Storyside Church

Luke 2:1 — And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

Luke 2:7 — And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7 — And she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters. 

Have you ever been too busy for God? 

Have you ever had no space for the Savior? 

Micah 5:2 — “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Rejection 

How do I handle rejection? 

Why? 

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” 

— Charles R. Swindoll

Thank God for the miracle in the manger. 

Luke 2

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Mathew 1

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Story: An account of incidents or events. 

Luke 1 

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Matthew 1

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias…

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Sin 

Separation 

Son 

Sacrifice 

Salvation 

Ephesians 2:8 — For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Romans 5:8 — But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Acts 4:12 — And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10:9 — Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:17 — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Spirit 

John 14:17 — The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.

Romans 8:11 — If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you. 

Sin

Separation

Son

Sacrifice 

Salvation 

Spirit

You may think you can live fine without Christ, but you cannot afford to die without Him. 

— Charles Spurgeon

Ephesians 4:15 — But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ…


Ephesians 6

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.




The Adversary


The Agenda


Satan has a strategy.


Ephesians 4:27 — Neither give place to the devil.


What are the wiles in your life right now?


Where is the place that the devil is positioning himself?


Stand


Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.
— Billy Graham


1 John 4:4 — Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Hebrews 2:1 — Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.



We Preach Christ Crucified

We Preach Christ

We Preach

We



Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints…



Acts 19

1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.



Ephesians 3

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.



Ephesians 4

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.



Ephesians 5

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.



Ephesians 6

23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.



Dei Sub Numine Viget


Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae


Time can take a toll.



Revelation 2

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.



Ephesians 2

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 5:14 — Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.


Jesus came to give us life.





Ephesians 2

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world…



God gave us a pathway to make peace with our past.



Ephesians 2:11 — Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past…



Ephesians 2

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God…


Ephesians 5:8 — For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light…



Now



Ephesians 2:16 — And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross…



Thank God for the cross!



I am blessed.

Mark 12

29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

31 The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two.”



53% of adults feel their self-esteem is worse since the pandemic.


85% of people are affected by low self-esteem in the world today.
— Dr. Joe Rubino


60% of people wished they had more respect for themselves.
— Self Love Index Studies


1 in 5 women feels confident in their appearance.


Issues with body image can cause men to suffer from depression, anxiety, social isolation and low self esteem.
— Bradley University


Research shows Instagram to be the most damaging social media platform for self-esteem.
— RSPH


Nearly eight out of ten women expressed trouble with their self-esteem.
— The WealthiHer Network


94% of teen girls in the US have been shamed for their body size.
— Yahoo Health


Male cosmetic surgery has increased approximately 325%.


72% of girls feel excessive pressure to be attractive.
— Dove’s Self Esteem Project


Studies show that social media can cause low self esteem and negative thinking.
— Digital Information World


By age 13, 53% of American girls are unhappy with their bodies.
— National Institute on Media and Family


4 in 5 men would not describe themselves as attractive.
— GH Study


Low self-esteem is linked to violence, school dropout rates, teenage pregnancy, suicide, and low academic achievement.
— Misetich & Delis-Abrams


Absent fathers, poverty, and a low-quality home environment have a negative impact on self-esteem.
— Orth, 2018


Rates of anxiety and depression have increased 70% in the past 25 years.
— Royal Society for Public Health, 2022


Studies have shown that social media has the power to be more addictive than alcohol or cigarettes.


Seven out of 10 young people report experiencing cyber-bullying through social media.
— Royal Society for Public Health, 2022


Young people who use social networking sites for more than two hours per day are more likely to report poor mental health, including psychological distress.
— Royal Society for Public Health, 2022


Low self-esteem has been associated with a number of psychological, physical, and social consequences that may influence successful adolescent development and the transition to adulthood, including depression, anxiety, suicide and disordered eating, violent behavior, earlier initiation of sexual activity, and substance use.
— Auden C. McClure, MD
— Susanne E. Tanski, MD
— James D. Sargent, MD



50% of men surveyed said they don’t believe they are intelligent.
— GH Study


55% of men don’t think they are liked by others.
— GH Study


The average child hears 432 negative statements per day, but only 32 positive statements each day.
— University of Iowa


80 percent of children entering the first grade scored high on the self-esteem inventory. By the fifth grade only 20 percent of the children were scoring high. And by the time they graduated from high school that number was down to just 5 percent.
— Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul



Hebrews 10:35 — So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.


Psalm 139:13-14
You formed the way I think and feel. You put me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that is!


Philippians 1:6 — I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again.


2 Timothy 1:7 — The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.


Philippians 4:13 — I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

“Can God fix a broken heart? If you give Him all of the pieces.” - Paul Harvey

John 3:16 NLT
John 15:13 NLT
John 8:5 NLT

Many people have difficulty distinguishing love from caretaking. When someone fails to rescue them from irresponsibility, they feel unloved. In reality, it is loving to allow someone the space to take responsibility for themselves, even if that means letting them fail. — Dr. Henry Cloud

Hebrews 12:6 NIV
Romans 8:1 NLT
Romans 8:28 NLT
Psalms 34:7 NLT
Hosea 1:2 NLT
Hosea 3:1 NLT

Do you love me?



Psalm 35:18 — I will give you thanks in the great assembly, I will give you praise among huge crowds of people.



Luke 14:25 — Large crowds were traveling with Jesus…



Matthew 8:1 — When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.



John 6:5 — Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him…



Matthew 4

24 News about Jesus spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.



Luke 5:15 — News about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases.



Matthew 13:2 — And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.



Acts 2:6 — A large crowd came together because they heard the noise. They were surprised because, as the apostles were speaking, everyone heard in their own language.



Revelation 7 — I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:
Salvation to our God on his Throne!
Salvation to the Lamb!




Who is in my crowd?



80,000



8,000 - 10,000



300 - 600



51,127



9,964



3,796



10,318



Do I care about my crowd?



Matthew 9

36 Whenever crowds came to Him, He had compassion for them because they were so deeply distraught, malaised, and heart-broken. They seemed to Him like lost sheep without a shepherd.

37 Jesus understood what an awesome task was before Him, so He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

38 Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His harvest field.”




Who were the people in Christ’s crowds?



Compassion



Jesus was able to see people’s lives through the lens of the cross.



Do I see the people or do I see the problems?



Do I see the problems or do I see the potential?



Do I have compassion for my crowd?



Can I see the crowd through the cross?



Am I willing to be part of the solution?




If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped around their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.
— Charles Spurgeon

John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commands.


Do my ACTIONS say that I love God?

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 1:6
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Does my HEART say that I love God?

Matthew 15:8
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Do my THOUGHTS say that I love God?

Do my PRAYERS say that I love God?

Matthew 5
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Does my GIVING say that I love God?

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

1 John 3:17
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?


Does my SERVING say that I love God?

Mark 10:43-45
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 22
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’


Do my ACTIONS say that I love God?
Does my HEART say that I love God?
Do my THOUGHTS say that I love God?
Do my PRAYERS say that I love God?
Does my GIVING say that I love God?
Does my SERVING say that I love God?

*(one slide only to recap all the questions, do not build on multiple)

What are the action steps that you want to take in your life?