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Harmony Christian Church
By Harmony Christian ChurchSociety & CultureReligion & SpiritualityChristianityEducationSelf-ImprovementPhilosophy
Harmony Christian Church episodes
- Normal Into Miracle
What can you give to God that He doesn't already have? Tune in to learn how God can take normal and turn it into a miracle Love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give). Got kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!-------------------
Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
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SCENES TO FILM:- Opening
- 3 minute History
- Part 2
- Part 3
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OPENING:Luke 2:1-7In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.OPENING ILLUSTRATION:A few years ago our family was traveling from Kansas out to Washington DC. We had figured out that if we left after I preached one Sunday that we could make it to… You guessed it, Kentucky to stay for the night. Actually, the plan was to stay in Louisville and travel the rest of the way the next day. So, I booked the hotel on a website that will remain unnamed and we booked it out of Kansas. By the time we got into Louisville, it was midnight… Kansas time… Do you know how wrong it is that Kentucky is on Eastern time when you are driving this way. We pulled into the hotel, I was exhausted, tired as all get out, I woke Jen up, everyone else in the car was asleep. I’d driven like 11 hours and all I wanted was to crash into a comfy bed. I wait in the car with the kids as Jen goes in to get our keys and find out where the room is. that’s when I see her come out with one of those looks on her face. you know those looks where you think, I would not want to be the person who put that look on her face. She got in the car and she said, “they don’t have a room for us, they gave it away…”I don’t think I’ve ever quite understood the idea of “No Room in the Inn” before that…Have you ever wondered why Mary and Joseph are traveling to a place where they need to find a guest house?It’s because there is a census37 min - A Very Cosmic Christmas
Christmas is so much bigger than a baby in a manger. Tune in this week to learn about the cosmic plan of God that is revealed in Christmas and how God was ALWAYS coming after you! Love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give). Got kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!-------------------
Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
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SCENES TO FILM:- The fall (intro)
- The cosmic Christmas
- Dramatic reading of revelation 12
- Robby fighting with GI Joes, dragons and Barbie "pew pew"
- Mouse trap game me talking from behind a table
- Slow motion of the mouse trap game running the course
- Close up of the cross stopping the trap
- Closer/Invitation
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OPENING:The cosmic story of ChristmasYou can’t understand it, really, without understanding the whole story…We have to go back to the very beginning. -you know the story, right, a serpent a woman and a manThe serpent tempts this nice couple - God had told them they could eat from any tree in the Garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.The serpent temps Adam and Eve, these first humans to eat of the fruit.This is the pivotal moment. This is where you wish there were a do over. Adam and Eve, in this moment choose between knowing God and knowing good and evil, and they choose to leave God behind…And you have probably heard the rest, right? Sin and death enter into the world.Every injustice that has been propagated on the human race, death itself exists because of this moment…Think about it for a second. Imagine some of the worst moments of your life…-The death of your fiancé from cancer-The divorce of your parents and how it wrecked you-How you are self-conscious about your appearance even now because of those whispers you’ve heard behind your back through out the years.All of that and so much more have been stained and corrupted by sin. There is not one area of your life that is free from the corruption of sin.And it is in this tragic scene in the Garden of Eden where man walked with GodThat God gives the verdict…You might know the scene.God is walking in the garden in the cool of the dayGod finds the man and woman and He delivers the consequences of their sin…But before He does that, God puts a curse on the serpentGenesis 3:14-1514 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, &n18 min - Don’t Be a Turkey, Tell Someone
What does the Turkey from Christmas Vacation have to do with the story of the shepherds from the bible? You'll have to stick around to find out because the answer will get your gizzard! Yes, pun intended :). Love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give). Got kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!-------------------
Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
-----------------------------[MIKE - have someone read Micah 5:2-4 during worship sometime before sermon - can be between songs]
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:Years ago, a buddy and I were in Phoenix for a conference, he was a big Phoenix Suns fan and we happened to be like two blocks away from where they played. So, we got tickets in the nose bleed section and started watching the game - they were playing the Houston Rockets back when Yao Ming was playing for them. By half-time Phoenix was getting skunked, it was so bad that almost everyone that had courtside tickets left. I looked at my buddy and was like, “this is our one chance, let’s go down and see if we can get in some of those seats…” It was crazy, we sat 4 rows back for the rest of the game and watched these guys play ball. It was crazy to watch Yao Ming lumber across the court, taking one step for every two of lots of the players. It was a crazy moment, it was like it was a basketball game just for us and our closest 400 friends :)Have you ever had one of those moments where you got to experience something special, a once in a lifetime experience?Maybe you got to meet the president or had lunch with Harrison Ford…TAKE THE TURN:I need to take you to one of those moments if I can…BREAKLet’s set the scene…
[Stage lights go blue - give the sense that it’s evening]It’s dark out, the middle of the night…You are in Israel, 6 miles south of JerusalemYou are in these fields that are situated on terraced hills, if you can picture it, the edges of each terrace are built up with rock walls, limestone caves dot the landscape-it is an oasis in the middle of a desert landscapeThe only sounds around you are the sounds of the evening with the occasional sound of a bleating sheep…It… is… quiet…Everyone has gone to sleep except for you because it’s your watch of the night, to guard the sheep…and that’s when it happens…Well, let me read it to you[Don’t put scriptures on screen this time, keep camera on Kent]Luke 2:8-208 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,[I will say, “I said, the glory of the Lord shone around them!” At19 min - Generating Thanks
Whether you know it or not, your generosity is making a difference. This week Kent takes us to the other side of the fence of generosity to help us see the difference we can make. Be sure to stay tuned for the story at the end! Love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom by supporting our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give) Have kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!
