7-26-2015
Brock and Nancy Luginbill - International Missionaries to Ecuador

7-19-2015
"The Freedom of Forgiveness"
Ephesians 4:  29-32; Matthew 6: 12-15

THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS Ephesians 4. 29-32; Matthew 6. 12-15 I.  ___-FORGIVENESS IS A HEAVY LOAD AND A DESTRUCTIVE FORCE A.  Unforgiveness often leads to “bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, divorce, strife, and other types of evil behavior- desires to “get even.”   B.  _______ marriage, every family, every church has times of disagreement, arguing, tension, and broken relationships.  II.  RESULTS OF _____________________ A.  Loneliness, bitterness, hatred  B.  __________ Spiritual Life- III.  THE BIBLE SAYS: ______________ A.  Jesus said it, Paul the writer of Ephesians…wrote it, wise men & women ever since have encouraged forgiveness.  B.  NOT AN EASY THING TO _____ IV.  BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESS A.  _____________ B.  Health & wholeness C.  Joy & graciousness V.  WHAT TO _____ - IN ORDER TO BEGIN FORGIVENESS PROCESS:   A.  Go to the person and “talk about it.”                                                   -Do a lot of “listening”                                                          -Hear the person’s motivation and their own pain/fear/struggle.                                                     -Assume responsibility for your actions & decisions to hold on to hurt.                                                     -Do something for the person who has hurt you…serve them, pray for them, do a kind deed.                                                   -Refuse to “re-hash & re-harbor” the same old issue  B.  Realize that forgiveness is often a __________…it may take some time C.  Ask Jesus to work in your heart, to help you forgive, and love like He does. VI.  TWO INDICATORS THAT YOU HAVE FORGIVEN (OR STARTING TO)  A.  Your feelings about the person have changed  B.  Forgiveness is genuine when you feel concern/compassion for the other person. VII.  HAS YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE BEEN DERAILED BY UNFORGIVENESS & RESENTMENT?

7-12-2015
"Pleasure Without Penalty in God's Temple?"
1 Corinthians 6. 18-20, 1 Thessalonians 4. 3-8

Pleasure Without Penalty in God’s Temple?
1 Cor. 6. 18-20 -1 Thess. 4. 3-8

I.  THE ________________ CULTURE:
A.  Corinth – notorious as a city of wealth & ___________
B.  _________ of Aphrodite 

II.  WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ______?- 
A.  Paul is seeking to help Jesus’ disciples ______ WITH JESUS in a pagan culture.  
B.  Immoral sexual pleasure _______ penalty doesn’t exist 
C.  God ________ sexual experience to be part of the marriage of 1 man and 1 woman 

III.  MEN & WOMEN BATTLE SEXUAL _____ IN MANY FORMS:
A.  Homosexuality
B.  __________- Unmarried men & women living together, sleeping together  
C.  Others: Men & women battle against pornography

IV.  SEXUAL SIN HAS MANY _________________
A.  Personal Consequences:  Plus family, and social fallout
B.  _____________ Consequences:
C.  _____________ Consequences:

V.  SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES 
A.  How can you __________ your relationship with Jesus?  
B.  Will not God have the “last ________.”  (1 Cor 6. 9-11)

VI.  SEXUAL SIN CAN BE FORGIVEN
A.  King _________- a prime example
-God forgave him
-Yet the consequences ___________ him the rest of his life.
B.  Repentance is part of ___________- look at David’s prayer in Ps. 51

V.  BOUNDARIES CAN HELP TO PREVENT SEXUAL SIN:  (some to consider)
A.  Be ____________- 
B.  Remember who God made you to be: HIS ___________
C.  Flee-get away
D.  Take some specific ___________
E.  Walk with Jesus EVERYDAY- 


CONCLUSION:  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Cor 6.20) 

7-5-2015
"Freedom is Not Free"
John 9. 1-11, 19-25, 35-38

6/28/2015
"Hope-Filled Living in Days of Suffering"
1 Peter 3. 15-17

HOPE-FILLED LIVING IN DAYS OF SUFFERING

1 PETER 3. 15-17

     I.        WHEN WE ARE SUFFERING MANY ___________ ARISE:

A.    _______ Questions:

B.      WHAT Questions

C.     OTHER Questions:

   II.        HOW HAVE  ____ BEEN SUFFERING?

A.    People suffer in many ways

B.      Some suffer _____________ at the hands of others?

C.     Some suffer for doing __________

 III.        A PROMINENT THEME of  1 ________  is HOPE:

A.    Believer’s Hope is  -   ______________

B.      Inner power & ability that shows strength.

C.     Causes people to notice and to ASK

 IV.        Question: Are you ENJOYING _____-Filled Living?   

- Peter tells us how we can have “hope-filled living” (v. 15)

A.    “Set apart Christ as _________”

·   Invite Jesus to be your SOLID ROCK; your “MIGHTY FORTRESS”…Your REFUGE…Your SECURITY  - Psalm 31. 2-3

B.      Always be prepared

·   Live in such a way that your faith and your courage will inspire others to “rise above by faith.”

C.     ___________   and respect

6-21-2015
"Being Steadfast in days of Distraction"
1 Peter 2

BEING STEADFAST IN DAYS OF DISTRACTION 1 PETER 2 I.  Living God’s Ways in Difficult ________…1 Peter A.  God’s Ways- Holiness:  To be __________ in Days of Distraction… B.  What are days of distraction? C.  Why are distractions bad? II.  GOD’S GOAL FOR BELIEVERS: A.  a ___________ house made of “living stones”/ A Royal Priesthood:   B.  The spiritual house will be a living, God-honoring, holy union of thousands of ________ stones- all joined together. III.  DISTRACTIONS LISTED IN 1 PETER A.  The rock that makes men ______________ (vss 4-10) B.  Sinful desires that war against your soul (v. 11-12)  C.  The distractions include: “RULERS AND _____________” IV.  HOW DO WE REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR FAITH IN DAYS OF DISTRACTION? A.  _______ in the “_________ cornerstone”  B.  Learn to say no to yourself (____________)  C.  Cooperate and submit to authorities  D.  Be willing to __________- like Christ did  V.  DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH DISTRACTIONS?            A.  God desires that believers will __________ their resolute faith in Christ even in very difficult times-  B.  For it is _______________  if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God…if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is _______________  before God.  To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example…(2. 19-21)

6-7-2015
"Being Holy in Days of Wickedness"
1 Peter 1. 13 - 2. 3

BEING HOLY IN DAYS OF WICKEDNESS 1 PETER 1. 13-2.3 I.  WE EXPECT _______ FROM OTHERS, AND AVERAGE FROM OURSELVES! II.  PETER WRITES TO ______________:  THEREFORE A.  Because of having been Chosen by God & having Living ______thru Jesus, there should be a change in your behavior. B.  The Goal= CHANGE OF __________, CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR LIFE III.  _______/ REVERENCE/RESPECT  A.  Not only fear, but reverence (respect)- B.  more than fear, also a _________  to please and to honor.   IV.  SINCERE and DEEP _________ A.  Real Christians – will have the same kind of sincere & deep love that Jesus did.  B.  We may not be as good at it, and we will fail at times, but many times we will _____   ____    ______.   V.  GET _____ OF: Malice, Deceit, Hypocrisy, Envy,  Slander VI.  GO AFTER- GOD’S _______ & SPIRITUAL GROWTH  A.  Crave pure spiritual milk B.  _______  ______ in your salvation * Improve- “grow up” * Get better.   VII.  THEREFORE- A.   If you know you’re chosen by God, and have that “living hope” within you- B.  Then ___________ should be your desire.