Life Center

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

December 29-30, 2018

Introduction and offering:

For the next few weeks I want to talk with you about getting what you really want. How many of you got what you wanted for Christmas? Me too! Check out my new socks! And this shirt! Getting what you want is usually a good thing; it makes you happy!

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

A longing or desire fulfilled makes you happy! It sure made my grandkids happy! It was so much fun watching them open their gifts, listening to their screams of delight. “Thank you grandpa; thank you nana! It’s just what I wanted!” Getting what you really want makes you happy! And seeing them happy makes me happy. Here’s our Christmas pic!

What about God? Do you think He wants you to be happy? I do! Do you think He wants you to get what you really want? Yes to that too! I want to convince you of that in this series. God wants you to get what you really want!

The real question is, “What do you really want?” We want all kinds of things: some good, some not; some that don’t really satisfy and some that do. You’ve all had this experience: you get something you really wanted and it makes you happy—for a while—for a few moments, or a few days, but the glow wears off pretty quickly and you begin looking for something else to satisfy you. We want stuff. Our homes and lives are stuffed with stuff—and yet we still want more stuff. It’s never enough; it’s doesn’t satisfy. It’s not

The visit of the magi, outwitting Herod, his murderous response, and the Holy Family’s narrow escape. It’s a story of spiritual pursuit, political intrigue, deceit, murder, and running for your life! God is the Hero! (and he went to a lot of trouble to save you).

Christmas Eve, 2018

Introduction and offering:

Merry Christmas! “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That’s what we’re celebrating! God’s great gift to us! God gave His Son so that we could live—really live! Jesus didn’t come to make you more religious; He came to make you more alive!

Before I start this talk, we are going to celebrate God’s great gift of Jesus by giving back to Him. If you brought your tithe or an offering, thank you for your generosity. Your offering will be used to help people find and follow Jesus. If you are a guest, please don’t feel obligated to give.

Offering here.

I love Christmas! I love the music, the food, the festivities, the Carol Sing, the food, the lights and decorations, the food, the gifts and time with family, and did I mention the food. I even love Christmas movies:

God is scandalously generous! You can never out-give God.

Introduction:

God wants something for you. He wants you to have an active, confident, life giving daily relationship with him.

One of the many ways we show people we love them is by practicing hospitality.

Did you know that God is an encourager? Did you know that He comes alongside us to help, encourage, comfort and cheer? And then He calls us to do for others what He’s done for us.

December 1-2, 2018

Introduction:

ILL:  When my daughter Sally was about 5, she asked me to play with her.  She said, “Let’s pretend I’m a ballerina. I’ll dance for you, and you clap and say, ‘Wonderful!’”  My whole role in the game was to be her fan! “You’re wonderful!” And she is.

And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Sally’s 7 year old daughter, Malya, danced in the Nutcracker this week.  Laina and I went to cheer Malya on. We’re still clapping and saying, “Wonderful!”  

Everybody needs a fan.  Everybody needs to be cheered on and encouraged.  And if we all need encouragement, we all have to be willing to give it.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If you see a turtle sitting on a fence post, you know he had help.”  The turtle might think he’s the hero, but he had help!  There was a hero-maker that helped him up on that fence post!

We are all turtles on fenceposts.  Each of us has gotten where we are because there were other people who were willing to be hero-makers, who were willing to come alongside us to help and e

Love does not insist on its own way. We love one another when we are willing to defer and submit to one another.

1. Everyone submits to God. Everyone is expected to submit to God, to obey Him and follow Him. (Hebrews 12:9, James 4:7, Matthew 11:28-30.)

2. Everyone submits to civil authorities. The Bible is clear that we are to respect and obey civil authorities, whether it’s government, education or law enforcement. (Romans 13:1-5, 1 Peter 2:13-17)

3. Christians submit to spiritual leaders. Church members are instructed to obey and submit to their spiritual leaders. (1 Corinthians 16:16, Hebrews 13:17)

4. Wives submit to husbands. A Christian wife is instructed to respect her husband’s leadership. (Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 3:1-7)

5. Children submit to parents. Children must be taught to acknowledge and respect their parents’ authority. (Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21)

6. Employees submit to employers. I think we all get this; if you don’t, you won’t have a job long! (Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-4:1, 1 Peter 2:18)

7. Younger submit to older. The young are to respect their elders. (1 Peter 5:5)

8. Christians submit to one another. All Christians are to enjoy relationships of mutual submission with each other. (Ephesians 5:21)

That quick overview gives you an id

All of God’s people are ministers—all of you can teach one another and pray for one another. We are a community of ministers!

November 17-18, 2018

ILL: A preacher was very animated and wore a lapel mike with a cord. As he paced back and forth, he kept getting tangled in the cord. So he would stop and jerk the cord, then get tangled again and jerk it again. A little girl sitting up front whispered to her mom, “If he gets loose, will he hurt us?”

Many Christians are on a leash. They are bound up by misconceptions that keep them from being all that God wants them to be. Today, I want to unleash you! I want to dispel the misconception that teaching and prayer are primarily the domain of the professional clergy. God wants all of us to teach one another and pray for one another, and when we do, the church will be unleashed…loose and dangerous!

What do you think of when I say the words “ordained minister”? How many of you picture a professional clergy-person—a pastor or priest or reverend dressed in a black frock with a backward collar? That’s what most of us think of. Let me give you a quick test:

Everyone who said yes to the first question should have said yes to the others too. The word “minister” means servant, and Christ calls us all to be His servants. And “ordained” means chosen, appointed or commissioned. The Bible says that God has chosen you to be His servant; God has appointed and commissioned you to serve Him! So you are an ordained minister, you are God’s chosen servant, and He has gifted you for the task. We are

Honor up, honor down, honor all around.

November 10-11, 2018

Introduction:

Honor one another. What does that mean? Why should we do it? Whom should we honor? And how do we do it? And what difference will it make?

Dr. John Gottman is one of the foremost authorities on what makes marriages succeed or fail. His work is based on extensive research at the University of Washington. He writes that one of the most consistent predictors of marriage failure is contempt—when couples speak to each other with disrespect and scorn. It’s toxic. Conversely, healthy marriages are built on high doses of respect and honor.

What is true of marriage is true of every relationship. Relationships thrive when we honor and respect each other, and they wilt under the deadly weight of contempt.

Romans 12:10 (p. 976) Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Other translations say

Literally, the Greek reads, “in honor, going before one another.” The word “going before” means “to go before and show the way, to go before and lead”. Lead the way in showing honor. Outdo one another in giving honor.

Imagine a community in which everyone tried to outdo one another in showing honor and respect!

ILL: When Pastor Noel used to go to lunch with us, he always deferred to others and tried to take the back seat in the car. “You sit up front, pl

We are to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us. How has Christ forgiven us?

How many of you have someone that you’re having a hard time forgiving? Of all the one another commands—love one another, accept one another, and so on—none more difficult or costly than this one: forgive one another.

1. Jesus has forgiven us completely.