Sermon Notes Slide Key:
- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, ie - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by iself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
-----------------------------
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:[have a piece of fence on stage and I take people to the other side?]We had moved into our house, I was moving some stuff to the back yard and I saw one of my kids on the pool ladder we have. I said, “what are you doing?” He said, “Dad, it’s so cool, I can look over our fence into our neighbors backyards… They have a pool!” I was like, “son, you can’t do that, people will think we’re creepy…”Ha,Sometimes you just need a peak over the fence to see what it’s like on the other side…We’ve been talking about about generosity from a lot of different angles.We’ve talked about how -Storing up treasure in heaven is about investing in people - because people are the only thing that will translate from this life to the next-Generosity is more about the condition of your heart than your bank account-God didn’t give to give TO you but to give THROUGH you.All of this has been focused on this side of the fence… It’s been all about you…Today, I want to take you to the other side of the fence - give you a peak of what’s over there…Because, while there’s a lot going on in your heart when it comes to generosity, there’s even more happening on the other side of the fence…Remember, we’ve been bouncing into 2 Corinthians the last few weeks - this is Paul talking to the Corinthian church trying to get them to consider being generous to the Christians in Jerusalem…And this is what he says to take them over the fence to to the other side - to see the impact their gift is making…2 Corinthians 9:12-1512 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. The service Paul is talking about is the generosity the Corinthians are leading with to care for people who have nothing…-their service is overflowing in expressions of thanks-he goes on to say13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. <31 min - God’s Watching
God is watching our lives and how we live - but does that influence anything about what happens in our life? Join us for worship and to unpack this question this week! Do you love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom by supporting our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give) Have kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!-------------------
Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, ie - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by iself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
-----------------------------
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:In 1972 a psychologist named Walter Mischel at Stanford created what has been called, “the marshmallow test.” You’ve probably heard of it. The experimenters put a marshmallow in front of a child with one simple instruction, “you can eat this marshmallow now, or if you wait, when I come back, I’ll give you two marshmallows…” The experimenters then watched as these kids who were tormented by the marshmallow in front of them.It’s pretty funny to watch them squirm and twist around, some of them taking little nibbles of the marshmallow or squishing it trying their hardest not to eat the marshmallow…TAKE THE TURN:I was reading in the scripture the other day and noticed something I’d never seen before…Listen to what happens next:It’s the book of Act’s the story of the church starting out - lots of supernatural thing are happening. There is a guy named Cornelius who is Jewish, not a Christian, but He’s faithful to God and prays and is generous to the poor - God sends an angel to him…Acts 10:4-64 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”Here is what struck meGod was actually paying attention to the way Cornelius lived his lifeDid you see it?“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”I immediately thought of the marshmallow experiment - these researchers were giving these kids something and watching what they did with it…Now, I’m not trying to suggest that we are all involved in some grand experiment from God.But it got me thinkingWhat does scripture says about the way God looks at those who are generous with what they have…You might not know this, but because of Cornelious’s generosity, he became the first non-Jewish person to be baptized as a Christian and you and I are literally sitting in this room because of the barriers that were broke down because of him.-and it all started with him being a man of prayer and being generous to the poorSo, what does the scripture say about how God sees the generous?Can I take you on the journey of what I foun47 min - Getting Good at Giving
I think most of us would love to be known as generous people, but the reality is, we have lots of responsibilities and questions that can keep us from getting there. Tune in to worship and find a way forward into generosity that's actually doable. Do you love what's happening at Harmony? Help us advance the Kingdom by supporting our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give) Have kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!
