Access Church

Psalm 112:5-6 // Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; 6 a righteous man will be remembered forever.

Legacy: Where my life lives on.

What will you do that will outlive you?

Giving to something that will outlive me.

Giving to something that will outlive me.

Living so my life outlives me.

Romans 14:10-12 // You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

What did you do with Jesus?

Revelation 20:11-12 // Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Matthew 7:21-23 // “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The right answer: I knew Him personally.

What did you do with what God gave you?

2 Corinthians 5:10 // For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:14 // If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

Matthew 16:27 // For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

The right answer: I gave my life away.

I will intentionally give what I have.

2 Corinthians 9:11 // You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Become a Percentage Giver.

I will intentionally serve others.

Matthew 20:26-28 // Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I will intentionally share Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT // We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.

Luke 14:23 LB // Go out into the country…and urge anyone you find to come in, so that My house will be full.

Mark 16:15 NCV // Jesus said to His followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19 // Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

There is more to this life than this life.

What will you do that will outlive you?

Why do we care about mental health?

It is Biblical

Jesus cared about the body, mind, and spirit.

Matthew 9:35 KJV  //  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 22:37  //  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

It is Historical

It is Personal

1 in 5 adults are currently experiencing mental health challenges.

1 in 5 kids experience mental health issues in childhood.

11% of teenagers are currently battling depression.

In June, 40% of US Adults reported struggling with Mental Health or Substance Abuse.

It doesn’t mean that you are not deeply connected to God. It just means you’re human.

1 Kings 19 // Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…

A struggle doesn’t mean that you are not deeply connected to God. It just means you’re human.

Worship creates a shift of responsibility.

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed… that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said…

“Get up and eat.”  6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

What replenishes you?

If you can accomplish the dream of God for your life alone, it’s not the dream of God.

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

God whispers because He is near.

The life you have is often a reflection of the thoughts you think.

What comes into your mind comes out in your life.

You cannot have a positive life with a negative mind.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  //  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Neural Pathways

The more you think a thought, the easier is to think.

Cognitive Bias

Mistake in reasoning based on personal experiences or preferences.

It’s not that the facts are different, it’s the filter.

Reframing

Creating a different way of looking at a situation or relationship by changing its meaning.

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you frame it.

Philippians 1:12-13 NWV  //  Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me really stinks. As a result of the hell I’ve been through, I’m quitting my Access Group and never going back to church.

Philippians 1:12-14 NIV  //  Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

REFRAMING YOUR STORY AND RELATIONSHIPS:

Thank God for what didn’t happen.

Practice Pre-Framing.

Look for God’s goodness.

I am not interpreting God through my circumstances. I am interpreting my circumstances through the goodness of God.

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV
  //  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

To be more like Jesus

Proverbs 11:24 NIV  //  One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
 another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A person who gives freely

A person who withholds unduly

Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV  //  One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper;
 whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Our Tithes & Offerings

Malachi 3:6-12 NIV  //  “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

What is the tithe?

A tenth

The tithe is Holy

What is the offering?

Anything over and above the tithe

4 steps to becoming a G

Ask God for the faith to obey His word

Go home and move God to the top of your budget

Take the 90-day tithing challenge

Pray about taking a step to the right

Romans 12:2  //  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Most of life’s battles are won or lost in your mind.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  //  3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts.

We have to TRAIN our minds.

Philippians 4:8 NLT  //  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 NKJV  //  … if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Meditate — To engage in mental exercise; to focus one’s thoughts.

Psalm 119:15  //  I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 143:5  //  …I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

The only way to tear down a stronghold is to replace false information with truth.

2 Peter 1:3 NLT  //  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.

What stronghold is holding you back?

What truth demolishes that stronghold?

Write it

Think it

Confess it

Believe it.

Struggling to Know God’s Will:

My life belongs God. Daily I seek Him and daily He directs my steps. I know His voice and He leads me to His perfect will.

Lacking Confidence:

My confidence is in Christ and Christ alone. Because his spirit lives within me. I can do everything He calls me to do.

Fighting Lustful Thoughts:

I am not a slave to lustful thoughts because God has purified my mind. I will honor Him with my eyes and thoughts. My God is faithful. Even if I am tempted, He will always give me a way out.

Battling Worry:

Because of Christ, I’m not anxious about anything. I cast my cares on God because He cares for me. I have the peace of God dwelling in my heart and ruling my mind.

The life we have is a reflection of what we think

Proverbs 23:7 NKJV  //  “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Thought Audit:

God

Anger

God’s plan for me

Anxiety

Helping Others

Lust

Worry

Pride

Self

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV  //  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

If you repeat a lie often enough it becomes true

John 8:44 NIV  //  “…for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Remove the lie

Replace it with truth

Philippians 4:8-9 NIV  //  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

TRUE – LIES

NOBLE – DISHONORABLE

RIGHT – WRONG

PURE – FLESHLY

LOVELY – UGLY

ADMIRABLE – CRITICAL

EXCELLENT – WORST-CASE SCENARIOS

PRAISEWORTHY – UNWORTHY

You cannot change what you cannot confront

Romans 12:1-2 NIV  //  Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Transformed – Greek metamorphoō – to be changed from one thing into another.

You cannot defeat what you cannot define

What lie have you believed?

What does God say?

What will God do?

Baptism is a public declaration of a personal decision.

2 Corinthians 5:17 TLB // When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

Party Theology

Luke 15  //  5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Prodigal - Wastefully extravagant

Have you made your faith your own?

Have you been baptized since you believed?

Acts 22:16 // And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

Do you still celebrate?

Baptism is a public declaration of a personal decision.

Joshua 24:15 // But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Revelation 3:15-16 // I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 21:4-5 // ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 // Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 TLB // When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

HOW DO WE CHANGE? 
Outside in or Inside Out.

Do SOMETHING DIFFERENT or become SOMEONE DIFFERENT.

Improve the OLD YOU or become a NEW YOU.

New leaf vs. new life

Romans 6:4 // We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

John 10:10 NIV  //  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Romans 8:31 NIV  //  …If God is for us, who can be against us?

In the midst of four kinds of difficult experiences, God declares He is for you.

In the midst of our FEARS…God is our SHEPHERD!

Psalms 23:1-4 NIV  //  The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

In the midst of our FAILURES…God is our ADVOCATE!

1 John 2:1-2 NIV  //  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

In the midst of our STRUGGLES…God is our DELIVERER!

Psalm 56:9 NIV  //  Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

Psalm 56:13 NIV  //  For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

In the midst of our WORRIES…God is NEAR!

Matthew 6:25-27 NIV  //  Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Philippians 4:5-7 NIV  //  …The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanks giving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.