SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Making a Difference begins with making time for God

Content:

Holy Ambition - doing something not just for yourself, but for God.

Consequences - forgotten


How did Josiah gain a heart for God?


(Son of King Amon - didn't learn from his father)
“Josiah sought the God of his father David…”


David sought God through Prayer and Praise - the book of Psalms


We have to spend time with God.

Will you decide to seek God?

What was the first thing Josiah learned about God?


The first two commandments - You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make idols.


Josiah removes the idols 
Idols = “gods of the heart”


“What are the idols in your heart?”


Cleanse your heart so God is first and above everything else.
Will you decide to remove the idols from your life?


How? - ASK GOD

The real temple is the people.
 Josiah had the Word read to all of Judah.

Psalm 119

Will you decide to make God's truth known to others?

Steps you can take:


-host people in your home


-invite people to church


-support missionaries

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Family Application Questions:

1. Why did Josiah become king when he was only 8 years old? How old was Josiah when he began seeking God?

2. What was Josiah’s father’s name?

3. Will you decide to seek God?

4. What are the idols in your life? What keeps you from serving God?

5. Will you decide to remove the idols in your life?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Focus on God’s values (the long term) rather than temporary satisfaction.

Main Points

1. We often under value or under appreciate those things that God places value on.

2. Cultures often place different values above those of God.

3. God blesses us, and has a plan for our lives, so be fearless, open, and devoted to God’s values.

Application Questions

1. What are your values at home or work?

2. How have your values changed over time? What did you value as a child? What did you value as a young adult? What do you value as an adult?

3. How do your values align with your cultural values? Does your cultural values align with God’s values? How do you remain faithful to God’s values?

4. How do you share God’s values with others?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

The wisest people surround themselves with faithful friends

Main Points

1. First, we need to draw near to God

2. The Lord tells us to “get off our mat” - to leave behind our old life and identity

3. He also expects us to walk closely with others

Content

- No matter how old you are, it’s essential to invest time and energy in the cultivation of close relationships

- “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty” - Mother Teresa

- Deep inside every person, God created us with a desire of belonging

- True friends give us a sense of belonging and being valued by others - important for wellbeing

- The paralyzed man, who was brought to Jesus by his friends, was hoping for physical healing. Jesus told him, “Your sins are forgiven.”

- Jesus made a situation where people had to decide if he was God, the only one to forgive, or a blasphemer

- At the time, blasphemy was a capital offense, but Jesus knew the thoughts of the leaders (v.9)

- The healing of the paralyzed man was a miracle they could see, which gave validity to Jesus’ authority to do a miracle they couldn’t see, which was the forgiveness of the man’s sins

- True friends are loyal to one another; willing to make huge sacrifices and persevere through great difficulties

- The paralyzed man couldn’t get to Jesus on his own. He needed help from his friends to get there.

- It wasn’t easy to get to him; crowds blocked the door of a tiny home, but they didn’t give up.

- Proverbs 17:17 - “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

- Tough times always reveal your true friends; Loyalty and perseverance are key aspects of lasting relationships. Real friends stick with you even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, and costs them personally.

1. Firstly, we need to draw close to God

- The paralyzed man had great friends, but they couldn’t forgive his sins. Only Jesus could do that!

- Jesus meets both the physical and spiritual needs

- Close friends are great, but they can never replace intimacy with God

2. The Lord tells us to “get off the mat”

- Your mat may be something that confines you

- You may think, “But I love my mat”; you feel safe, secure; it brings attention and others care for you.

3. He expects us to walk closely with others

- God wants each of us to experience the joy of true friendship and being part of a loving church family

- How can we say that Jesus is Lord if we aren’t willing to do what he says?

- It’s always been God’s intention to link us with a community of friends to not only build up the church but to also share Christ with the world.

- The best example is Jesus, who surrounded himself with a circle of friends and he taught them to work as a team.

Application Questions

1. If you were someone else, would you like to have you for a friend?

2. Ask some friends and family for honest feedback. How can I improve as a friend? What could I do differently?

3. What is your “mat”? Does it confine you, keeping you from living the life you want? Or is it a place of comfort that’s keeping you from where the Lord is asking you to walk?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Let Jesus be Jesus. Keep your heart, hands, eyes, and ears open and seeking, and have faith that He can do all things.

Content:

Jesus grew up in Nazareth - a small place, nothing special. Remember John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

He comes back to Nazareth in Matthew 13, after being baptized, performing miracles, and gathering disciples.

The people of Nazarath are asking the right questions but to the wrong person (each other) and for the wrong reasons (envy + unbelief).

