Grace 242

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas.

Title: The Child
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:31-35 NIV (1984)

Today we investigate the C of CSI as we investigate the Child. Our investigation concludes that Jesus is both divine and human at the same time. However, our magical mythical conceptions of Christmas can easily emphasize Jesus' divinity at the expense of His humanity. What does Jesus' humanity mean for us? 

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government?

Title: The Truth About Humans Acting Like Animals
Scripture Reading: Daniel 4:18-19, 24-27

In Daniel 4, we see Daniel's commitment to the truth regardless of fear. Exiles are committed to the truth. We demonstrate commitment to the truth by:
1. Discerning the Truth
2. Speaking the Truth
3. Following the Truth

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government?

Title: An Exile's Guide to Government
Scripture Reading: Daniel 2:29-35

What's with this bizarre dream of Nebuchadnezzar's in chapter 2 of Daniel? The dream makes three sovereignty statements: 
1. God is sovereign over Empires
2. God is sovereign over Events
3. God is sovereign over Eternity

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government?

Title: An Exile's Guide to Government
Scripture Reading: Daniel 1:1-8

Today we look at exile:
1. What is it?
2. Our actions within it.
3. Obedience amidst it. 

Series: Learn to Block
Title: Why Doesn't Jesus Just Nuke Satan?
Scripture Reading: Revelation 11:36

This is our final week in our Learn to Block series on spiritual warfare. One of our people at Grace 242 insightfully asks, "Why don't Jesus just nuke Satan?" Today we answer that question by looking at three "triple G" or God Getting Glory moments. 

1. Incarnation
2. Cross
3. Eschaton

Series: Learn to Block
Title: The Accuser's Shame Old Tricks
Scripture Reading: Revelation 12:10

This is our eighth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Revelation 12:10 refers to Satan as "the accuser." Today we look at some of the accusations made against us by the accuser and how they feed a complex of shame within us.  

The accusations we cover are:
1. You’re Too Sinful to Be Forgiven
2. You Haven’t Done Enough to be Saved
3. Your True Self is Unlovable

Series: Learn to Block
Title: Temptation Tactics
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

This is our seventh week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Jesus' temptation by Satan in the wilderness reveals several tactics for how Satan tempts us:

1. Satan exploits our priors
2. Satan exploits our methods
3. Satan exploits our distinctions

Series: Learn to Block
Title: Tactics of the Father of Lies
Scripture Reading: John 8:44

This is our sixth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Whereas last week we looked at lies within us, today we turn our focus outward with the goal of identifying the lies in our culture. We identify three lies: 

1. The lie of Reversal
2. The lie of Normalization
3. The lie of Redefinition

Series: Learn to Block
Title: The Big Lie-ar
Scripture Reading: John 8:44

This is our fifth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we get practical by identifying the tactics of the "father of lies." This week we cover two lie tactics: 

1. The lie of Projection
2. The lie of Catastrophizing

Series: Learn to Block
Title: Crawling Through the Sewage Pipe of Lies
Scripture Reading: John 8:44

This is our fourth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we examine spiritual warfare through John 8:44 to see that the conflict is between the One sent by the Father full of grace and truth and the father of lies. We examine John 8:44 through three Cs.

1. Conflict
2. Combatants
3. Contention

We conclude the message by surveying three practical suggestions for blocking Satan's fiery arrows of lies. 

1. Stop consuming news.
2. Carve out distraction-free, screenless time to read a physical book Bible.
3. Meet God in His creation.