Sunday Sermons

Wounded and Weary - Week #2

Bad Decisions

2 Samuel 24:18-25

Week #1

• Two types of scars: those we give ourselves and those we get from others.

• Healing begins in the House of God with the help of others.

Today

• A bad decision does not have to be the definition of your life.

• There are always consequences for sin

David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”2 Samuel 24:14

On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 2 Samuel 24:18-19

• If you’re in Christ, God will not bring up your past

• In Jesus, you can step out of the prison of your past and into the potential of your future in Jesus

When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to theLord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 2 Samuel 24:20-23

• The biggest temptation for a follower of Jesus is to do what is easy rather than what is right.

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to theLordmy God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 2 Samuel 24:24

• The people that God uses the most are the ones who hang on to the least.

Then Solomon began to build the temple of theLordin Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunahthe Jebusite, the place provided by David.2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. 2 Chronicles 3:1-2

Scars

Genesis 25, 27, 28, 29

2 TYPES OF SCARS:

1. The kind we give ourselves

2. The kind we get from others
 

2 OPTIONS IN REGARDS TO OUR SCARS:

1. We can let our scars tell our story

2. We can allow our healing to tell our story

The Savior can take away our scars if we will simply give our scars to our Savior. 
 

Healing begins in the house of God with the help of others.

This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aramand sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 

26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Genesis 25:19-28

The Bible is not a book about how awesome people are. The Bible is a book about how awesome God is. 

Our pain often leads to pretending. 

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” 5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” 11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. 18 He went to his father and said, “My father.” “Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?” Genesis 27:1-18

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41

Pretending always leads to conflict
 

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. Genesis 28:10-11
 

Jacob is a grabber, a deceiver and a pretender

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”Genesis 28:12-22

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Harran,” they replied.5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered. 6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?” “Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” Genesis 29:1-6

4 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF TODAY:

1. Are there any scars in your life that need healing? 

2. Are you tired of pretending?

3. Would you like to receive God’s grace instead of trying to earn it? 
 

4. Do you feel like you’re all alone and need to talk?

Rooted - Week 7
Misconceptions
Acts 16:6-30

Four Misconceptions about Christianity:  

1. Following Jesus will always be easy

• Following Jesus is always the right thing to do; it's not always the easy thing to do

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7  When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8  So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9  During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10  After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. -Acts 16:6-10

2. Resistance is always from the Devil

• Often times, God’s “no” is redirection, not rejection

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12  From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.13  On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14  One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15  When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Acts 16:11-15

3. The middle of God’s will is the safest place you can be

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. -Acts 16:16-24

4. Because I am wounded, I am worthless

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. -Acts 16:25

• Paul was so confident in his calling that he refused to let the criticism crush the calling out of his life
• People that walk around as victims never walk in victory 

26  Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27  The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28  But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30  He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” -Acts 16:26-30

Easter 2026
The Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his follower at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. -1 Corinthians 15:1-9
 

But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. -1 Corinthians 15:12-14
 

3 REASONS WE CAN BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS ALIVE:

1. Jesus said it would happen
 

After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. 23 He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief. -Matthew 17:22-23
 

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Manwill be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” -Matthew 20:17-19
 

• 2 cornerstones of Christianity are: Jesus is God, and Jesus came back to life.

2. The Resurrection cannot be reasoned away
 

4 FALSE THEORIES AGAINST THE RESURRECTION:

a. The Disciples “Stole the Body” Theory

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. -John 20:19

So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” -Acts 4:18-20
 

b. The “Roman or Jewish Officials Stole the Body” Theory

c. The “Wrong Tomb” Theory

d. The “Jesus didn’t Die” Theory

3. The resurrection = changed lives

They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. -Acts 1:14

WHAT DOES “JESUS IS ALIVE” MEAN FOR US TODAY?

1. In Christ I can have hope

2. In Christ I can have a new beginning

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2  saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”  Matthew 21:1-3

1.  True success in life is the result of continual and complete surrender to Jesus

4  This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5  “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”  Matthew 21:4-5

2.  God’s word is true and can be fully trusted.

23 The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.” -Deuteronomy 31:23

3.  When we work together, the movement of God is undeniable.

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7  They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  Matthew 21:6-9

- Hosanna means: please save, or save now.

4.  Jesus always wants to save us from way more than we realize.

- God didn’t put us on the planet to make a point, He put us on the planet to make a difference.  

10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11

Rooted - March 22, 2026
Rooted in a Living Faith
Romans 10:8-13 (NASB 1995)

8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” -Romans 10:8-13

WHAT IS FAITH?