The Nazareth Mentality…

doesn’t look to wisdom (asked each other when they should ask Jesus)

doesn’t remember God’s work (he often uses the ordinary for extraordinary purposes)

doesn’t recall God’s Word (a virgin will give birth to a savior)

What does Nazareth Mentality reveal in us?

our eyes are blinded by our own perspective

our heart is fast to take offense

our ears dismiss what we don’t have faith to believe

Additional Scripture to encourage open eyes, ears, and hearts:

1 Timothy 4:12

2 Samuel 16:5-11

Proverbs 15:22

What can we learn from Nazareth Mentality?

We need God’s perspective - so read the Bible!

We need open hearts and ears - so have faith!

Have faith (Verse 58)

Lack of faith will limit his miraculous work.

The good news?

We have a choice. Some in Nazareth did have faith, and their lives were changed.

So, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Yes, for those who have faith.

Application Questions

1. Have you been assuming that Jesus is only what you’ve defined Him to be? Have you really let Jesus be Jesus?

2. Have you had any experiences where someone else’s life changes made you uncomfortable? Envious? Talk about how God might have used that if you had had your heart set on Him instead.

3. How can you demonstrate faith? What are some actionable things you can do to make yourself more open-handed and open-hearted to the will of God?

4. Do you think your lack of faith has ever limited God’s work in your life? Talk about what that experience taught you about having faith.

5. Have you had an experience where God was using someone or something in your life that you didn’t want to hear from and therefore ignored? How did you discover that? Who or what in your life might God be trying to use right now that you are shutting out?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Our attitudes and actions should be such that others give God glory when they see our behavior.

Content:

1. Peter challenged the Christians to take an approach that would advance the gospel. Other people needed to see the hope that they had.

2. Christianity is becoming a minority, marginalized and maligned in our culture. And some Christians are becoming less committed. There is sometimes little behavioral difference between Christians and non-Christians.

3. The most critical change taking place is the one in you. Self tries to dominate – be god or king – over everyone else. But that’s not how it is in us if we’ve declared that Jesus is our Lord.

4. The world can see another option because of us; be light and salt to the world. Focus on our attitudes and actions.

5. Making a difference requires a different strategy than making a point. If you’re in a minority position, making a point has a different strategy than if you’re in a dominant position.

6. We need to learn to submit, not resist, and place ourselves in a position to lift others up. (1 Peter 2:12 and 3:15)

7. Three-pronged grid to have a framework for our thoughts and responses regarding homosexuality: Biblical – tends toward the ‘ideal,’ Pastoral – deals with the ‘real,’ Societal – focuses on ‘appeal.’ (is posted on Sermon page on Heritage’s website)

8. We need to be wise in the way we act toward outsiders and show them grace. (Col. 4:5-6) This passage implies that someone is asking us a question. Our behavior should prompt them to ask.

9. The church Peter wrote to thought that the end was near, as in the life they were waiting for – Jesus’ return to earth – was coming soon. Any moment can take a final step; this mindset should keep us alert.

10. We should ask God to help us open our eyes to see what’s happening and how to respond.

11. Urgency – stay alert so that you pray (v. 7-8) Ask God to show you what you’re missing and grant you the wisdom and grace to respond well.

12. Priority – stay connected so that you love. (v. 8-9) Don’t get too caught up in results that you forget about relationships.

13. Strategy – stay open so that you serve. (v. 10-11) God gave us abilities we don’t deserve, so we need to make a contribution, a difference.

14. Book recommended: Speaking of Jesus: The Art of Non-Evangelism, by Carl Medearis – discusses how to engage in places where people aren’t all that receptive.

Nancy Stecklein spoke about her family being a minority in Turkey:

1. People made assumptions about them and they were hated simply because of their culture.

2. They learned that they first needed to love the Turks, desire to get to know them, and treat them with grace.

3. They were trying to make a difference, not a point. A pointed finger or harsh standard wouldn’t move Nancy to Christianity, so she couldn’t expect it to move anyone else, either.

4. Don’t be self-righteous finger pointers; care and reach out first and let God do His work.

Application Questions

1. Have you been (or are you) in a situation where you’re a minority? How did you feel?

2. What are some assumptions you make about people from their appearance, behavior, background, etc.?

3. What are some ways your behavior is different than that of non-Christians you encounter?

4. How are you doing at loving each other well, deeply from the heart? Describe a time when you showed someone grace. A time when you didn’t.

5. How do you try to protect other people’s reputations by not broadcasting sin or gossiping? Or do you?

6. What are some ways you use your abilities to serve?

7. How is God getting more glory because of you showing others goodness and grace? Give examples.

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

1 Peter 2:21-24 Through our wounds, others will be healed, if we allow ourselves to be used.

Content:

The development of persecution moves people’s attitudes down a path.

