Sunday, February 18, 2018

“For the Harvest”

Matthew 9:35-10:1

1. Small Christ

* “send” = throw out

* Jesus’ work: (1) Teaching the Word (2) Spreading the gospel (3) Healing the sick and suffering

* “Christian” = little Christ, small Christ

* John 8:12 “I am the light of the world.’” (NIV)

* Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world.” (NIV)

2. Bringing about God’s healing

* Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (NIV)

* 1 Peter 2:6 “…and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (NIV)

* Matthew 9:18, 23-25 The healing of a synagogue leader’s daughter

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind of person is a Christian?

2. If you have testimony of God’s healing (physical, etc.), please share.

3. How are we to participate in Jesus’ work?

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Sunday, February 11, 2018

“The Light Within You”

Luke 11:33-36

1. Jesus Christ: the light

* Luke 2:32 “…a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (NIV)

* Documentary program: “The Man Called a Monster in the Shape of a Human”

* Matthew 26:39 “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” (NIV)

2. Our eyes

* Luke 11:34 “eye” = the eye of your heart (spiritual eye)

* The work of Gideons International

* Psalm 27:7, 8, 10 “Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek… God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” (NIV)

3. We also shine by the heart of Christ

* Luke 11:35 “See to it” = “look at intently and carefully”

* The testimony of an Indonesian female evangelist Rose Diana

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Please share how you came to faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Talk about the common point(s) of all of the stories.

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Sunday, February 4, 2018

“Jesus Who Desires Faithful Obedience”

Luke 11:24-32

1. The dangerous empty house

2. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it

* The testimony of Joseph, a youth (New York Times Magazine)

The conversion of an Afghanistan person from Islam

3. The wicked generation desiring a sign

* The faith of Evander Holyfield

(Former boxing world heavyweight champion)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Why is a spiritually empty (vacuum) state dangerous?

2. Why should a spiritual bond be given priority over a blood relative bond?

3. If you have a testimony of a blessing bestowed upon you as the result of obeying the Word of God, please share.

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Sunday, January 28, 2018

“Works by the Finger of God”

Luke 11:14-23

* 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (NIV)

1. Jesus who drives out demons

* Luke 11:14 “amazed” = to be so excited you could go mad

2. The words of the crowd who criticized Jesus

* Luke 11:15 “Beelzebul” = owner of a mansion

3. Jesus’ counterargument

* Luke 11:21-22 parable

“strong man” = Satan

“someone stronger” = Jesus

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. There are two extreme ways of thinking about the existence of evil spirits. What are they? What does the Bible teach?

2. If you have ever experienced a conviction that the Holy Spirit is with you internally, please share.

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Sunday, January 21, 2018

“The God Who Hears Our Prayers”

Luke 11:5-13

1. The God who awaits our prayers

* Luke 11:5-7 = interrogative sentence

* Proverbs 3:28 “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’ — when you already have it with you.” (NIV)

* Psalm 65:2 “You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.” (NIV)

* Daniel 10:12 “Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.’” (NIV)

2. The God who responds to our requests

* Matthew 6:8 “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (NIV)

* James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (NIV)

* Ephesians 3:20 “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.” (NIV)

3. The God who gives us the Holy Spirit (praying spirit)

* Luke 11:13 “you are evil” = imperfect person, sinful nature/existence

* Romans 8:15-16 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (NIV)

* Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Does God want to listen to our prayers or not? Why?

2. When we pray, what assistance does the Holy Spirit provide?

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Sunday, January 14, 2018

“The Lord Who Daily Bears Our Burdens”

Psalm 68:19-23

1. Daily burdens

* “burden” = “something given” “something imposed”

2. The Lord who bears burdens

* Isaiah 46:3-4 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (NIV)

* Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV)

* 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

3. Jesus’ yoke & Jesus’ burden

* Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV)

* “yoke” = A tool placed on the neck of cows or horses when pulling a cart or millstone

* “is easy” (crestos) = “suits one’s body well” “fits”

* “rest” (anapaushis) = “released from physical fatigue and made full of energy”

* “find rest for your soul” (pushuke) = “your heart becomes light or at ease” “relief”

* Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV)

* John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Why do you think that daily burdens really become burdens?

2. What is Jesus’ burden? What can be done to find rest for your soul?

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Sunday, January 7, 2018

“The Lord’s Prayer”

Luke 11:1-4

1. “Father”

* Luke 10:21 “… Father, Lord of heaven and earth…” (NIV)

* Mark 14:36 “‘Abba, Father…’” (NIV)

* John 1:12 “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (NIV)

* Romans 8:15 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (NIV)

2. “Hallowed be your name”

3. “Your kingdom come”

* “Your kingdom” = “The kingdom God rules”

4. “Give us each day our daily bread”

* John 6:35 “…I am the bread of life...” (NIV)

5. “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us”

* Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)

* Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (NIV)

* Matthew 18:21-35 (reference)

6. “And lead us not into temptation”

* Genesis 22:1 “Some time later God tested Abraham…” (NIV)

* James: 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)

* Luke 22:46 “‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’” (NIV)

* Matthew 26:40-41 “… ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Try praying according to the prayer guideline that Jesus taught.

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Sunday, December 31, 2017

“What the Hope of Heaven Brings About”

Hebrews 12:2

* If you were to give this year for you a color, what color would it be?

* Take a look at your life from the perspective of eternity

* Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

* What does it mean that we have the hope for heaven given to us?

1. Jesus’ joy

* “Pioneer and perfector” = instructor or leader that provides guidance of faith to maturity

* Paul tells people whose hearts are seemingly going to break due to persecution to look at the image of Jesus Christ as an example

* Why was Jesus able to withstand the trial of the cross?

“for the joy set before him”

“Joy” is the salvation of many souls after his death on the cross and resurrection. The perspective of eternity allowed him to accept and have power to overcome the trial of the cross

2. The grace that perspective of eternity provides our lives with

* If we do not know where our lives our headed, then we cannot face the difficulties on earth.

The challenge of Florence Chadwick on July 4, 1952

* What Martin Luther King, Jr. (Pastor King) was looking at

* The walk do the first church’s Christians thereafter

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind year was this one for you?

2. What does the hope for heaven bring about in your life?

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Sunday, December 24, 2017

“The Birth of the Savior”

Luke 2:1-11

1. The darkness of “fear”

* Luke 1:13 for Zechariah

* Luke 1:30 for Mary

* Matthew 1:20 for Joseph

* Luke 2:10 for the shepherds

* Joshua 1:9 for Joshua

* Judges 7:3 for Gideon

* Job 3:25 “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.” (NIV)

2. The darkness of “unbelief”

* Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV)

* 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

* Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV)

3. The darkness of “sin”

* Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

* John 3:16-18 “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (NIV)

* Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind of “darkness” is in your heart? How do you get rid of it?

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