God’s Heart for the Home
We are grateful this week for our mothers. What is the greatest thing you remember about your early years with your mom? Most moms are the anchor for home. This week we want to celebrate and reinforce the most important descriptions on God’s heart of our homes.
Freedom
What is freedom to you? One person has said that “Freedom is not the ability to do what you want but rather the desire and ability to do what we should.” We will take a journey this weekend in exploring freedom as God intended it for all of us. Do a word study on the word freedom to prepare.
I Don’t Understand
What is freedom to you? One person has said that “Freedom is not the ability to do what you want but rather the desire and ability to do what we should.” We will take a journey this weekend in exploring freedom as God intended it for all of us. Do a word study on the word freedom to prepare.
Redeemed for More
This week we are truly blessed to hear from the Executive Director of the Love and Truth Network, Garry Ingraham. Garry will be speaking to us on God’s Heart to redeem us to our true identity.
Heart to Heart
We can know about people, but we really only “know” people when we get to know their heart. What drives them? Who are they when no one is looking? In our new series “Heart of God” we will learn about God’s heart, His character. The Bible talks about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are distinct but they are also One. This can be confusing, but this week we will find that they are unified in what drives them.
I’ve Just Seen Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus brings us life! And that is what we are celebrating this Easter Sunday. The crest-fallen become courageous. Dead people come alive. Killers become confessors. And those who were confused become convinced. All because they have seen and heard for themselves.
See Me!
As we walk through Holy Week, our theme is “Seen and Heard.” John, the beloved disciple, says we are passing on what we have seen and heard and experienced about Jesus. Saints throughout history have done the same. And today we stand in that same stream. In our desperation to be seen and heard, let’s see how that can be fulfilled as we see and hear Jesus.
To See Is to Be Sent
As we conclude our six week series on Zume Training, we turn to John 9 and the story of a man blind from birth. Jesus healed him using a pool that literally means, “sent”. Sometimes we think we need to be fully healed before God can work through us, but what if being sent is part of God’s healing? What if the very thing we think of as weakness is a platform for God to show His glory as we step out in obedience?
The Place of Prayer
How do we go about the task of making disciples among our families, our neighbors, our acquaintances? When Jesus sent out the twelve on their first mission, He gave them a pattern to follow that we can adapt for our mission today. It involves some simple, clear steps that empower us to know where to invest our energies and what to do when people are not open.
We Get To…
I hear many people talking about Jesus coming back and I wonder about the motivation. Why do they want Him to return? If He did return soon, where would He find our hearts? What would He find me busy doing?
Enough!
Do you ever become so familiar with something that it loses its effect on you? Many of us have heard the Gospel, the good news, so many times that we can forget how amazing it really is when a life is transformed by Jesus. This week we’ll look at a snapshot of a woman who is used by God to bring many in a town to faith in Jesus. It’s a familiar story, but as we unpack it this week, we hope to have our hearts softened and opened to the wonder of the Gospel again.
How Do We Go from a Consuming Christian to a Producing Christian?
This week through “Zume” and scripture we will take a look at how we go from being a consuming Christian to being a producer. We will compare and contrast the difference between a comfortable Christian life and a productive Christian life. Are you pursuing comfort? Or are you embracing suffering and persecution like Christ calls us to?
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
We close out our series “Unleashed” by looking at two necessary parts of the process: gifts complimenting and sharpening each other, and encouragement building us up when challenges come. In the midst of a basketball game, I made a move, and a lone, strong voice acknowledged it and encouraged me to make the layup (which I did not always do!).
Quiet Leadership
Most every successful writer, athlete, or entertainer will cite one or two people who were catalytic in launching their careers. In family histories, most of us have “moments” that were impactful or family members who did something to inspire or encourage us. In the journey of faith, each of us has the power and potential of being that person for someone else.
Kernels
A parent pulls their child out of the path of an out-of-control car, saving the child but losing their life. Nothing is ever said about it. A close friend has information that would save the life of their friend, but they remain silent. A person receives the greatest gift they could ever receive but says nothing. What is wrong with these pictures? It would be almost impossible to remain silent in these scenarios. And it is impossible for us to remain silent if we truly have seen and heard Jesus.
The Heart of the Spirit
Recently, I viewed a post where the speaker they heard “brought the heat.” He was talking about inspiration. But what Jesus did in sending the Spirit was far more. Flames came, but this heat isn’t periodic, or a one and done. This is sustaining fire. We will see how as we continue our “Unleashed” series.
The Movement Begins
The early church was powerful in word and deed. Why? Not because of organization or systems or methods. Power comes from somewhere else. Really from Someone else! We will see how Jesus began the movement that changed all of history. And it is still happening today.
Snapshot: Where We Are
Before we trace the Spirit-empowered movement, we are going to take time to get a snapshot of where we are as a church right now. God has been answering our prayers and we want to take time to thank Him and to discuss the metrics of success in ministry today.
Christmas Day Family Devotional
A short devotional to use at home with your family as you celebrate Christmas Day.