Devoted Church

We believe growing people change.

Wherever you are in life, whatever is going on, you will always

have a next step to take as you grow.

Ephesians 4:11-16

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the

evangelists, the pastors and teachers,   to equip his people for

works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

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.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by

the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of

teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their

deceitful scheming.   Instead, speaking the truth in love, we

will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him

who is the head, that is, Christ.   From him the whole body,

joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows

and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 1:17-18

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the

glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and

revelation, so that you may know him better.    I pray that the

eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may

know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his

glorious inheritance in his holy people

Next Steps Track

1. Know God

Meet Jesus

Get Baptized

Read Your Bible

2. Get Connected

Become A Partner

Join A Life Group

3. Discover Your Purpose

Start Serving by joining a Team

4. Make An Impact

Mission Trips

Use Your Resources

We are never Finished!

If All People Matter to God, They MUST Matter to Us!

Acts 9:1-9

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.

He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

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Jesus Cares about the Broken and Lost.

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

How Do We Act Toward All People?

1. With Patience.

Matthew 23:15

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

2. With Love.

Mark 12:28-31

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

They might make us uncomfortable, and it might be awkward.

Remember their past and present isn’t their future!

We must NOT be the barrier!

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Five Things You Might Want to Change About You

1. Start surrounding yourself with positive people.

2. Think about the positive things about your job.

Philippians 4:8-9

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.  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.

3. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

4. Stop Complaining and Arguing.

Philippians 2:14-15

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 

5. Change your Entitlement attitude.

No one owes you anything.

Five Ways to Overcome Being Overwhelmed by Work

1. Start every day of work with Prayer.

Philippians 4:6

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

2. Get Organized.

3. Find time to Unplug.

The Sabbath is an important part of life.

Rest is important!

4. Learn to say no.

Jesus knew what his purpose was.

5. Be present where you are.

Overwhelmed by Finances

Four Truths About Your Finances

1. Less is Better.

Satan told Adam and Eve that More is Always Better!

What you don’t have is what you need!

Ecclesiastes 6:4

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

Less is Better Living.

Cut Back Clear Out Pay Off

2. Getting out of Debt provides Freedom.

Proverbs 22:7

Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

What Should You Ask God For?

Self-Control

Proverbs 25:28

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

Understanding

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

A Plan

Proverbs 21:5

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

3. Giving is Great.

Acts 20:35

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

2 Corinthians 9:11

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Proverbs 11:24-25

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

How Do You Grow in Generosity?

Trust God with the Tithe.

Worship God with my first and my best and trust Him to bless the rest!

Plan Your Generosity!

Isaiah 32:8

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

Start Being Generous Now.

Philemon 1:6

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.

4. Tomorrow is Important!

76% of people are living paycheck to paycheck.

Proverbs 21:20

The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Tomorrow is Important so make the Changes you need to NOW!

A sin is any thought or action that falls short of God’s will. God is perfect, and anything we do that falls short of His perfection is sin.

Romans 6:6-7

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Four facts about Sin.

1. Everyone Does it!

Romans 3:23

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

2. There are Consequences!

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

3. Forgiveness is Available!

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4. Without Jesus you have No Hope stopping.

Four ways to Overcome Being Overwhelmed by Sin.

1. Learn to rely on The Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

2. Learn to rely on the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

3. Learn to rely on Prayer.

Matthew 26:41

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

4. Learn to rely on Christian Community.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

James 5:16

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Why are Relationships So Important?

1. Healthy Relationships fulfill the need to be Loved.

2. Healthy Relationships can bring great Joy.

3. Healthy Relationships provide a place of Impact.

4. Healthy Relationships give you the Support you need.

At the end of your life, relationships will be the only things that matter.

Five ways to Overcome Being Overwhelmed by Relationships.

1. Communicate Better.

Psalms 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartbe pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Proverbs 17:27

A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 12:18

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

James 1:19

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

2. Resolve Conflict.

Having hard conversations will help every relationship.

Romans 12:17-18

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Ephesians 4:26

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you”. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry

Proverbs 14:29

People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

3. Start to Forgive.

Colossians 3:13

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

4. Learn the Gift of Goodbye.

Understand that some people are not meant to be a part of your story forever.

Acts 15:39-40

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left.

5. Stop Comparing yourself to Others.

Galatians 6:4-5

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.  For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Galatians 1:10

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Overwhelmed by Fear and Worry

Overwhelmed: Bury or drown beneath a huge mass or to defeat completely?

Fear and Worry

Relationships

Sin

Finances

Work

Top 5 Fears

#5 Dentist

#4 Snakes, Spiders, Bugs

#3 Needles

#2 Heights

#1 Public Speaking

Not All Fear is bad.

