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I am a Christian because of Jesus. Jesus is the most compelling and influential person who ever lived. His claims, His life, and His impact set Him apart from everyone else.

January 20-21, 2018

The Big Idea: I am a Christian because of Jesus.  Jesus is the most compelling and influential person who ever lived.  His claims, His life, and His impact set Him apart from everyone else.

Introduction:

I told you last week how I became a Christian at age 13.  Shortly after, another 13-year old at our little church in Sweet Home, Oregon, took me under his wing.  Nat encouraged me to read the Bible.  When he saw that my Bible was the King James Version my grandmother had given me, Nat gave me a modern translation: Good News for Modern Man (known now as the Good News Bible).  He told me to start at the beginning of the New Testament with the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—because they tell the story of Jesus, and Jesus is the center of our faith.  It was great advice!  I read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and then did it again; and then did it again.  I  was captivated by Jesus.  There is no one like Him!  And I’ve only become more convinced of that since then.   Why am I a Christian?

The Big Idea: I am a Christian because of Jesus.  Jesus is the most compelling and influential person who ever lived.  His claims, His life, and His impact set Him apart from everyone else.

I am a Christian because of Jesus.  Last weekend we talked about how Christianity makes sense of the universe and our lives within it.  Good stuff; important stuff.  But when I wrestle with my faith, I don’t go there first; the first place I go is to Jesus.  I am a Christian for lots of good reasons, but the most important is Jesus.  How do I explain Jesus?  Who is this man?  This is the most central and critical question of all.  

Once, after a

I am a Christian because it makes sense of the universe and our lives within it.

Why I am a Christian Bibliography

January 13-14, 2018

ILL: Mark Twain famously tells about a small boy who came home from church. His father asked him what he had learned. “We learned about faith,” he said. “And what is faith?” asked his father. “Faith is believing in something you know isn’t true.”

Isn’t this what many people imagine when they think of faith? For many people, believing in God is wishful thinking.

ILL: I once asked a young man if he believed in God. “Oh no! I believe in science. Science is all about facts and religion is all about faith.”

Have you heard that before? Many people think that faith is unreasonable; they suspect that in order to become a Christian, you must kiss your brains goodbye. For the next few weeks, I want to challenge that assumption. I want to demonstrate that there are some compelling reasons for faith, and that you can believe in God with intellectual integrity. I want to tell you why I am a Christian.

If someone were to ask you, “Why are you a Christian?” what would you answer? Do you have compelling reasons for your faith? The apostle Peter wrote:

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Are you prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you the reason for your faith?

The practice of giving reasons for your faith is called “apologetics.” This doesn’t mean that we are apologetic about our faith. The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek legal term apologia which meant “to give a defense.” (apo = from + logia = reason) “Be prepared to give an answer,” Peter says, and the word “answer” translates the Greek word apologia. B

Repent, relate, repeat. Repent, relate, repeat. Repent, relate, repeat.

There was a difference between those who just bumped into Jesus and the woman who deliberately got close enough to touch Him with faith. How do we get close enough to touch Jesus and release His power?

December 30-31, 2017

Introduction and offering:

You can be as close to Jesus as you want to be. If you want to be friends with someone, what do you do? You move toward them. You hang out, spend time, get close.

James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

God wants you to be close to Him, and He is inviting you to come near. When you move toward God, He will move toward you. You can be as close to God as you want to be.

So today, I want to read a story about Jesus—a story about a crowd of people pressing around Him, bumping into Him, but one lady who pushed through the crowd and touched Jesus on purpose, with faith. She came near and something happened. Here’s the story.

Mark 5:24–34 A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

The crowd is pressing around Jesus. Everyone wants to see this young rabbi who is doing miracles. We’ve seen this when celebrities are mobbed by crowds. In this

Today your Savior is born. It’s good news of great joy for all the people!

Christmas Eve 2017

ILL: A small boy was writing a letter to God about what he wanted for Christmas. “I’ve been good for six months now,” he wrote. But after a moment he crossed out “six” and wrote, “three.” After a pause, he crossed that out, and wrote, “two weeks.” There was another pause, and he crossed that out too.

He got up from the table and went over to the little nativity scene. He picked up the figure of Mary and went back to his writing and started again: “Dear God, if ever you want to see your mother again…”

Merry Christmas! I think this little guy was on the naughty list. How many of you were on the naughty list this year? Oh…I see we’re all living in denial!

I think I spent some time on both lists this year—naughty and nice. Anyone with me? I’m never as good as I want to be, and sometimes badder than I wish! Naughty and nice—that’s us and that’s why the Christmas story is such good news!   We began by reading the familiar story of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2—and heard that wonderful meditation by Shantell. Let’s look again at what the angel said to the shepherds.