1. Stereotyping

2. Justifying

3. Marginalizing

4. Criminalizing

5. Persecuting

Peter prepares the people for suffering and persecution. 1 Peter 1:6

Jesus prepares the people for suffering and persecution. John 15:18, :20

Do not be surprised; expect your faith to be tested. 1 Peter 4:12

1. Suffering is not unique, even generally speaking. 1 Peter 5:8-9 Prepare and pass the test!

Storms will come to your house! They will challenge the very core of your belief.

a. Is God really good?

b. Is Christ really worth it?

c. Is God really in control?

d. Is it really all by grace?

2. Suffering helps to discover a solidarity with Jesus.

Col. 1:24 “fill up in my flesh what is still lacking,” a common mission and deeper connection with Jesus.

3. Make sure your suffering counts for Christ. 1 Peter 4:15-18 Trials will test commitment.

4. Keep committing yourself to God, and do good. Don’t drift! 1 Peter 4:19

We need a ‘marker’…What was my attitude, confidence in, when I was ‘doing good’?

Application Questions

1.What are some of the stories we tell ourselves when we find ourselves in a painful situation that ‘happens’ to us?

2. What are some ways we can ‘drift’ from the core beliefs of our faith?

3. How would we know if we are drifting, or have drifted?

4. What are some ways our wounds can be used to heal others?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Blessing others doesn’t change how we believe about ‘controversial issues’, or our convictions, but how we love others who oppose God/us.

Content:

What are we going after in this Game of Faith? What is the Win?

The win, or the only outcome worth fighting for, is “trying to get the uninterested interested”.

Peter’s strategy is ‘live such good lives’, and ‘submit yourselves’. 1 Peter 2:12-13; 3:15-16

This begins with:

1. My own preparedness; God’s Kingdom is coming.

2. Them asking; people only come to God because they want to.

3. Good Behavior; blessed to be a blessing.

4. The Hope; the resurrection is the reason for hope!

5. Speak maliciously?; no matter what, extend grace.

Submission; 1 Peter 2:13,18, 3:1,7

In 1 Peter 3:8 God gives directives to ‘all of you’.

In the ‘Huddle” we…

Gather

1. Be united, we are on the same team, live in harmony.

2. Be understanding, suffer with fellow Christians.

3. Be loyal, don’t bail on each other.

4. Be kind, compassion means to ‘move toward each other’.

5. Be open, humility means to give and receive help.

Scatter

“Blessed to be a Blessing”

3:9 Do not repay evil. More than not doing wrong, begin to do right!

Understanding our inheritance of blessing enables us not to be stingy with blessing others.

Believe in future grace. 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 3:10-12

Bless people ‘face to face’, as well as generosity to missions the church offers.

Application Questions

1. Which ‘one’ of the of the challenges that Peter gives us when we gather would you feel the need to grow in or change in your life?

2. How do we do good to ‘mean’ people?

3. How can we deal with attitudes of unkindness, beyond simply keeping our mouths shut?

4. “If someone forces you to bake a cake for a gay wedding, bake for them two.” Matt.5:41 How do you, or do you, do this?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Trust in the love Jesus has for you, so that you may be able to withstand any injustice and offer help and support to those who would treat you unjustly, and be the light that Jesus calls you to be, to the whole world.

Content:

In our changing world, in order to understand how we should respond to various situations as Christians, we can look to 1 Peter 2:11-21.

We are called as followers of Christ to be the light the world sees in the darkness.

To make a real difference, instead of responding in the normally expected ways, like with demands or violence, be more like Christ. Submit and ask how you can help someone. Be a blessing in all situations, not a burden.

Guard your mouth when discussing politics and those in authority; show respect for everyone.

Show that you trust God enough to care for you, and care for others.

See yourself as a guest - be polite, soften differences.

Our battle is within - it’s our struggle with competitiveness that is a battle for our soul.

Pray others see Jesus in you - people are watching you, how you behave, how you respond, so show support.

It may cost you, you may be taken advantage of, others may get credit you deserve, but Jesus gave all of Himself for you.

Application Questions

1. How have you demonstrated your trust in God’s love for you by loving those who treat you unjustly? What happened, what did you do, and what was the outcome?

2. When faced with a choice to respond to a situation in today’s world regarding injustice or mistreatment, how do you believe you will respond? 3. How will you prepare yourself to respond as Jesus would have you respond?

4. In the past, how have you supported or not supported political leaders? 5. Would you do things differently today?

6. Can you describe a time at work, where you feel you have not received credit you deserve? What happened and how did you respond? How do you feel about the situation today?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Make Jesus attractive with your behavior. As a Jesus-follower, you are called to this good behavior.

To depict Jesus, you must SUBMIT.

1 Peter 2:13 & 18, 3:1 & 7 all tell us this.

1 Peter 3:15-16 says to be prepared, because this good behavior may bring questions.

To submit: to assist and accommodate others, to place yourself under another, to support them

Mutual Submission: Ephesians 5 & 6 - response to other Christians

Evangelistic Submission: 1 Peter 2:13 - response to non-believers

John 13:13-17 - however, actual response and reason is the same = reverence for Christ

1 Peter 2:23-24 - Jesus’ humble, submissive heart

There is no salvation without Jesus’ submission.

