Friends College Ministry

Friends Church Yorba Linda, CA

College Pastor Kevin Livermore (www.3-ology.com)

John 16:25–33

Trust in God’s victory, rest in his peace.

Sometimes our faith is too small because our understanding of God is too small.

“Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.” –Tim Keller

The promises of God are permanent; the troubles of the world are temporary.

The victory of Jesus is more permanent than the temporary challenges you face.

When you trust in God’s victory, you can rest in his peace.

Are you loyal to God through the highs and lows? Does your life look any different than your unbelieving friends? Do your life patterns reflect your belief?

When you experience God, peace comes.

Look beyond your present situation and see the peace coming on the horizon!

In this world we will have trouble, but Christ has overcome the world and gives us peace.

Peace and Joy are possible even in the midst of darkness because we are not cut off from Jesus. He never leaves us in the dark, he never leaves us at all. He still sees us when we are in the dark. He holds onto us even if we’ve let go of him.

Apply the victory of Jesus to your situation by focusing on these 3 resources Jesus gives us for when life gets hard:

• The Holy Spirit

• His Teachings/”words of life”

• Prayer

Friends College Ministry

Friends Church Yorba Linda, CA

College Pastor Kevin Livermore (www.3-ology.com)

John 16:16-24

Grief is always followed by Joy when you trust in Christ.

God is aware of our questions, anxiety, and pain in the present, but he promises joy, and freedom from pain in the future.

Sometimes the greatest joys come after the worst pains.

Sometimes the greater the adversity, the greater the destiny.

We don’t like waiting, loss, or uncertainty…Our culture says in order to solve this problem we should just turn to other things to occupy your time/mind/body and not deal with it. But God says we deal with this problem by trusting in him. All of us will experience difficult circumstances in our lives. The question is where will we turn when those things occur. Where have you turned for comfort in those times?

How many of you have turned to an addiction, a habit, a person, or anything but Jesus when you face waiting, loss, or uncertainty?

Trust:

• in Jesus’ Second Coming to make all things new

• that he is with you through his Spirit right now

• he will never leave you to go through your pain alone

What part of the above is the most difficult for you and why?

Friends College Ministry

Friends Church, Yorba Linda, CA

College Pastor Kevin Livermore (www.3-ology.com)

Instagram: @FriendsCM

Great love sparks great love

Great love FROM God sparks great love FOR others

You’re a vessel, an instrument, a branch - You are not meant to hoard God’s love for you but to give it to others as well.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.” –John 15:12-17

Jesus says we are to love each other as he has loved us. He says this is the very best way to love - to put your life on the line for your friends. He continues to say, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

If you are truly connected to the vine, the source of life, you will bear fruit, fruit that will last – Eternal fruit (selfless), not temporary fruit (selfish).

If, “ great love sparks great love”, then we will produce fruit. Our job is to remain, the fruit will start to come automatically, as a byproduct of remaining in the vine.

John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Friends College Ministry

Friends Church, Yorba Linda, CA

College Pastor Kevin Livermore (www.3-ology.com)

Instragram: @FriendsCM

Remain in the One who remains.

When the glory of everything else fades, God remains.

Remain = To Abide (Implies Endurance)

When thinking about your life, what is the hardest part about doing this?

In what ways does God “prune” us?

Have you produced more fruit after being “pruned”? Give an example.

What did Jesus’ mean by saying “Remain in Me?”

How can we abide or remain in Christ?

Unless we are abiding in Christ, the True Vine, we’ll simply be producing wax fruit. It might look good on the outside but has no real benefit to the world because it’s not real.

Is your faith real or is it like wax fruit?

Friends College Ministry

College Pastor Kevin Livermore (www.3-ology.com)

The Peace of God comes from Peace with God.

You are in right-standing with God and also have access to the peace of God right now.

So Peace is not just the absence of conflict (sin/separation), it is the presence of God’s blessing!

The Peace of God is always accessible wherever we go (we can remind ourselves we are blessed!) but not guaranteed because God won’t take you to where you don’t want to go.

Choose:

Choose peace not anxious thoughts. We get to decide!

This is easier when we remember God’s promises in scripture.

Col. 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,”

1 Peter 3:11 “They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.”

Phil. 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Trust:

We must trust in God’s peace, not the world’s. I don’t trust in my flesh, or the world’s peace.

Expect:

Expect God to give us the peace he promised.

Friends College Ministry at Friends Church in Yorba Linda, CA.

Pastor Kevin Livermore preaching on the Advocate - the Holy Spirit in John 14:7-26

When we know Jesus, we know the Father and receive the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is as close as your very breath and can live inside you forever if you ask him to. He will always be defending, embracing, and guiding you.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is God's way of saying “I won't stop loving you and will never leave you.”