How Can we Overcome being Overwhelmed by Fear and Worry.

1. Realize the Enemy wants us to stay Overwhelmed.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2. Realize we have to make a decision to Stop.

Philippians 4:6

6 Don’t worry about anything;

3. Realize we have to Replace fear and worry with something from God.

Philippians 4:6

instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Replace Fear and Worry with Prayer and Worship.

Satan has always fought against Worship and the Word.

4. Realize that God wants everyone to experience Peace.

Philippians 4:7

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Everyone includes Me!

5. Realize we have to change what we put in our thoughts.

8 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.

Overwhelmed by Fear and Worry

Overwhelmed: Bury or drown beneath a huge mass or to defeat completely?

Fear and Worry

Relationships

Sin

Finances

Work

Top 5 Fears

#5 Dentist

#4 Snakes, Spiders, Bugs

#3 Needles

#2 Heights

#1 Public Speaking

Not All Fear is bad.

How Can we Overcome being Overwhelmed by Fear and Worry.

1. Realize the Enemy wants us to stay Overwhelmed.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2. Realize we have to make a decision to Stop.

Philippians 4:6

6 Don’t worry about anything;

3. Realize we have to Replace fear and worry with something from God.

Philippians 4:6

instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Replace Fear and Worry with Prayer and Worship.

Satan has always fought against Worship and the Word.

4. Realize that God wants everyone to experience Peace.

Philippians 4:7

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Everyone includes Me!

5. Realize we have to change what we put in our thoughts.

8 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.

Josh Clemons and Hazen Stevens, with OneRace, join Philip Lehman to finish up our "Minor Prophets" series with the book of Amos.

Learn more about OneRace at http://oneracemovement.com.

Chapter 1 God’s Wrath (Zeph. 1:2-3, 6, 12,)

Zeph. 1:2-3

“I will completely remove all thingsFrom the face of the [a]earth,” declares the Lord.3 “I will remove man and beast;I will remove the birds of the skyAnd the fish of the sea,And the [b]ruins along with the wicked;And I will cut off man from the face of the [c]earth,” declares the Lord.

Vs. 2 “Completely remove all things”

Vs. 3 “Man and beast, birds, fish”

“I will cut off man from the face of the earth”

Zeph. 1:6

And those who have turned back from following the Lord,And those who have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him.”

Vs. 6 “Those who turned back from following the Lord”

Zeph. 1:12

“It will come about at that timeThat I will search Jerusalem with lamps,And I will punish the menWho are [k]stagnant in spirit,Who say in their hearts,‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’

Vs. 12 “Stagnant in spirit”

Chapter 2 God’s offer of Hope (Zeph. 2:2-3)

Zeph. 2:2-3

Before the decree [b]takes effect—The day passes like the chaff—Before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.3 Seek the Lord,All you humble of the [c]earthWho have carried out His [d]ordinances;Seek righteousness, seek humility.Perhaps you will be hiddenIn the day of the Lord’s anger.

Vs. 2 “Before”

Vs. 3 “Seek”

Chapter 3 God’s restoration and Celebration (Zeph. 3:8-11, 14-18, 20)

Zeph. 3:8-11

“Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord,“For the day when I rise up as a witness.Indeed, My decision is to gather nations,To assemble kingdoms,To pour out on them My indignation,All My burning anger;For all the earth will be devouredBy the fire of My zeal.9 “For then I will [a]give to the peoples purified lips,That all of them may call on the name of the Lord,To serve Him [b]shoulder to shoulder.10 “From beyond the rivers of EthiopiaMy [c]worshipers, [d]My dispersed ones,Will bring My offerings.11 “In that day you will feel no shameBecause of all your deedsBy which you have rebelled against Me;For then I will remove from your midstYour proud, exulting ones,And you will never again be haughtyOn My holy mountain.

Vs. 8 “Gather nations”

“Burning anger”

Vs. 9 “Purified lips”

“Serve shoulder to shoulder”

Vs 10 “Feel no shame”

Zeph. 3:14-18

Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!Shout in triumph, O Israel!Rejoice and exult with all your heart,O daughter of Jerusalem!15 The Lord has taken away His judgments against you,He has cleared away your enemies.The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;You will fear disaster no more.16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:“Do not be afraid, O Zion;Do not let your hands fall limp.17 “The Lord your God is in your midst,A [e]victorious warrior.He will exult over you with joy,He will [f]be quiet in His love,He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.18 “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts—They [g]came from you, O Zion;The reproach of exile is a burden on [h]them.19 “Behold, I am going to deal at that time

Vs. 14-18 “Shout for Joy”

Zeph. 3:20

“At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together;Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth,When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”Says the Lord.

Vs. 20 “When I restore”