Talking animals

Genesis 3:1-2, 14

Numbers 22:21-33

Dinosaurs & dragons

Job 40:15-24

Job 41:1-34

Psalm 74:14

Psalm 104:26

Isaiah 27:1

The walking dead!

2 Kings 13:21

Matthew 27:50-53

Acts 20:7-12

GRACE

God created us.

Genesis 2:7

God loves us.

Romans 5:8

Romans 8:38-39

God redeemed us.

Ephesians 1:7

Hebrews 9:14-15

1 Peter 1:18-20

Focus:

thanking God for people

thanking people who have served God by serving us

Please and thank you...

the simplest things we learned from earliest childhood

Gratitude to God expressed in:

1) our thankfulness FOR one another

2) our thankfulness TO one another

1 Thessalonians 3:6-9

1 Timothy 6:17-19

1 Thessalonians 5:16

1) Be JOYFUL

1 Corinthians 4:7

2) Give THANKS

1 Thessalonians 5:18

We have everything because of Him!

Pastor Todd Crosthwaite

The church... a movement... The Way

Saul / Paul

The church is a means to an end.

What do we do with the opportunity before us?

1) Be BOLD in your invitations.

invest-and-invite

2) Be BOLD in your volunteering.

3) Be BOLD in your giving.

4) Be BOLD in your prayers.

Acts 28:28-31

FEAR

We fear loss.

Our fear doesn't have to be based in reality for it to affect us in a very real

way.

ANGER

The danger of "us-vs-them"

UNITY

Psalm 133:1

John 17:1-21

John 15:12

Unity is God's will for us.

HOPE

the kingdom of God wins or loses based on the strength of our unity around the Truth of the Gospel, the hope of the resurrection, and the mission of the church, to love people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

Why do we allow ourselves to pledge our allegiance to lesser kings and lesser kingdoms?

When we lose control, we hold tightest to the source of our hope.

Let's share contagious hope!

REFLECTION:

Anger

How have you processed your anger through this election season?

Is there someone you need to forgive?

Is there someone you need to apologize to?

What adjustments do you need to make to ensure that your anger is surrendered to God?

Fear

Ask yourself: in light of this election, what am I fearful of?

Is this fear based in reality or perception?

If the thing you fear came to be, could you still thrive in the kingdom of God? Would the Holy Spirit be enough for you?

Unity

How critical have you been in recent months of people with different views than yours?

How can you learn to focus on the image of God in the people around you?

Hope

The kingdom of God wins or loses based on the strength of our unity around the Truth of the Gospel, the hope of the resurrection, and the mission of the church, to love people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

Let’s be mindful of the source of our hope, the reason we can be hopeful about the future… our hope must be rooted firmly and only in Jesus!

"The presence of God is the most real thing we ever encounter." [C.S. Lewis]

Exodus 33:13-15, 18

How often do you seek the presence of God?

Alone: by yourself in a physical sense

Loneliness: a state of mind, very internal

3 Basic Emotional Needs:

1) for someone to love, and someone to love us

2) someone who understands us; knows how we feel

3) someone who accepts us and needs us

Proverbs 10:9

Psalm 51:11

Isaiah 53:3

How can I be lonely when Jesus is with me?

Jeremiah 29:11

Who gets in?

How good do you have to be?

How many rules do you have to keep?

Acts 15:1-11

Acts 15:19-21

"...we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."

Acts 15:31

AVOIDING THE DRIFT...

- toward insiders and away from outsiders

- toward law and away from grace

- toward preserving and away from advancing

1) Be bold

2) Err on the side of grace

3) Remain open-handed

Ephesians 4:25-32

When you let anger get the best of you, it brings out the worst in you.

1) Use your anger for good. (Ephesians 4:26)

Matthew 21:12

Mark 3:5

Anger is a sign that something needs to change.

James 1:19-20

2) Deal with your anger quickly. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Matthew 5:22

Ask: Why am I angry?

3) Learn to let it go. (Ephesians 4:32)

Forgiveness: just as in Christ God forgave you.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you.

[L.B. Smedes]

Acts 4:29

Acts 5:27-42

BOLD is:

- deciding to say something when it would be easier to say nothing at all.

- taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves

- creating opportunities

Bold is normal.

The gravitational pull of a local church is toward insiders.

↑ We are not immune to this subtle shift. ↑

Acts 4:12-14

Acts 4:24-32

God, give me boldness.

Acts 2:41-47

You are needed!

You need it.

Acts 2:1-4

Ephesians 3:14-21

How is Faith Community Fellowship going to thrive?

1) the apostles' doctrine

2) fellowship

3) prayer

4) the miraculous

5) unity

6) giving

7) worship

We need each other!