Title: Living to Please God (Sex, Love, Work and Dying)

Text: 1 Thess. 4

I. Drive-Purity Upward, Outward, Inward (v. 1-8)

- Walk to Please God (2 Tim. 2:4)

- Sex is a gift from God to Procreate and Recreate!

- God has called us not impurity but to holiness, honor and self control

- God gives His empowering Spirit to us, not just rules

II. Aspire-Love, Work, Live Quietly (v. 9-12)

- An Attractive community- a safe, pure, balanced; a life giving community

- Our Witness is how we love and how we live

- Live quietly, mind your own business, and work with your hands

III. Comfort, Not Fear (v. 13-18)

- Our Living Hope tempers our Grief and Fear of dying

- The Lord Himself is coming back for His Bride

- We will live forever with Him in Heaven; Comfort each other with these words

Title: This Is Personal

Text: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 (NIV)

Main Idea: Our best comes out when we are devoted

3 Questions To Ask Yourself:

I. Will you accept these trials? (3:1-5)

II. What is your perspective? (3:6-10)

III. What is your current status? (3:11-13)

Title: Thriving Faith: A Place Called Home

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2

G Going with the Good News of the Gospel

R Reproducing disciples and multiplying the presence of God

A Ambassadors for Christ, Active in our community

C Christ is our Cornerstone, we exalt Him in worship

E Equipping families for life and people for ministry

I. Motivated by Godly Values (v. 1-4)

- Relentlessly Teaching the Word of God

- Steadfastness in the face of opposition

- Purity of heart; no error, no trickery, no flattery

- Dedicated to pleasing God

II. A Church That Cares Enough To Change (v. 5-8)

- Ongoing Conversion of the church

- Like a nursing mother

- Sharing not only the gospel but our lives

III. Leadership That Exists for the Church (v. 9-12)

- Exists to Bless rather than Burden

- Leads with the end in mind; walk worthy of God, His Call and His People

- With You like a Father

- The Walk matches the Talk

IV. Receiving God’s Word for What it Really Is (v.13 Mark 13:31)

- God’s Word-Eternal, Unchanging, Powerful, Life giving

- When we Believe The Word Performs its work in us!

V. People Call It Home (v. 17-20)

- A place to thrive, to share our lives, our faith, and our commitment to the Lord

- A place where the lights are left on!

Title: Aspire

Text: 1 Thesalonians 1:6-10

I. Complete the Cycle (v. 6-7)

- Welcome the message with Joy in the Holy Spirit

- Become imitators of the heroes of the faith

- Fix our eyes on Jesus

- Become a model of faith for all

II. Ring Out Your Testimony (v. 8)

- Inwardly in the community of faith to encourage

- Outwardly in our community- This is what God looks like!!

III. Turn and Serve the Living God (v. 9)

- Turn to the Living and True God

IV. Wait for His Son From Heaven (v. 10)

- The resurrected one

- Who comes to rescue us

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Our Faith Flourishes When it is:

I. Rooted and Grounded

- God The Father who loves us

- The Lord Jesus Christ who Saves us and Lives for us

- In Grace and Peace

II. Fruitful (v.2-3)

- Work of Faith

- Labor of Love

- Steadfastness of Hope

III. Lived Out In Family (v.4-5)

- Community-Brothers and Sisters

- Followers of Jesus Changed by the Gospel - Experiencing The power of the Holy Spirit

- Engaging our Culture with Our Values

Title: Engage In Preparation Of The Lord's Return

Text: 2 Peter 3:1-18

Main Idea: Live in expectancy of the Lord's return

How do you prepare:

I. Beware of scoffers (verses 3-7)

II. Stay assured (verses 8-10)

III. Live in expectancy (verses 11-18)

Title: Less Is More

Text: Romans 12

Believers need to display the reality of God by a new way of living

I. Upward in Worship v. 1

• Acceptable or All-In Worship responds to the mercies of God

• Worship opens the door into God’s presence, favor and help

• Worship is the way we live not what we do on Sunday morning

II. Inward in Transformation v. 2

• Don’t let the world press us into its mold

• Transformation is a process that involves All-In worship and renewing our minds.

• When we change the way we think we change the way we live. We prove God’s will for us.

III. Outward in Service vv. 3-8

• Avoid Stinking-Thinking but think with Sound Judgment

• Exercise your gifts according to the faith given to you.

• Sound judgment-Are you using your gifts…. for what God intended?

IV. Outward in Conduct vv. 9-21

• Be devoted to one another in brotherly love

• Never take your own revenge; give room for God to work

• Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Title: Why Engaging With People Is Important To Our Wholeness

Text: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Big Idea: God moves in our willingness and availability to be there.

1. Sometimes we need to ask for help

• Do you resist asking for help? If so, why is it hard for you to ask for help?

• What do you think about the truth that we all need help sometimes?

2. Great trials offer God an opportunity to do great things

• We can be a part of God doing great things if and when we make ourselves available.

• When was the last time you made yourself available at cost to yourself?

3. Obedience brings blessing (Deut 28)

Title: A Call To Worship

Text: John 4:1-26

Main Idea: God is calling us to worship Him by receiving His grace and living according to the truth of His word.

I. God calls us to recognize our need (4:10-19)

II. God calls us to receive His grace (4:20-26)

III. God calls us to live according to His truth (4:20-26)

Title: All Things for the Sake of the Gospel

Text: 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

I. The Gospel-What is it? (Romans 1:16)

II. All Things For the Sake of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:22-23)

III. Partakers in the Blessings of the Gospel (Jn 4:34)