November 15th
Don't forget to remember:
Remember God's Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:19-26
Big Picture Point:
"When we forget what God has done, we begin to doubt what God can do." God's faithfulness gives us hope in our trials and strength to wait on Him.
Hope of Help in God's Mercy (v19-21)
His Work In Us
Remembering our affliction humbles us
His Mercy For Us
Remembering God's faithfulness gives us hope
God's Great Love in the Midst of Life's Great Trials (v22-24)
Our affliction has not worn out God's great mercy and love.
"His compassions never fail"
-even when He is correcting us
Delight in the Delay (v25-26)
Wait patiently, expectantly, and silently for the Lord to work His will but also seek Him
Bear Life's Burdens Young
Why is it good to "bear the yoke when young"?
1. Obedience and dependance on God is best learned early at a young age.
2. It prepares us for the trials ahead.
3. It gives us more years to serve the Lord.
Will you submit to the Lord and allow Him to work in you?
November 8th
Don't forget to remember:
Remember Your Deliverance
Exodus 12
Big Picture Point:
Remembering God's past deliverance shapes how we live for Him today
Live for the Day the Lord has Made
>Israel's Deliverance from Egypt required a new calendar
Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt.
"This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you."
Exodus 12:1-2
Live With a New Identity & Purpose
Our identity is rooted in Christ and the freedom He provides
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
Live with a New Direction
"Live your life now based upon being redeemed"
Theological Terms to Know
Expiation - they were covered and their guilt had been removed
Propitiation= the wrath of God is turned away and not against them.
Remember Your Deliverance Together
Are you intentionally telling the next generation what God has done, or are you assuming they will discover it themselves?
Remember Your Deliverance Often
Have we become so comfortable with our salvation that we have lost our gratitude for our savior?
Remembering what God has already done strengthens our confidence in what He can still do.
You are Called to Action (Exodus 12:28)
"Israel went away and did so"
Hearing God's instructions without responding to them leaves us unchanged.
"How many times have you read God's Word, understood what He was asking of you, and yet walked away without doing anything about it?
Have you personally experienced the deliverance of God?
November 1st
Don't forget to remember: Remember what the lord has done
Psalm 103:1-5
1. Bless the Lord Thoroughly
"All that is with me"
"Bless His holy name" The name that is His separateness from sin
2. Do Not Forget His Benefits
Thankfulness is a command!
In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
We should use the remembrance of His benefits to praise the Lord.
3. Remember His Forgiveness and Freedom
"Forgiving iniquities" Isaiah 43:25
This is the good news, the forgiveness of sin and not going to Hell but heading to Heaven.
God will redeem my soul from the power of the pit for He will receive me. Psalm 49:15
4. Be Satisfied With His Refreshment
Are we looking to God to satisfy our deepest needs?
In what areas of your life do you need to trust God to renew your strength?
October 25th
WHAT IS MY CALLING?
Matthew 28:10-20;
Acts 6:1-8:3
Jesus has already given our mission
You don't need to be famous to be faithful
The mission field is where you live your life
The Challenge: Let Jesus shape the way you live and the way you respond
October 18th
What Do You Do With What You Feel?
1 Samuel 30:1-6
What do you do when you feel something really strongly?
1 Samuel 29:6-11
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7 Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”
8 So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with [b]you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”
11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
1 Samuel 30:1-6
1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was [a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1. Sometimes Life Hurts
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Faith doesn’t mean you never feel pain
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There is a difference between feeling pain and being ruled by pain
2. Your Feelings are Real, but They Aren't Always Right
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A feeling can be real without being a reliable guide
3. Bring Your Feelings to God
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Don’t run from God because you’re struggling. Run TO God because you’re struggling.
Philippians 4:6
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
4. God's Truth has to be Louder than Your Feelings
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God’s Word wins
5. You Don't Have to Obey Every Feeling
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“I can feel something without obeying it”
6. Jesus Understands What it Feels Like Too
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Hebrews 4:15
What Did David Do Next?
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He inquires of the Lord
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God remains faithful
Strengthen Yourself in the Lord
October 11th
Artificial Intelligence, Authentic Fellowship:
Created for Connection
Hebrews 10:24-25
Purpose Point: We bear God's image, belong to Christ's body, and were created to grow and flourish together.
A mere three years after ChatGPT's release, therapy and companionship quickly became the number-one way people use the chatbot (AI and the Future Church)
AI could become a handicap to humanity and does not allow us to practice real life (Rev. Boise Kimber, President of the National Baptist Convention)
What does the advancement of technology have to do with relationships?
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More than half of all Americans say they feel lonely often or some of the time
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38% of Americans live alone
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A tenth of people 23-29 have absolutely no face to face interaction with a human being on a daily basis
Why it's good to meet with fellow Christians
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Jesus said, "A new commandment I GIVE TO YOU, THAT YOU love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
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A) His love will product a sincere desire in our hearts to fellowship with other Christians
Why is this a "new" commandment?
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B) Because loving yourself is no longer the standard for loving other people
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C) The New Standard: to love one another as Jesus loved His disciples
Why is it a commandment?
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D) Because on our own we wouldn't do this
How we are to love each other (Hebrews 10:24-25)
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1. Love one another purposefully
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"Let us consider one another..." v24
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2. Love one another by encouraging
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Stimulate one another to love and good deeds... v24
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3. Love one another by being present
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Not forsaking our own assembling together...v25
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4. Love one another through encouragement
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But encouraging one another... v25
When was the last time you intentionally encouraged someone in their walk with Christ?
October 4th
AI: Human Beings Made in God’s Image Vs Machines-
Genesis 1:26-28
Purpose Point: God is our creator and He has given us a mission and a purpose that no other species or machine can fulfill. We are made in His image.
What does it mean to be human?
What is AI?
artificial intelligence refers to the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that traditionally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language
3 Categories of AI:
1 AI: learns from new information and experience, makes recommendations and decisions
2 Artificial General Intelligence: Will have humanlike intelligence and the ability to self-teach
3 Artificial Super-intelligence: Will outperform the best human abilities across every domain by a wide margin.
Human beings made in God’s image symbolize His rule, created to reflect His glory to all creation
Genesis 1:26-28 made by our creator in his image
1 By Nature we possess dignity and worth
2 We have been given meaning and purpose (v28)
3 We were created for relationship with God
A Humanity has God as its source
B Humanity bears resemblance to God
C humanity exists in the plurality of male and female
God gave humanity responsibility over creation
Humans act like God in their divinely given role to rule the earth
Humanity was uniquely created to know, worship, love, and enjoy God
“Human beings are not merely another species among many. We are uniquely created by God, in the image of God, to represent God and live in relationship with God.”
As we close remember that:
God made man
God made man something glorious
God made man for a high and worthy destiny