Edgewater Covenant Church

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden speak about the book of Philemon, and encourage others to get back into the Bible.

A Version you can easily read (Philemon 7-8)

Time, Place, & Plan: consistency is key

Understand the context (Philemon 1-2)

Read slowly – Ask Questions (Philemon 4-7)

S.P.E.C.K. (one example to go deeper)

Pray for God to speak to you

Formerly…But now

What does this say about the nature of God?

What might God be saying to you & me today?

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden deliver a message titled, “The Cornerstone of our Life” and read from Ephesians 2:8-10, 11-22

How is the Holy Spirit prompting me to act?

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden deliver a message about mercy, sin, and the good news.

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Ezra’s Message: Enjoying Time with God

Listen to Ezra Engle, Edgewater’s Youth Director, share a message about his attitude, and encourage fellow Christians to cherish and enjoy their time with God. (Pastor Steve was out of town attending a church conference this week)

Watch the video:

You know that feeling when you’re talking with a close friend and time just feels like it flys by because you’re having so much fun, laughing, and spending time with each other, enjoying each other‘s company? God wants His children to spend time with Him in that way.

Imagine that you are spending time with someone that you really look up to but you haven’t talked to them in a while. You are so refreshed by your time with them because they understand you at such a deep level. God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Have you ever been surrounded with lots of people but you still felt alone, or maybe just felt out of place? Jesus knows how it feels to be rejected, to feel alone, and He invites us to follow Him.

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”-Proverbs 18:24 (NIV84)

Can you remember a time when you were physically by yourself, but felt whole, good, and content?

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”-Psalm 23:4 (NIV84)

Think about a time when you had a brush with death. A time when you thought ‘that could’ve been the end right there…’

..but you’re still here. How often do you stop and think about why you’re still here?

Think about a time when someone said something to you that really surprised you, maybe it was a compliment or something unique they noticed about you. It really made you think twice about how well you understand yourself. God knows us so much better than we can even know ourselves. Don’t exclude God from any attempt at self-discovery. The enemy has plenty of answers that give a false sense of hope, but they won’t last.

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”-John 1:48 (NIV84)

Do you ever stop and think about why certain other people are in your life? What reason God may have put them in your life for, exactly? Maybe to challenge us, to test us, to encourage us, or to stretch us?

I want to challenge you and also want to challenge myself to consider the attitude and the posture we take when we approach God, or when we sit in His presence, whether in prayer, in worship, or even with our trust. Can you trust God with your schedule, your time, or your future plans? Will you trust Him with your thoughts and your relationships? Will you trust him with your attention, your worries, your dreams, and even your passing thoughts?

We can learn from the example of other believers that interacted with God as written about in the Bible. We can learn from the example Jesus set for us as well. Some of them trusted God pretty well, although not perfectly. Others didn’t do a whole lot of trusting, but occasionally had success. I can relate to that, can you? The question I have is, “what does it take for me to really thrive in my relationship with God? What am I missing?”

Verses:

Look back to how creation started. Pay attention to the details God included, the roles God gave us, the real food to eat, and also notice the things that are missing that we may hold on to with so much importance today. What did Adam and Eve have to worry about at this point? They were well taken care of. Worry was not introduced by God.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food. ” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”-Genesis 1:26-31 (NIV84)

David cried out to God regularly, and wrote it down as lyrics, poems, and prayers. He affirmed his trust in God and drew closer to Him in the process.

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.”-Psalm 57:1-2 (NIV84)

We can focus on God’s unfailing love as we meet together as a church, in groups, and in our households.

“Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.”-Psalm 48:9 (NIV84)

We listen to the wisdom of Jesus, to get away and rest when it’s needed. But we also learn that sometimes we need to delay that rest when it’s necessary. We turn to God for discernment on this, because we can easily fool ourselves.

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”-Mark 6:31 (NIV84)

Paul’s letters emphasize the importance of reconciliation. It restores the most important relationship we have, and sets the pace for peace in our other relationships as well. When we follow Jesus, we aren’t just slightly-altered versions of our old selves, we are a completely new creation, and we can be empowered to live and to think in that way, submitting our attitudes to be like Christ’s attitude. Because we have been forgiven, we can also forgive others who may sin against us. Grudges, resentment, and unforgiveness can regress all of our relationships.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”-2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV84)

Let’s read Psalm 139 together:

[1] “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.

[2] You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

[3] You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

[4] Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

[5] You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

[6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

[7] Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

[8] If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

[9] If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

[10] even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

[11] If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

[12] even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

[13] For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

[14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

[15] My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

[16] your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

[17] How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

[18] Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

[19] If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

[20] They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

[21] Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you?

[22] I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

[24] See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
-Psalm 139:1-24 (NIV84)

What are some things you notice about David’s Psalm? What makes you uncomfortable, what seems odd? Is it possible that we filter too much of our own thoughts and hearts before we approach God, and that might be what’s getting in the way of growing intimacy with God? Read verse 4 again:

[-Psalm 139:4 (NIV84)]
“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”

Final Blessing:

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden deliver a message titled, “Following Jesus Today”

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Reading from Luke 15; Matthew 4:18-20; 26:58

Matthew 4: “Come, follow me…”

Luke 15: parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, Son(s)

Attention (Focus)

…to focus on the Lost

Action (Direction of Movement)

…to move Toward

Attitudes (Heart Motivation)

…to show Compassion and Love

…to Rejoice together whenever what is lost is found.

Following at at distance keeps Jesus Out of Focus (Matthew 26:58)

How is Jesus calling me to Follow Him more closely?

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden deliver a message titled, “Refresh – Renew – Revive – Restore”

about Rhythms of Rest and Work.

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Reading from Matthew 11; Genesis 1

Matthew 11: “Come to me and I will give you…”

Genesis 1: In the beginning…

…and there was evening, and there was morning

Rest is an important way we trust God

Matthew 3: “This is my Son, whom I love…”

What has God already Done?

Rest is whatever directs you toward the Goodness of God

What rhythms of rest can I practice this year?

What area of my life needs some refreshment?

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden deliver a message titled, “At Once: What’s Holding You Back?”, and reads from Mark chapter 1, verses 15-20

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Question: What step is Jesus calling you to take this year?

Listen to Pastor Steve deliver a message titled, “Good News – Love Comes Down” and reading from

Luke 2:15-20

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Luke 2…Let’s go to Bethlehem

He Came – They Went

…Good News for All the people

Jesus came – We go

…to those Nearest to us

(Acts 1:8)

…and to those who are farthest

(Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8)

Listen to Pastor Steve Hoden speak about Joy on the third Sunday of Advent and Angela gets baptized outside, and is warmed by the love and support of her Edgewater family.

What are some words, ways or ideas which describe JOY for you?

Listen to Pastor Steve deliver a message.

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