Remember what the Holy Spirit does:

-He defends you. He doesn’t condemn you but defends you. He encourages you and stands up for you.

-He embraces you. He will not leave you as an orphan, he is embracing you as his child.

-He guides you. He will guide you into all truth. He will lead you.

Pastor Kevin Livermore preaching on living life as an adventure...just like Peter took a risk, a step of faith, to get out of the safety and comfort of the boat and experience the thrill of walking upon the water, we too are invited by Jesus to go on an adventure with him.

Definition of adventure: an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

There is a life of adventure waiting for you

when you take a risk to follow Jesus.

Imagine surrendering your life to go on an adventure with God.

There may be a lot of risk involved but it is worth it.

When the disciples were on the adventure of going out on the water in a boat, a storm came, but Jesus was faithful to come to them in the midst of the storm.

Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus Walks on the Sea

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Peter got to experience the thrill of walking

on water…he didn't fail. The rest of the disciples didn't get

to experience that thrill because they played it safe.

See sometimes in life we try avoid risks and adventures for fear of failure or embarrassment. But the butterflies tell us we are actually not letting life pass us by; we are in the game not just a spectator.

It’s easier to be like the rest of the disciples and just stay in the boat…for YOUR. WHOLE. LIFE. But God invites us to do the impossible as we fix our eyes continually on him!

Are you naturally a risk-taker? Do you have a story about it?

What do you need to surrender in your life to go on an adventure with God? What “adventure” is he calling you to go on?

Friends Church College Ministry

Yorba Linda, CA

College Pastor Kevin Livermore and special guest speakers Sarah and Jeremy Livermore speaking on Love, Sex, Dating, and Marriage.

The reason why dating matters and shouldn’t be taken lightly is because you matter.

You are sacred.

You are a beloved child of God and deserve to be treated as such.

Don’t fall into the modern cultural trap of dating. God has a better way for you.

God is not trying to keep you from having fun.

HE IS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU.

• Leave people better than you found them.

• Protect your heart and your body

• Don’t have sex until marriage

• If you are ready to date, take a risk

• Take it slow

• Be a part of a community

• Dating should be based on friendship not physical chemistry alone

• Allow God to change you into the type of person you would want to date

Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and so is the person’s you're dating. It doesn’t belong to you.

Infatuation:

Neuroscientists now call infatuation “an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something.”

True love is not infatuation.

Infatuation is not bad, it’s just not true love.

If you rely on emotions, feelings, and the thrill of being “in-love” alone, you may end up marrying the wrong TYPE of person for you (i.e. there is no such thing as "the one", "the one" is whoever you choose to sacrifice and love the rest of your life).

“Falling in love” with someone doesn’t mean you should marry them.

– Neurologically, infatuation has a lifespan of about 12 to 18 months

Job 31:1

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Getting married will not complete you, but it can enhance you.

Marriage is a picture of a reality that is yet to come.

Marriage is a foreshadow, a foretaste, of a deeper, greater, and truer union we will eventually have with Christ in Heaven.

Marriage is temporary: “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage…” (Matthew 22:30).

Our singleness reminds us of our longing for something greater but so do the imperfections of a marriage.

Whether single or married, we will always have a longing in our souls for a perfect world where we are completely filled with peace and joy.

• The best marriages occur when both people understand their spouse is not their savior.

• Marriage is not necessarily designed to make you happy but holy.

• The best time to work on your marriage is before you have one.

• Remember, feelings come and go, they can’t be trusted, but real love is about sacrifice, resolve, and determination.

• Marriage will not solve your emptiness; it will expose it, so marry someone who has a solid core in who they are apart from a relationship.

• Marry someone who loves God more than they love you.

• If marriage never works out for you, could you still live a eternally significant life for God’s kingdom?

• Singles are not second-class citizens in the kingdom of God (e.g. Jesus, Paul).

• If anything, singles can do more for the kingdom than their married peers.

1 Corinthians 6:13,19-20

13 The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

When we are in these situations, where we are filled with hormones and lust, we must remember that this temptation to keep going farther and farther is common to everyone but God will always provide a way out of that situation.

1 Corinthians 10:13

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

So, guys don’t try to go too far. Ladies, remember a true guys worthy of your time and heart will honor your body and not just try to use you for his own personal pleasure.

We need to remember that when we do engage in sexual activity in this hook-up culture, we are distancing ourselves from the sweetness of fellowship with Christ, grieving the Holy Spirit inside of us, and sinning against our own bodies. IT AFFECTS OUR SOUL.

“THERE IS NO CONDOM FOR THE SOUL”

Remember:

Dating is not a game. You are a beloved child of God and deserve to be treated as such

Agape is an unstoppable love, like an unquenchable fire.

Agape is what you need for a relationship to move past the infatuation phase. It can’t be all about friendship, you need a spark (eros) but it can’t be all about romance, butterflies and lust, you need friendship too (phileo).

