If we don’t understand giving on the individual level, we won’t understand why we give when we come together as a body. We were designed to proclaim the virtues of God. How? By our verbal communication as well as our actions toward others at home, in the church, in the community and in the marketplace. Sacrificial Giving is an exercise of this submission to Christ and an example to the world and principalities that I do not serve the flesh or it’s desires.

When God spoke in Malachi, about bringing all the tithes into the storehouse and blessing those who obey, God was not really concerned about their outward actions of giving. The lack of giving, and tithing was rather an outward gauge that exposed their heart. The consequences of disease, pestilence, & financial ruin were not because of their refusal to tithe and give, but rather their rejection of a relationship with the one true God. He was rehearsing all the ways He had demonstrated love to them and provided for them in the past, and was again calling them to repentance.

- The issue of giving God 100% control of everything will always expose our heart.

- God uses finances to expose the hearts of His people both in the O.T. and N.T.

When the N.T. church gave their resources, the members gave their gifts THROUGH the church to minister and encourage others. Members never gave to the church as the end of their responsibility.

If we don’t understand giving on the individual level, we won’t understand why we give when we come together as a body. We were designed to proclaim the virtues of God. How? By our verbal communication as well as our actions toward others at home, in the church, in the community and in the marketplace. Sacrificial Giving is an exercise of this submission to Christ and an example to the world and principalities that I do not serve the flesh or it’s desires.

When God spoke in Malachi, about bringing all the tithes into the storehouse and blessing those who obey, God was not really concerned about their outward actions of giving. The lack of giving, and tithing was rather an outward gauge that exposed their heart. The consequences of disease, pestilence, & financial ruin were not because of their refusal to tithe and give, but rather their rejection of a relationship with the one true God. He was rehearsing all the ways He had demonstrated love to them and provided for them in the past, and was again calling them to repentance.

- The issue of giving God 100% control of everything will always expose our heart.

- God uses finances to expose the hearts of His people both in the O.T. and N.T.

When the N.T. church gave their resources, the members gave their gifts THROUGH the church to minister and encourage others. Members never gave to the church as the end of their responsibility.

If we don’t understand giving on the individual level, we won’t understand why we give when we come together as a body. We were designed to proclaim the virtues of God. How? By our verbal communication as well as our actions toward others at home, in the church, in the community and in the marketplace. Sacrificial Giving is an exercise of this submission to Christ and an example to the world and principalities that I do not serve the flesh or it’s desires.

When God spoke in Malachi, about bringing all the tithes into the storehouse and blessing those who obey, God was not really concerned about their outward actions of giving. The lack of giving, and tithing was rather an outward gauge that exposed their heart. The consequences of disease, pestilence, & financial ruin were not because of their refusal to tithe and give, but rather their rejection of a relationship with the one true God. He was rehearsing all the ways He had demonstrated love to them and provided for them in the past, and was again calling them to repentance.

- The issue of giving God 100% control of everything will always expose our heart.

- God uses finances to expose the hearts of His people both in the O.T. and N.T.

When the N.T. church gave their resources, the members gave their gifts THROUGH the church to minister and encourage others. Members never gave to the church as the end of their responsibility.

The debates about baptism usually revolve around two things: 1. When should we baptize someone? and 2. How should we baptize them? Baptism is more than just getting wet - there's purpose behind it and purpose in it. In telling the story of the early church, Acts repeatedly ties Christian baptism to repentance and faith. In fact, in every case in the book of Acts, only those who’d already believed were baptized. This is why Baptists believe that the churches should only baptize believers.

Does the mode of how we baptize really matter?

1. The original language.

- the word baptizo means “to dip or immerse”

2. The consistency of Scripture.

- Water was used - Acts 10:47-48

- Much water was necessary - John 3:23

- People came to the water - Acts 8:36

- People went down into the water - Acts 8:38

- People came up out of the water - Mark 1:9-10 & Acts 8:39

3. The clarity of its picture.

- Romans 6:3-8 - It is our spiritual union with Christ that causes these benefits to come. It is a spiritual work that water cannot accomplish. However, water baptism beautifully pictures this for others to see.

Baptism as a picture:

- Going down into the water, we act out our death and burial.

- Coming up out of the water, we act out our being raised to a new life in Christ.

Sprinkling or pouring does not portray this picture sufficiently.

• As a church, we baptize true believers after true conversion, not before.

• As a church, we immerse believers because it effectively and beautifully pictures the death of our old self and the new life we have in Christ.

Though we believe baptism is not a work necessary for someone to be saved, it is the joyful proclamation of someone who has been saved.

The debates about baptism usually revolve around two things: 1. When should we baptize someone? and 2. How should we baptize them? Baptism is more than just getting wet - there's purpose behind it and purpose in it. In telling the story of the early church, Acts repeatedly ties Christian baptism to repentance and faith. In fact, in every case in the book of Acts, only those who’d already believed were baptized. This is why Baptists believe that the churches should only baptize believers.

Does the mode of how we baptize really matter?

1. The original language.

- the word baptizo means “to dip or immerse”

2. The consistency of Scripture.

- Water was used - Acts 10:47-48

- Much water was necessary - John 3:23

- People came to the water - Acts 8:36

- People went down into the water - Acts 8:38

- People came up out of the water - Mark 1:9-10 & Acts 8:39

3. The clarity of its picture.

- Romans 6:3-8 - It is our spiritual union with Christ that causes these benefits to come. It is a spiritual work that water cannot accomplish. However, water baptism beautifully pictures this for others to see.