The only faith that justifies is "Fides viva" -a living faith. -Martin Luther

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. -Hebrews 11:1-2

1. A living faith has content.

2. A living faith has substance.

3. A living faith has application.

4. A living faith requires self-examination.

5. A living faith requires attention to it.

A. Information is not enough  

 "Information must lead to transformation" -Pastor Ryan

B. Knowledge is not enough to believe with our heads

 Heart change is required  

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. -Ezekiel 36:26-27  

“Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? -Jeremiah 23:29

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Sovereign grace in election is required

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” -John 6:37-40

HOW CAN I KNOW IF I'M SAVED?  

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
-Romans 10:9

The "_____________________" part, hinges on the "_______________" part, and the word "____________” implies the importance of the latter, in order to perform the former; otherwise it’s only lip service.

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” -Romans 10:10-11

"It isn't the 'profession' of faith that saves, its the 'possession' of faith that saves"- R. C. Sproul.

Rooted Week #3

Rooted in Forgiveness

Matthew 18:23-35

• One of the main problems in our relationships today is that forgiven people forget (and refuse) to forgive. 
   

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. John 2:9-11

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

• Forgiveness is not a onetime thing
  
  
   
• You and I as followers of Jesus Christ need to consistently have an attitude of forgiveness
  
   

1. The example of forgiveness has been set for us to follow.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. Matthew 18:23-27

2. The example Jesus set must be followed
 

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. Matthew 18:28
 

• We cannot be recipients of the love and the grace and mercy and forgiveness of God and not extend it to other people
   

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:29-35

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." Matthew 5:23-26

Rooted Week #2
Progress over Perfection
John 8:1-11

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. John 8:1-3

• Religion discriminates against the people that aren't doing what the religious claim to be doing

• Religion is selective
   
• If we're not careful we'll slide into selecting certain sins we are against, certain sins that we hide, and certain sins that we champion

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. John 8:4-6

• Religion always demands an answer

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:7-11

• Until you understand you need Amazing Grace, you will never see it as Amazing Grace 

3 things we will celebrate at Central:

1. We will celebrate you more than a stance

• “Jesus liked people that were nothing like him and people that were nothing like him liked him.” -Andy Stanley

2. We will celebrate safety over shame

• Shame has silenced more people and set them on the sideline more than just about anything else in the world

3. We will celebrate progress over perfection

• Jesus changes condemnation into celebration

The Best is Yet to Come - Week #7

Get Focused

Luke 13:10-17

1.   Our focus has to be up.  

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,  11  and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  12  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her,  “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”  13  Then he put his hands on her,  and immediately she straightened up and praised God.  Luke 13:10-13

* Religion is when we make much of us, Christianity is when we make much of Jesus.

2  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes  in me will do the works I have been doing,  and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  13  And I will do whatever you ask  in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  John 14:12-13

* Jesus did not die on the cross so you can live an average, ordinary, normal life.  

2.    We have to focus on giving some things up

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,  the synagogue leader  said to the people, “There are six days for work.  So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”  15  The Lord answered him,  “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?  16  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,  whom Satan  has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” Luke 13:14-16

WE NEED TO GIVE UP 2 THINGS:

a. Our Comfort

* God did not call the church to be safe; he called the church to be dangerous.  

After saying this, he spit  on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.  7  “Go,”  he told him,  “wash in the Pool of Siloam”  (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.  John 9:6-7

b. Our Conditions  

* We cannot place conditions on God

* When we place conditions on God as a church, we begin to do ministry without Jesus.  

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits  tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus  whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”  14  Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.  15  One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”  16  Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.  Acts 19:13-16

When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,  but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. Luke 13:17

The Best is Yet to Come Week #6

Fully Devoted
Acts 2:42-45

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.43  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.   Acts 2:42-45   

We are called to be fully devoted to Jesus.   

A 99% commitment to Jesus is 1% too short. 

Can you say today that you are you are fully devoted to Jesus or is there a secret section of your life that nobody knows about? 

Secrecy will eventually lead to destruction

But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2  He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.3  Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4  The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”5  As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6  Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.7  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8  Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”9  And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”10  Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11  Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.   Acts 5:1-11

Ananias and Sapphira tried to justify their secret lives by doing 3 things:

1. They tried to justify it through involvement

2. They tried to justify it by comparing themselves to others 

3. They deceived themselves. 

Some of us do these same things! And, when we do, there are 3 things we tell ourselves:  

1. It’s my life 

2. It’s my sin and it affects me and no one else 

3. God is a holy, loving and merciful God who will just get over it. 

Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. 25  Though their speech is charming,  do not believe them,  for seven abominations fill their hearts. 26  Their malice may be concealed by deception,  but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Proverbs 26:24-26 

7  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8 

How do we turn from the secret life and be truly devoted? 

1. Confession 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins  and purify us from all unrighteousness   1 John 1:9 

Confession is agreeing with God that we’re wrong and that we don’t want to live this way anymore. 

2. Repentance 

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s 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. John 15:13-15  

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered. John 21:1-5