Luke 2:10–11 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.”

What was the “good news that brings great joy to all the people?” Look at the next five words: “Today your Savior is born.” There’s the good news: Your Savior is born. We need a savior. I know that offends some people. I know some people don’t want to believe that they are on the naughty list—that they are sinners in need of a savior. I know some people insist that we don’t need a savior; we need to fix it ourselves. But have you noticed that there are some things that you can’t fix yourself? Ever been there?

Today your Savior is born. Jesus is our Savior; what did He come to save us from? Here’s what the angel told Joseph.

Matthew 1:20–21 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of Davi

The life of joy you’re looking for is on the other side of yes. Yes Lord to anything, anytime, anywhere.

“Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me,” Jesus said. We meet Jesus when we love the least—Keep your eyes open for opportunities to love Jesus—It’s the way to JOY!

December 9-10, 2017

Introduction and offering:

ILL: Martin was a Roman soldier in the mid-fourth century and a Christian. One cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms. Martin had no money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, so Martin gave what he had. He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed, and he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar. That night he had a dream. In it he saw Jesus in heaven wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.” Martin went on to become a bishop and is revered as St. Martin of Tours.

“My servant Martin gave it to me.” What we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus.

We are continuing our series, JOY: The Outward Focused Life. The way to joy is to live Jesus, Others, You. Put Jesus first, and others before yourself. Jesus wants to help you get over yourself, get beyond your selfishness, and find the joy in focusing on others instead of yourself.

Today we are going to read one of the most famous of Jesus’ stories—although it’s not really a story, but more a prediction of what’s coming and why. Buckle up!

Matthew 25:31–46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I

Step into the joy Jesus has for you.

Try to keep your life and you lose it. But give your life away for Jesus and others and you find it. The life you long for, the life you’re looking for, is found when you give your life away for others. It’s the way to joy.

November 25-26, 2017

Video: Wednesday’s Kids 

Introduction and offering:

You gotta love that! Our big deal this year has been to Think Three: think three generations ahead of you, and one on either side. The Morrows are doing that in a very cool and practical way—opening their home every Wednesday for dinner for kids before youth group. I love it! Way to go Morrows! I hope it stirs you to think about how God could use you to invest in the generation coming up behind you. It’s also an example of an outward focused life.

We’re continuing our series, “JOY: the Outward Focused Life.” One day this spring, I was praying about my selfishness, and I thought of the acrostic JOY: Jesus, Others, You.   The way to joy is to live for Jesus first, and then put others before yourself. So ever since then, I’ve been writing JOY across the top of my daily planner. It’s not to remind me to be happy—I may be the happiest person you’ve ever met. Check out these socks! I’m not reminding myself to be happy; I’m reminding myself not to be selfish, to live Jesus, others, you.

In today’s story, the disciples are at it again—being truly clueless when Jesus talks about His death. This time it’s Peter who steps in it! Here’s the story:

Matthew 16:21–26

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

In the verses just before this, Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I

The way to joy is to serve other people, no matter who they are, no matter if they deserve it. Find someone to serve—and do it! It’s the way to joy!

November 18-19, 2017

Introduction and offering:

ILL: Who went to the Garth Brooks concerts last week? I heard it was great. I also saw that last Saturday, before he did two shows, he joined coach Mark Few and the GU men’s basketball players for a clinic for underprivileged kids. “One of the most important things I’ve done in my life, other than be a father, is this right here,” Brooks said. Coach Few described Brooks as “really a genuine, humble guy…a servant.” Of course, Mark also said, “shame on you and Laina for not knowing any Garth songs…unAmerican!” Hey, I know a Garth song: “Two Pina Coladas!” Totally American!

Garth Brooks is a servant. He’s a Big Deal, but not too proud to serve underprivileged kids, or visit a fan in the hospital. It made me a fan!

This is part 2 of our series, “JOY: the Outward Focused Life.” The way to joy is to live Jesus first, then put others ahead of yourself: Jesus, Others, You. Jesus taught His followers that the way to greatness was serving: be the servant of all. He modeled that Himself by coming not to be served, but to serve, and by giving His life to bring us back to God. Jesus came to serve. Perhaps no other story captures this as beautifully as the one we’ll read today: the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. We’ll start by reading and unpacking the story, and then I’ll focus on three important takeaways from the story.

Offering here:

This story takes place on the last night of Jesus’ life—Thursday night in the upper room, the site of the Last Supper.   Here is the story:

John 13:1–17

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

It