Sermon Overview:

One of the few certainties in our lives is moral and spiritual failure, but we resist this out of a false sense of our own strength and righteousness. Most Christians don't know how much failure they are capable of. Jesus is working patiently with broken tools to build His kingdom. A true knowledge of ourselves and Him protects us from self-aggrandizement, as well as, despair. Jesus knows us and is making Himself known, showing us a way through failure to victory.

Sermon Outline:

1) Peter does't understand himself

2) Peter doesn't understand Jesus

3) But Jesus understands Peter and is leading Peter to maturity

Reading: John 21:4-19

Sermon Overview:

God speaks to us through our circumstances, but we often misunderstand what he saying in our circumstances because he often works contrary to them.

Sermon Outline:

1) God could be saying that we need to repent of our sins.

2) God could be saying that we need wait on him because he is going to do something great.

3) God could be saying that we need to go in a different direction.

4) God could be saying that we need to depart from the situation.

Ascent Text:

Psalm 98:4-9

Scripture Reading:

Exodus 14:10-18

Sermon Overview:

Jesus commands us to do what is impossible for us to do by ourselves in order to draw us into deeper dependence and fellowship with Him.

Sermon Outline:

1) Seek first the will of the Lord

2) God commands us to do the impossible

3) We can do the impossible as long as we keep our attention on Jesus

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon Text: Matthew 14:28-33

Sermon Overview:

During our time of prayer, the Spirit of truth will often guide us into truth, and bring to mind the truth as we need it. But there are also times in our prayer when the Spirit will remain quiet for various reasons.

Sermon Outline:

1) As we pray the Spirit guides us into truth

2) As we pray the Spirit brings to mind the truth

3) As we pray the Spirit might be silent at times

Ascension Text:

Psalm 96:1-4

Scripture Reading:

John 14:16-26

Sermon Overview:

God is present with us, by the Holy Spirit, and speaks to our spirit, through the Word.

Sermon Outline:

1) Before we can hear God we have to have a relationship with God

2) God almost never speaks directly, but indirectly, through means

3) When God speaks, it might come in through your ears and eyes, but he always speaks to your spirit

Ascent Text:

Psalm 92:1-4

Scripture Reading:

John 15: 26-27, 16:4-15

Sermon Overview:

God reveals his work to us in various ways that are both plain and clear. However, if we want to see his work on a more daily basis, we need to prayerfully go through life recognizing his work, and we have to be careful we are not following our flesh and then saying it was him.

Sermon Outline:

1) God reveals his work through things people ask and say

2) God reveals his work through open and closed doors

3) God might be silent with you because God is working on you

Ascent text:

Psalm 95:1-3

Scripture Reading:

Acts 16:6-15

Sermon Overview:

When we seek the Lord and wait on him to reveal his will for us in ministry, God will reveal where He is at work and call us to participate in that work, when he knows we are ready.

Sermon Outline:

1) God’s plans, not ours

2) What God has revealed and what he has not

3) God reveals his work in ways that are plain and clear

Ascent Text:

Psalm 105:1-4

Scripture Reading:

2 Chronicles 15:1-15

Sermon Overview:

The degree to which we understand the love of God toward us, will be the degree to which we love God and love others. It will also be the degree to which God reveals his activity around us and uses us in ministry. So if our love for God and our being used by God is lacking, it is because our understanding of God’s love for us is lacking.

Sermon Outline:

1) God is love

2) God loves the unlovely

Ascent Scripture:

Psalm 100:1-5

Scripture Reading:

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon Overview:

The first reality that we have to become aware of in knowing and doing the will of God is that God is at work around us, and will reveal it to us, so we can join him. And once we begin to recognize his activity around us, we will begin to see him work through us in wonderful ways.

Sermon Outline:

1) The Father was at work, and Jesus followed

2) Jesus is at work, and we are to follow

3) Recognize where God is at work

4) The Spirit will be at work to equip us for the task

Scripture Reading:

John 14:19-27

Sermon Overview:

When God works in our lives and we walk with him, these seven basic realities are worked out continually in our lives.

Sermon Outline:

1) God is always at work around you

2) God pursues a relationship with you

3) God reveals his work to you

4) God speaks to you

5) God will lead you to a crisis of faith

6) God will require you make adjustments

7) God will be experienced as you obey him see him work

Scripture Reading:

Judges 6:11-24