Collective Church

This is a stand alone message preached by Justin Harrell.  He walks us through how strongholds can create slaves of us and separate us from the freedoms God has provided to us through Jesus Christ. 

Part 2 of 4

Key Scriptures: Judges 14

Key Thought: Samson was more emotion driven than he was spirit lead. 

Samson was gifted by God with physical strength, but instead of leaning into God for guidance in life he leaned into his own emotions and allowed them to steer him as he chose Pleasure over Purpose, Anger over Ownership, and Glory to Self over Glory to God.

Part 1 of 4

Key Scripture: Judges 13
Key Thought: Samson was an astonishingly strong man with a terribly weak will.

Three vows Samson had to live by as a Nazarite:
1. Don't get drunk
2. Don't touch anything dead
3. Don't cut your hair, let it grow long

Three submission holds the enemy uses to make strong people weak
1. Lust
2. Entitlement
3. Pride

Three thoughts to take captive and surrender to Christ
1. Lust: "I want it." (Judges 14:1-2)
2. Entitlement: "I deserve it." (Judges 14:8-9)
3. Pride: "I can handle it." (Judges 14:10)

Feast: Mishteh; a feast or party; a celebration or occasion for drinking.

What different paths have you walked down, are you walking down, and will you walk down in your life? God has a destiny for your life and uses each of these paths for His purpose. Our stories are all tightly tethered together to a much larger story, God's Story. This sermon dives into what your Destiny is as a Christ follower, and what your role is in living out that Destiny. 

Interview style sermon with Peggy Cooper. Peggy and PJ discuss what it means to be BLESSED and to live a BLESSED life as a Woman in Christ.  

Key Thought: Mother's Day is very difficult for a lot of people. 

B-blesses others
L-leads in love
E-exceptional in life
S-safe and secure
S-satisfied
E-eternally focused
D-divinely driven

Part 5

Key Thought: Restoration comes through times of searching, not just sulking. 

Part 3

We read last week that Job's friends came to comfort and be with him.  They offered him some advice and correction, but their correction was off base.  Today, we see that God sends another imperfect messenger to Job, and this time, Job receives some correction that he needs to hear amid his overwhelming circumstances.

Part 2

As we continue reading the Book of Job, we see dialogue between Job and his friends. Based on this dialogue, we draw some key observations on things to keep in mind when we are wrestling with the overwhelming.

*You can follow along on this sermon with the sermon notes below.

Three Things to Remember When Wrestling With the Overwhelming:

1. Be Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak 

"Caring and sensitive friends know when to come, how to stay quiet, and what to say, if anything at all." Charles Swindoll 

"When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him….Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words." Job 2:11, 13 NLT

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak…" James 1:19 NLT

2. Good Theology Misapplied is Bad Theology.

"My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same." Job 4:8 NLT

Overwhelming circumstances are…

• Always the result of Iiving in a broken world. 

"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us." Romans 8:22-23 NLT

• Sometimes the result of someone else’s sin. 

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23 NLT

Two of Job’s calamities were caused by evil men: Sabaens (1:15) and Chaldeans (1:17).

• Sometimes the result of your own sin; which when continually repeated lead to God’s loving discipline.

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Galatians 6:7-9 NLT

"For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness." Hebrews 12:10 NLT

"But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin." Job 5:17 NLT

• Sometimes Acts of God 

Lightening and fire (1:16)

Tornado (1:19)

• Always Spiritual Warfare 

"When you believe in Jesus Christ, you step into a world of testing you never knew before." Charles Swindoll 

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." Ephesians 6:11 NLT

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

"Satan may be like a lion. But he is a lion on a leash." John Piper 

3. Great Setbacks May Be Setups for Great Comebacks.

"When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!" Job 42:10 NLT

Part 1 
This week, we set the groundwork for this series in the Book of Job. We look at an overview of the book and make some key observations of it as a whole.  

Easter Sunday

What does it take to be right with God?