vv. 1-5, 10)
Be Faithful in Opposition (vv. 6-13)
Be Faithful and Trust God is Working (vv. 14-20)
Be Used for God's Mission (vv. 21-28)
Learning to Lament
Psalm 6
Key Truth: Learn to Lament. Expressing our suffering to God helps us to learn to trust God more deeply, to look to His promises for saving, to know Him more deeply, and to allow him to change us.
Learn to Lament by:
1. Expressing it to God (6:1-7).
Express to God your anger, pain, hurt, discouragement, fear, and doubts.
2. Learning to trust God more deeply (6:3-4).
3. Learning to look to the Lord’s promises for saving (6:4).
4. Learning to know God more deeply (6:5-7).
5. Allowing him to change us (6:8-10).
Hope - Week 5
Genesis 12
Key Thought: We can have hope because of a generous God who makes a good promise to redeem and rescue through Abraham’s family.
A generous promise: take hope because God is generous (Genesis 12:1-4)
A Generous Master - take hope because God is a gracious master
A Call to Faith - take hope because God gives us a new identity by faith
A generous promise that is so good!
What did the Lord promise?
A Land = Canaan
A Name = Father Abraham
A People (children, nation) = Israel (God’s People)
A Universal Blessing = protection and a blessing for all nations
A Good Future: Take hope for in Christ you have a good future. (Genesis 12:5-9)
Take hope you have a future home
A Faithful Hero: Take hope because the good and generous hope depends on faithful God not you. (Genesis 12:10-20)
God's Mission and Our Mission
How do we join in God’s mission?
Back - Reflect the Design and Designer (Genesis 1:27-28)
Inward - Be a Blessing (Genesis 12:1-4)
Up - Become a Rescued Worshipper (John 3:16-17)
Outward - Go! (John 20:21 | Matthew 28:19-20)
Forward - Live Hopeful Lifestyles (Revelation 21:1-5)
Becoming a Gospel People
Acts 11:19-26
Gospel Speaking
Gospel Discipling - “walking alongside”
Gospel Teaching
Facing Rejection
1 Peter 3:8-22
How do I face a rejecting world?
Do gospel good together (vv. 8-12)
Hope in suffering (vv. 13-17)
Trust Jesus as your Suffering Victor (vv. 18-22)
Run to Win
Hebrews 12:1-3
How can I live faithfully to God for my whole life?
How can I run to win?
By throwing off distractions and sin
By refusing to give up
By focusing on Jesus
Two Ways to Live
Luke 12:13-21, 31-34
What are you living for?
Two Ways to Live:
How to waste your life (vv. 13-21)
How to invest your life…forever (vv. 31-34)
Find your security, hope, and happiness in what lasts forever
Get rid of what is wasting your life by investing in what really matters
What you live for reveals what you really love!
A Very Religious Easter...Without God
Matthew 21:12-17, 23-32
Stop Practicing Empty Religion
Religion that…
Is superstitious rather than pure in worship
Knows it all, rather than looking for God
Manipulates God, rather than seeking truth
Values appearance over Gospel transformation
#Checkyourheart... For Idols
Micah
Check your heart: Am I fully devoted to the Lord?
Be Warned: Our idols and injustice will be judged.
Check your heart: idols will corrupt your heart.
Check your heart: injustice reveals your heart.
Take heart: The Lord is faithful and forgiving.
A Day of Judgement
Joel
Judgement: Destruction (1:1-2:11; 2:30-3:6)
Lament: Cry out to God
Repent: Turn away from sin
Restoration: Be saved and revived (2:18-32; 3:1, 17-21)
Key Truth: God will judge so turn and be saved
Growing One Another
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
How do we help others grow spiritually?
We love others sacrificially
We love genuinely
We give ourselves (this means life-on-life)
We make their good our ultimate goal
We give one another God’s Word
We talk about Jesus (the Gospel) …a lot
We teach how to live for Jesus in everyday life
We understand that God transforms people through His Word
Where can I start?
Commit to deep friendships in the church and with non-Christians
Lovingly serve these people
Share a struggle in your life and ask how you can pray for them
Be intentional together: plan times when you will talk about how God is speaking to you through His Word
Now What?
1 Corinthians 16:1-24
How Can I Stay Faithful?
Five Principles for Staying Faithful in Living for Christ, His Church, and His Mission:
Discipline yourself to give (for the sake of the Church and Her mission)
Invest your life into people
Don’t give up living for Jesus
Submit to and respect servant-leaders
Treasure Christian friendships
The Skeptical Believer
John 20:24-31
Skepticism demands evidence.
- Faith demands commitment.
- Christian faith is trusting in Christ as Savior and Lord.
- Trust in the unseen Savior.
How will I commit/trust the Savior?
Seeing is Believing...But is It?
John 9
What is faith?
- Jesus came to give sight to the blind.
- Seeing is not always believing.
- Faith is seeing the glory of Jesus and loving Jesus for all He is.
*Faith is a supernatural gift from God. (See also 1 Cor. 2:10-12; 2 Cor. 4:6)