Baptism as a picture:

- Going down into the water, we act out our death and burial.

- Coming up out of the water, we act out our being raised to a new life in Christ.

Sprinkling or pouring does not portray this picture sufficiently.

• As a church, we baptize true believers after true conversion, not before.

• As a church, we immerse believers because it effectively and beautifully pictures the death of our old self and the new life we have in Christ.

Though we believe baptism is not a work necessary for someone to be saved, it is the joyful proclamation of someone who has been saved.

The debates about baptism usually revolve around two things: 1. When should we baptize someone? and 2. How should we baptize them? Baptism is more than just getting wet - there's purpose behind it and purpose in it. In telling the story of the early church, Acts repeatedly ties Christian baptism to repentance and faith. In fact, in every case in the book of Acts, only those who’d already believed were baptized. This is why Baptists believe that the churches should only baptize believers.

Does the mode of how we baptize really matter?

1. The original language.

- the word baptizo means “to dip or immerse”

2. The consistency of Scripture.

- Water was used - Acts 10:47-48

- Much water was necessary - John 3:23

- People came to the water - Acts 8:36

- People went down into the water - Acts 8:38

- People came up out of the water - Mark 1:9-10 & Acts 8:39

3. The clarity of its picture.

- Romans 6:3-8 - It is our spiritual union with Christ that causes these benefits to come. It is a spiritual work that water cannot accomplish. However, water baptism beautifully pictures this for others to see.

Baptism as a picture:

- Going down into the water, we act out our death and burial.

- Coming up out of the water, we act out our being raised to a new life in Christ.

Sprinkling or pouring does not portray this picture sufficiently.

• As a church, we baptize true believers after true conversion, not before.

• As a church, we immerse believers because it effectively and beautifully pictures the death of our old self and the new life we have in Christ.

Though we believe baptism is not a work necessary for someone to be saved, it is the joyful proclamation of someone who has been saved.

Let’s not over-complicate the subject. Prayer is the privilege of the people of God. It must be a part of our gathering. In one sense prayer is private: "But when you you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:6). In another sense its deeply congregational: "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers" (Acts 1:14). "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Why was the early church so jazzed about prayer? Because they were jazzed about Jesus. They were jazzed about Jesus because He was alive from the dead.

Why pray?

1. Prayer is required.

2. Prayer is relational.

3. Prayer is refining.

How to Pray?

1. Pray the Bible.

2. Disciple’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4)

3. Look for good examples.

Our prayer life is only as good as our view of Christ. If we repeatedly fail to cultivate the habit of prayer we don’t need tips, pointers, posters, coasters and coffee mugs, we need to search deeply into what we really believe about the resurrected Messiah.

Let’s not over-complicate the subject. Prayer is the privilege of the people of God. It must be a part of our gathering. In one sense prayer is private: "But when you you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:6). In another sense its deeply congregational: "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers" (Acts 1:14). "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Why was the early church so jazzed about prayer? Because they were jazzed about Jesus. They were jazzed about Jesus because He was alive from the dead.

Why pray?

1. Prayer is required.

2. Prayer is relational.

3. Prayer is refining.

How to Pray?

1. Pray the Bible.

2. Disciple’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4)

3. Look for good examples.

Our prayer life is only as good as our view of Christ. If we repeatedly fail to cultivate the habit of prayer we don’t need tips, pointers, posters, coasters and coffee mugs, we need to search deeply into what we really believe about the resurrected Messiah.

Let’s not over-complicate the subject. Prayer is the privilege of the people of God. It must be a part of our gathering. In one sense prayer is private: "But when you you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:6). In another sense its deeply congregational: "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers" (Acts 1:14). "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Why was the early church so jazzed about prayer? Because they were jazzed about Jesus. They were jazzed about Jesus because He was alive from the dead.

Why pray?

1. Prayer is required.

2. Prayer is relational.

3. Prayer is refining.

How to Pray?

1. Pray the Bible.

2. Disciple’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4)

3. Look for good examples.

Our prayer life is only as good as our view of Christ. If we repeatedly fail to cultivate the habit of prayer we don’t need tips, pointers, posters, coasters and coffee mugs, we need to search deeply into what we really believe about the resurrected Messiah.

When we gather, we not only hear from God, we hear from one another. Why do we often think we can regularly miss out on the teaching and encouragement of other Christians and still be prepared for everything life throws at us? There is God-ordained value in coming together as a church body regularly that we shouldn’t want to miss out on, because it guards our souls from frustration and despair.

When we gather and hear from one another, we shouldn’t hear anything that God hasn’t already revealed to His people in His Word. God’s people can only do good in this world through the Spirit by the indwelling Word.

God has always created & sustained His people by His Word. His words are the ones to be concerned with and not our own, so this is why we preach when the church gathers. We want to hear from God. We want to hear from God Himself, but not just hear – we want to be changed. The hopeful and expectant result of the preaching in our church is changed lives.

Why Do We Preach?

- We preach so that sinners might hear the Gospel and believe: Romans 10:14-17

- We preach so that the body would be built up: Ephesians 4:11-16

The church listens to the preaching of the Gospel when it gathers because it is the primary means by which sinners are saved and by which the church is built.