20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ephesians 3:20

Why do some people seem to experience the “immeasurably more” of God?

Why do some people get the breakthrough and the healing?

Why do some people hear God more clearly?

Why do some people get to see miracles and be part of miracles?

The answer is often found in this thing called FAITH.

1. FAITH RELEASES THE IMMEASURABLY MORE OF GOD

2. FAITH CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS

3. WE CAN OVERCOME UNBELIEF

4. How do we EXPAND our Faith?

Our faith is only as big as our view of God.

I believe the Lord has been whispering this word to His church throughout history. “If we build it, He will come!” If we build a house of worship (a church family of worshippers), the Living God will come - the presence of the Lord WILL show up.

What can happen when we EXPAND OUR WORSHIP?

1. HEALING

2. VICTORY

3. BREAKTHROUGH

4. DELIVERANCE

5. REVELATION

How are we to worship the Lord?

SPIRIT & TRUTH

Reserved (half-hearted) or self-focused (going through the motions) kind of worship will not pierce the veil and bring us into God’s holy presence.

But sacrificial, God-focused, all-in worship will…

SO…. LET’S DO THIS...

God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe and when we have received His love, we begin to discover & experience that the power of God’s love is EXPANDING OUR LOVE.

1. EXPANDING OUR LOVE FOR GOD

2. EXPANDING OUR LOVE FOR THE CHURCH

3. EXPANDING OUR LOVE FOR THE LOST

We can’t give what we don’t have and we can’t give that which we have not received. And so, the prescription for expanding love in and through our lives is filling up on God’s love.

Have you received God’s love?

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:10

Have you received the perfect expression of love?

Have you received Jesus as your Lord and your Savior?

Has your life been expanded by the perfect love of God, given to us in Christ Jesus?

As we launch into this word of expansion, we recognize that our expansion begins with… EXPANDING OUR VISION

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2 “Write the vision (revelation, NIV); make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. – Habakkuk 2:2-3 (ESV)

Expanding our vision is important because…

1. VISION BRINGS CLARITY

2. VISION HELPS US RUN THE RACE

3. VISION IS ALWAYS TIMELY

God is speaking to His church and He wants you to hear Him.

He wants us to receive fresh vision from Him – vision that brings clarity, vision that brings life, vision that brings joy and hope, which then fuels us to run this exciting and life-giving race of faith.

I’m excited for all that God wants to teach us as we dive into His grace and continue to be THE EXPANDING CHURCH – from the inside, out.

Are we positioning ourselves for influence or are we allowing this culture to influence us?

Lesson #1: Our Citizenship Determines Our Influence

Lesson #2: Our Devotion Determines Our Influence

Lesson #3: Our Prayer Life Determines Our Influence

What LESSONS can we learn from ESTHER?

Lesson #1: We Are All Called to Influence

No matter our position or condition, no matter our age, our gender, or our nationality…

God has determined to use us to influence our community and our culture.

Lesson #2: We Are Strategically Placed (positioned) for Influence

The Lord was positioning His people (Esther & Mordecai) for BIGGER reasons – there was a lot more at stake – and the Lord was setting the stage for deliverance & VICTORY!

In fact, Mordecai understood this truth & declared to Esther

“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14b

God is still positioning His people for His purposes.

He is positioning you and me to be His ambassadors, His instruments of peace, His rays of light, His beacons of hope, His mouthpieces of Truth, His banners of righteousness – He’s positioning us FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!

Lesson #3: We Are Brought Together for Influence

Influence is a Team Endeavor – we need one another

This room is full of people (Influencers) who will come alongside of you and encourage you (call-out the God-stuff that is in you). So, engage with your church family. Do life together.

The Lord said that He is calling us to INFLUENCE – to be a church that is influencing our community and our culture. And so, we look to God’s Word for direction. Specifically, what lessons can we learn from the life of Joseph? Genesis 37-50.

LESSON #1: We Can Have Influence No Matter Our Position or Condition

1. As a SLAVE in Potiphar’s house, Joseph was influential (Genesis 39:2-4)

2. As a PRISONER in the dungeons of Egypt, Joseph was influential (Genesis 39:20b-23)

3. As a LEADER, Joseph was influential: (Genesis 41:37-40)

4. Finally, as a FOREIGNER, Joseph was Influential

Whatever your position or condition, God has designed you and assigned you for INFLUENCE.

LESSON #2: Influence Will Rest on Those Who are FAITHFUL

The key to Joseph’s influence in all situations was his faithfulness to the Lord. And so it is also with us. As we remain faithful to WHO we are in Christ, faithful in SPEAKING His truth, and faithful GIVING His love, we will continue to be INFLUENTIAL wherever God has us.

LESSON #3: God Will INCREASE Our Influence

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” – Luke 16:10

Influence can grow. Influence can increase. This is God’s design and His desire for His church (that our influence would increase in our culture)

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9

And so… Joseph’s life demonstrates the power of influence.

What about our lives? Are we carrying that same power of influence? With Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit we have all we need to be God’s instruments of INFLUENCE in our time & in our culture.

So, let’s dream our God-given dreams! Let’s allow God’s mighty power of influence grow and grow. Be a Joseph of the 21st century to the glory of God. He wants to "speak" to others through your life (and through our church) as we release the power of influence.

WELCOME to the annual EVIDENT LIFE CHURCH TOUR where we are going to explore our PAST, remind ourselves of our CALLING, and look forward to our FUTURE as a church family.

As we look forward to this year, we are reminded that late last Fall, during a Wednesday night prayer meeting, God gave us insight into what He has planned for us in this next season… The Lord said that He is calling us to INFLUENCE – to be a church that is influencing our community and our culture.

I am excited for this New Year because I know that God is always moving things forward. I know that God’s will is for His glory to increase in our lives.

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And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

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However, we are also aware that life is full of obstacles (hurdles, roadblocks, and landmines) that attempt to keep us from fulfilling our God-ordained purpose for living; obstacles that are thrown at us in order to trip us up and divert us from this ever-increasing (God-sized and God-promised) glory.

And so, we turn to God's Word (Joshua 6) to discover God's strategies for overcoming obstacles:

1. LISTENING TO GOD

2. BELIEVING GOD

3. TRUSTING GOD

Obstacles are going to happen. However, we can either allow them to keep us FROM the plans of God or we can allow them to launch us INTO God’s marvelous plans. Obstacles can actually become a launching pad into being transformed into Christ’s likeness with ever-increasing glory.

So, let’s LISTEN to Him, BELIEVE Him, and TRUST Him and let’s overcome the obstacles as the Lord tears down the walls of opposition before us.

We find the word SEEK intertwined with the marvelous events of Christmas.

After the angels delivered the glorious birth announcement of Christ, the shepherds decided to SEEK out the newborn King. We also discover that Wise Men from far away embarked on a journey to SEEK out Jesus.

However (check this out), the glory and the wonder of Christmas didn’t start with mankind seeking out Jesus; rather, Christmas really began with GOD leaving heaven on a mission to SEEK us out.

God wants you to hear this. He wants you to know (right here and right now) that He came for you. He came to SEEK you out and to SAVE you.

And because Jesus sought us out, because Jesus came for us, we can now FIND Him.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD. - Jeremiah 29:12-14

God wants us to find Him. God wants this so badly that He stepped down from heaven and put on flesh – He became a man – and He made a way for us to find Him. And so (like those shepherds who heard this good news of the Savior and those magi who were told of this King), we too respond to this Christmas gift and we SEEK Him.