The Power of InfluenceThe Power of EncouragementInfluence is the person, not their position or power. Acts 11:22-24-Influence comes from faithfulness. Acts 4:36-37Encouragers unlock the potential of and open opportunities for others. Acts 9:26-31-Encouragers invest in potential, not performance. Acts 15:36-39-Encouragers put trust in people because they trust God. Acts 13:1-3-Encouragers build God’s Kingdom, not their platform.Be the Encourager: Encouragement is a powerful gift.This week: Study the glimpse we have into the life of Barnabus.-Find other passages in Acts or the Epistles that speak of Barnabus.-List all the people and places we know Barnabus impacted.-Who needs your encouragement this week?-How can you open a door for someone else this week?

Luke 24:44-53We are all witnesses.-First-hand. Factual. Faithful.The power of the witness: The Holy Spirit.-God empowers His people for His purposes.The posture of the witness:-Worshiping. Obeying. Blessing.The report of the witness:-The Son of God suffered for and conquered all sin.The response to the witness:-Repentance. Forgiveness. Confession.

UnbelievableLuke 24:36-49Faith is believing the unbelievable.Deal with why.-Dealing with doubt requires us to be really personal.See what is.-Seeing truth requires us to be really honest.Be available.-Being available to God’s movement requires us to be really vulnerable.

Wandering, Wondering, and WalkingLuke 24:13-35Big Idea: Jesus doesn’t lose, even when we feel all is lostThe mystery wasn’t the problem—their assumptions were.I’d like to have the attached list on 1 slide – it can be 2 rows if neededThe attached image will come up after the listThe Scriptures reveal God’s identity, shape our identity, and direct our steps.The same Jesus who revealed Himself to them still reveals Himself to us today.

UnbelievableLuke 24:1-12Faith is believing the unbelievable.-Sincerity is necessary.Listen believing.Live remembering.Look hoping.

Love is…Romans 5:1-11Love is good.-Everything good is because of love.Love is poured.-Love poured is powerful.Love is shown.-Love known is love shown.PricePeacePlaceLove struggles.Struggles strengthen.Strengthened leads to deepened.Deeper causes hopeful.Hopeful makes joyful.

Love is…

John 13:34-35

Love is a lot.

-Loves shows the way.

-Love serves the other.

-Love shares of self.

-Love speaks the truth.

-Love sacrifices of self.

Love is spiritual not natural.

-Love is most functional when it is proportional.

Love is not portioned.

-Love is not measuring portions.

-Love is not measuring preferences.

Love is Eternal | 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 John 4:7-19

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians13:13

The greatest is love because love is eternal.

Faith becomes sight. Hope becomes reality.

Love lasts forever.

The only way you can give something is if you got something.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God,and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

Love embraced by God is extended to other people.

God shows His love for us in three ways:

-Love initiates

-Love sacrifices

-Love stays

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us.” 1 John 4:9

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

If you want to know you are loved by God, you look to the cross.

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his spirit.” 1 John 4:13

When you know God loves you…

-You trust Him. (Faith)

-You believe your future is secure in Him. (Hope)

-You extend love to others. (Love)

Love is…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love hopes.

-Love hopes when the only thing left is hope.

Standards before situations.

-The standards of truth determine how we handle situations of trouble.Love does not rejoice in wrong.

-Love does not live gladly while guilty.

Love rejoices with truth.

-Love rejoices in right relationships.

-Love rejoices in repentance and reconciliation.

Love holds standards.

-Love requires holding ourselves to the standards before holding others to the standards.

Love does the work to be right, do right, and cause right.

-We cannot hold the standard of love through the spirit of self.

Love is…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love believes.

-Love does not believe everything; love believes all true things.

Love is not arrogant. (Love is humble.)

-Love does not make more of oneself by making less of another.

Love is not rude. (Love is encouraging.)

-Love does not belittle, it builds.

Love is not selfish. (Love is selfless.)

-Love wants what is right more than it wants to be right.

Love is not irritable. (Love is gracious.)

-I am irritable if I interrupt, overreact, overcorrect, and am easily offended.

Love is not resentful. (Love is forgiving.)

-Love stops calculating correction.

-Love does not control but it does change.