-------------------Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, ie - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by iself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
-----------------------------
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:Used to have this gas fire place, couldn't figure out how to light it... Till someone showed me - had all the stuff there, just didn't know how to get the fire started-lots of stuff is like that-never forget going to a leadership event that Bob Russell puts on and walking around Southeast and realizing that it was possible anywhere...Sometimes, you have to be shown howSometimes you have to have your vision lifted from where you are to where you want to goLet me ask you a questionWhat kind of person do you want to be known as?BDo you want to be known as a generous person?bDo you want to be known as someone who made a difference?How do you get there?That's the question, right?How do I go from here to there?Most people I know would say, “I want to be generous, but first I’ve got to pay off this credit card…orI’d love to be more generous, but we can barely get by on what we’ve got right now…Most of us want to get the fire going, but don’t know what to do.Here’s what I want you to knowYou have what it takes to be generous today, without anything changing about your situation.How do I know?let’s jump into a storyBACKGROUND:In around 45 AD - a LONG time ago, there was a trifecta that brought about over a decade long period of famine in the ancient world…-The nile rose 27 feet above normal levels and decimated crops.-45AD the Maurusii tribe rebelled and caused agricultural trade along the North African Mediterranean coast to be disrupted-The typical winter rains in Syria and Judea did not come and their crops failed as wellAll of this led to severe starvation in the first century world-literally people were starving to deathand the emperor Claudius did hardly anything about it - the people in Rome rioted and so he finally tried to help them, but he did nothing to help the people in other parts of the kingdom…There was actually a Christian who prophesied about this a year before the famine occurred…The New Testament church was only a few years old and they knew this could be bad… So they did something radicalknowing the Christians in Jerusalem specifically were starving to death, they sent out Paul and Barnabus to collect money to be brought back and to help these believers…It’s into this context that Paul writes what we are about to read..2 Corinthians 8:1-6,40 min - True Riches
Jesus spoke about storing up treasure in heaven, but how exactly do you go about doing that? Join us for worship and learn how you can impact eternity in a very real way! Want to help make a difference? Join us in bringing the gospel to Georgetown by supporting our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give)
-------------------Sermon Notes Slide Key:- Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"
- Red = Scripture slides (reflect formatting of scripture on slides, ie - underlines, bold, etc.)
- All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted
- Bold = Slide text
- “b" or “B” on a line by iself = Slide break/New slide
- Bold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored
- [some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to
-----------------------------
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:Years ago I went to Colorado and did this thing called the Pamper Pull. It was this telephone pole that you had to climb on top of, and at the top was this little box you had to figure out how to stand up on. I’ll never forget climbing up there and getting up on that box, I got on my knees which was a huge problem because the box was just big enough for your knees and that’s it. I had to figure out how to stand up on this pole, 30 feet in the air, swaying back and forth. It was terrifying. Once I stood up, I was supposed to jump out 6 feet and grab a trapeze bar. This is pretty much the definition of insanity. No one in their right mind does this. I’m telling you, I thought about faking a stroke and being like, I need to come down… I’ll never forget standing there and counting, 1, 2, 3 and jumping out to that bar. In that moment it was like I was an angel floating in the air, until my hands hit the bar and knocked it out of my reach… Ha, then I was more like a fallen angel. I started plummeting to the ground until this moment where my safety rope caught and stopped my certain death…I’ll be honest with youI would have never taken that jump without a safety netor in my case ropeWe all have safety nets for life:When I was young, I thought of my parents like this, I was always like, “well, could always move back in with them…-some of you keep a list of open jobs people try to recruit you for on LinkedIn, just in case things go sour at work-some of you even keep a safety net in your relationships, “if this doesn’t work out, I can always make it on my own…”This morning - I want to take you to a passage where Jesus is going to prick at one of your safety nets.I’m telling you, if you are listening to Him, what He says is going to challenge you…We come into this discussion in the midst of what is called “The sermon on the mount”. Jesus is giving practical teaching that pushes the boundaries of the way these people have thought about their relationship with God and then He says this…Matthew 6:19-2419 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.For most of us, money is perhaps, our biggest safety net of allAnd here’s how I knowWhen you have money, you feel more secureWhen42 min
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