Our responsibility is to emulate it. Submit to people who don’t deserve it in situations when it might cause you harm because He did for you.

Leverage who you are and what you have to lift others up.

Wives: 1 Peter 3:1-6; Husbands: 1 Peter 3:7

It takes work to look like this (That means your inner beauty - your heart!)

It takes faith to act this way (Submission is a step of obedience.)

Faith doesn’t remove fear, it just doesn’t let it control you. 1 Peter 2:23

So, how? Start asking: “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

It doesn’t have to be motivated by love for others at first, it can be motivated by obedience, love, and respect for Christ.

When you ask this of others, it’s submission, not oppression.

Call to 30-day challenge: Ask this question in your household every day.

Aim

God’s expectation is that we act not like our old selves, but as our new self - a co-heir to the throne with Jesus. That means acting like Jesus in humble submission.

Questions

1. What ways can you think of to submit yourself to others in a godly way?

2. Why do you think people don’t submit themselves to others more often?

3. How do you think Jesus felt when he submitted to others, knowing all that was in their hearts and minds?

4. Can you think of any times when you submitted yourself to another, when someone submitted themselves to you, or a time when perhaps you should have submitted yourself and didn’t? Please share how that felt.

5. What differences can you see between submitting yourself to others versus submitting yourself to Jesus, if any?

6. Are you taking the 30-day challenge? How are you going to keep yourself accountable?

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)

Main Idea:

Because our world is changing, our methods to being a relevant witness to the Gospel of Jesus must also change while keeping the message the same.

Content:

1. While the church’s primary focus is to be a witness to the Gospel of Jesus, the challenge is to be a relevant witness in an ever-changing world.

2. The mission of the church is as critical today as ever, because Jesus is as worthy of our witness as ever.

3. During Jesus’s ministry, Peter was bold and strong in his faith, but shortly before Jesus was crucified, he denied having anything to do with Him. He followed, failed, and almost quit, but was restored. He understood the pressure to quit and walk away.

4. In the early church, people walked away because of public pressure and fearing for their lives, but most stayed because their faith was built on something solid. (v.6)

5. Jesus is our cornerstone, the stone that determines the placement and position of all other stones, and the capstone, the stone that holds everything together.

6. Many of us can replace Jesus with other things as our foundation, and we end up finding out that it’s not as strong as we thought, causing us to drift and walk away.

7. Stumbling and falling are always possibilities, but it shouldn’t be caused by some question about the Bible or some issue that happens in the church. (v. 7-8)

8. A New Foundation - believing in Jesus; Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection is our foundation.

9. Sure, there are many authors who tell the story differently because they have different perspectives. That doesn’t change the fact that it actually happened.

10. It’s not true because it’s in the Bible, it’s in the Bible because it’s true! No matter what happens, our faith isn’t in a book or group of people, but an actual historic event.

11. 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; This is the Rock you take your stand on or stumble over. Jesus always causes a stand or a division. Christ always makes us choose; if you choose Him, you will never be disappointed, put to shame, or regret it.

12. If you choose Christ, you have to be able to answer, “Why are you a follower of Jesus?” I follow Jesus because I believe He died on a cross for my sins and rose again from the dead.

13. A New People - belonging to the Church; There’s no coming to Christ without also coming together - the Church. This is what Jesus is all about. He loves it and died for it. (v. 9).

14. Christ is the foundation, salvation is our connection. (v. 10)

15. Two practicals - 1. Work to keep this place as welcoming and open as Jesus is (Acts 15:28). It’s not “become like us, then you can join;” it’s “we can trust the Spirit to change you and me, and together we can learn to fit together into something greater. 2. Take steps to build relationships and have conversations about life and faith, to make more room, to be inviting and inclusive

16. A New Approach - being a Witness (v. 11-12); Our internal struggle is indivisibly linked with our external example. Sinful desires make us want to put ourselves first and can keep us from engaging with the world around us.

Application Questions

1. Is it necessary to maintain relevancy? How far can you go before the witness gets lost in the approach?

2. How do we make the Gospel of Jesus relevant? How do we connect what happened a long time ago to what’s happening today?

3. What things have you used to replace Jesus as the foundation of your faith? Have there been times where that “replacement” has caused you to stumble?

4. Are there any longheld beliefs/opinions/traditions that are keeping you from connecting with the church, from belonging, from being a part of something bigger?

5. What can we do to keep the church open and welcome to others; what steps can we take to build relationships and be more inclusive?

6. How do our internal struggles impact and influence our external example? How does it affect our witness?