Jesus demonstrated true agape type of love, he died for us. And Ephesians tells us to “love (the word here is Agape) our wives as Christ loved (Agape) the church and gave himself up for her.”

Paul uses this word Agape again in the famous 1 Corinthians passage:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

Love [Agape] is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Agape is a deliberate choice. This love isn’t something you “fall into”. It is a choice.

You need to do these things because you want the good life, the abundant life. You don’t want the life of casual sex, or casual hook-up relationships where your heart and soul get dragged through the mud. You can only take so much of that before you fall apart.

Remember good marriages start with good decisions as a single person.

The best time to work on your marriage is before you have one.

80% of the most important choices you make in your life happen before you are 35.

Take the time during your twenties to choose who and what you want. Don’t just settle for whoever or whatever.

Imagine how great life would be if we made good relationship decisions. Imagine how many people could be spared from the emotional and physical abuse people put others through because of their own selfish desires. Infatuation must be countered with love; Love for the other person’s long-term well-being not just satisfying your butterflies or hormones.

Friends College Ministry

Friends Church - Yorba Linda, CA

Pastor Kevin Livermore

Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions in life?

Have you ever felt like life is going by too fast and it is so hard to just be present?

Many times in life we are either regretting the past or anxious about the future but we are rarely ever just present. We are rarely ever aware of the present moment which in itself is a gift.

Past

Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland

Future

Matthew 6:34 …do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Present

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Sometimes you have to go back in order to go forward.

When we remember God’s faithfulness, we make much progress.

Taking that time of silence to remember is not wasted time - it reminds us of who we are and what we are doing here.

Periodically throughout the day, it’s important to be present and remember who we are and who God is.

We need to remind ourselves of who we are and what we are doing here on earth.

Being present in this day…and only reflecting on the past when it comes to reflecting on God’s faithfulness. We grieve the things we couldn’t control or change in our past, but we praise God for being with us in the midst of it.

One of the ways I have found it easy to rejoice and be glad in today is to remember who I am, and who my God is.

I am a victor and not a victim, I am the head and not the tail, I am enough, I have what it takes, and I am more than a conqueror through Christ who lives in me.

God is inviting you to let go of…

regret and put on self-compassion,

to let go of despair and put on hope,

to let go of what’s wrong and remember what’s right,

to believe in a better future. To Create the future we want! To create a better world!

Don’t tell God how big the mountain is, tell the mountain how big your God is.

To remember who I am and what God is doing in my life, who God is inviting me to become, and how he is reminding me of how great he truly is.

Deut. 8:2

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way

So as this year comes to a close we remember….

I remember how good God has been to me:

Psalms 77:11

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

To remember evil doesn’t have the last laugh because Jesus is coming back and will reward and punish accordingly:

Revelation 22:12-14

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

To remember I am God’s chosen, holy, and dearly beloved child:

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Thessalonians 1:4

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you…

Eph. 2:4-10

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

To remember how faithful, redeeming, righteous, holy, patient, kind, generous, and great our God truly is.

Amen.

Friends College Ministry

Pastor Kevin Livermore

Follow us on Instagram: @FriendsCM

What if I told you there was an incredibly simple and easy way to improve your grades, sleep, relationships, physical health, character, and ability to overcome difficult circumstances? Wouldn’t you want to know what it is?

Well, scientific research suggests developing a lifestyle of gratitude is one of the simplest ways to improve your life.

Now before I sound like a self-help book at Barnes and Noble, I want you to know that before any scientific research was done on this, the Bible has suggested the same thing.

See the Bible knew what was good for us even before Science did.

Scripture consistently tells us to be thankful:

• I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

• Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

• Story about the Thankful Leper – Luke 17:11-19

The story talks about how Jesus heals ten lepers and then tells them to go to the priest to officially be recognized as clean. Of the ten, only one returned to thank Jesus. He came to Jesus’ feet and bowed down to Him to show his gratitude. Jesus asked if there were indeed ten who were healed and why only one returned to thank Him....See. even though many people are touched by Jesus, very few give Him the thanks and praise He deserves.

My question for you is this:

Will you be one of the few who actually walk back to Jesus and give him thanks for all he has done for you? For it is in Jesus that we have any basis to be thankful in the first place.

So the foundation and basis of our gratitude is found in Christ, in his victory, in his death and resurrection, in the GIFT he gives us through his Holy Spirit.

The Bible conveys an idea of always giving thanks..

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In all circumstances, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Eph. 5:20

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:7

rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

So when we talk about being thankful, we are talking about a moment by moment choice….genuinely realizing just how good you have it.

Gratitude is being aware of the present moment which in itself is a gift.

You don’t necessarily have to think about the good things in the past to be thankful, you can simply be aware that you are still alive and are in need of nothing at this very moment.