Sunday Sermons

GLUTTONY is seeking pleasure at all costs. It turns natural hungers and needs into dangerous cravings. It makes us feel guilty for wanting things that aren't wrong—and powerless against persistent sinful desires. It turns good things designed to bless us and bring us closer to God and others into lonely, painful things that destroy us. It makes us addicts and hurts our witness.
We must break free from Gluttony and focus on Abstinence (control over our desires and needs) and Charity (providing for others as well as for ourselves). Abstinence destroys the invisible chains that bind us to idols and clears our heads to think and pray and act on other things. Charity meeds real needs and keeps our focus outward. Strategically combining theme heals and restores our hearts as much as gluttony destroys them.

Series: Spiritual Disciplines: Seven

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Gluttony is seeking pleasure at all costs. It turns good things designed to bless us and to bring us closer to God and others into lonely, painful things that destroy and isolate us. Gluttons are idolators and addicts, but lavish worship and generosity are good.
Romans 3:23-24, Matthew 23:24, Luke 7:34-50, Genesis 19, Ezekiel 16:48-49

Break free from Gluttony. The spiritual disciplines do not help us act religious; they connect us with the power that can make us godly. Each individual is accountable and able to trade any attitude, habit, or addiction for true freedom. 2Timothy 3:1-5,
Romans 14:12-13

Focus on Abstinence. “No ____ ” and “Not too much ____ ” are the clearest, most obvious choices abstinent people make, but true Abstinence is understanding and living out the natural and supernatural self-control God gives us. Romans 6:16,
1 Corinthians 6:12, 19-20; Philippians 3:18-21

Focus on Charity. We must use the gifts God gives us to share, to celebrate Him, and to build His kingdom. Indulgence can be a virtue if done in worship and love.
Romans 13:9-14, Matthew 25, John 10:10, Romans 8:1-6 & 12:1-2

Lord, I will…

Envy distorts reality and steals our joy. When we see blessings as needs and rights, we expect them—and justify whatever it takes to “get what we deserve.” When we evaluate God, life, others, and ourselves by these distorted standards, everything and everyone seem unfair and unjust. When we step in to do God's job for Him, it never works; in fact, it destroys everything and disconnects us from God. We become helpless victims, locked in the past.

Series: Spiritual Disciplines: Seven

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Envy distorts reality and steals our joy. When we see blessings as needs and rights, we expect and demand them. Rooted in pride and 100% selfish, human jealousy keeps us from enjoying life and fully trusting God. God's jealousy seeks to protect from things that kill, steal, or destroy—including our own envy! John 21 & 10:10; Proverbs 14:30 & 27:4; Mark 10:17-31, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:6-12

Break free from envy. The answer is not “awareness” but action. Use the spiritual disciplines to make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard or impossible!
James 3:13-16, 1 Peter 2:1

Focus on Kindness. Kindness cannot be practiced alone, but envy can—and usually is.
1 Corinthians 13

Focus on Hope. All true transformation requires replacing something. We must believe enough to make relentless, daily choices in the right direction—and this makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us. Galatians 5

Lord, I will…

**We appoligize for the poor audio quality, we had some technical difficulties. We should have the problem fixed by next week.

Pride is the rst and most fundamental sin; if we did not believe that we know better than God and act on that belief, we would never commit any other sins! Adam and Eve believed and acted on lies and deliberately disobeyed God; this is what made picking and eating fruit the original sin. Pride blinds us, leading us to misunderstand, judge, distort, and reject God's truths, actions, character, and commands.

Series: Spiritual Disciplines: Seven

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Pride is the first and most fundamental sin. If we did not believe that we know better than God and act on that belief, we would never commit any other sins! Pride makes us misunderstand, judge, distort, and reject God's truths, actions, and commands. Genesis 3, James 4:10, Luke 18:9-14

Break free from pride. We must intentionally choose God's thoughts, feelings, and choices over our own. We need help to identify, confess, and repent of our pride. Proverbs 11:2 & 16:8, Isaiah 2:17, Leviticus 26:18

Focus on humility. To think of others more than ourselves is to live out our true identity. We must invest every gift God gives us and work with each other to accomplish God's dreams for our lives. John 13:1-17, Philippians 2:1-11, Ephesians 5:1-2, 21 1 Peter 2:11-17, Colossians 3:12, James 3:13, 1 Peter 5:5

Focus on faith. Faith is trust-based action. Truly believing means you do something about what you believe in. This is the purpose of the spiritual disciplines. Hebrews 6:1,12, 10:38-39, and 11-12

Lord I will...

Description:

We must approach God humbly and expect to lose parts of ourselves as He transforms us. Remember: sparks y o when iron sharpens iron! A true friendship with God must include daily prayer—which includes making time to just be with Him, truly listening as well as talking and studying. We must allow Him to transform us; “this our spiritual act of worship.” Our greatest hope this side of heaven is Christ working in us and through us.

Series: Healthy Friendships: As Iron Sharpens Iron

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

God designs relationships that transform us. This was part of His original design. We were made in His image, male and female, and commanded to multiply and cultivate the earth together. Proverbs 27:17, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalm 25:14

Always approach God humbly. As long as they live, God teaches His friends about His faithfulness and character and about what He expects. John 15:14, James 4:40-10, Proverbs 3:31-32

Commit to daily time with God. All healthy relationships require time. MAKE time for God. Eternal life (truly knowing God) starts now for those who seek Him with all our hearts. Romans 12:2 & 5:1-11, Hebrews 11:23, John 17:3

Ask God what He wants you to give up next. Include God in the step-by-step details of this life-long, step-by-step process. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” discipleship plan, but God will definitely call each of us to sacrifice. 1 John 3:9, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:21-22, Galatians 5

Ask God what He wants to do through you. God blesses us so we can bless others. He expects us to use the gifts He gives us. He expects all of us to do the core things and each of us to do some specific things—and He wants to work with us as individuals and in groups. James 1:5, 2-2:14-24, & 3:13-18; Colossians 1:9-14 & 3:16,
Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-13

Lord, I will…

Encouragement isn't always comfortable—for either person. The best “worship responses” are actions. We should all engage with a variety of activities, people, personalities, and potential. Encouragement works way better than criticism.

Series: Healthy Friendships: As Iron Sharpens Iron

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Choose encouragement over comfort. Life-shaping, “iron sharpens iron” encouragement defined Barnabas and shaped his own life. Biblical encouragement helps others get where they need to go; it is not about helping them feel better. Acts 4:32-37, 9:26-31, 10-11, 13-15; Colossians 4:1

Take action: do what needs to be done. Barnabas split with Paul to help John Mark, Paul, and all of us. The friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus used action to prove what he was worth to them; they did their best and trusted Jesus to do the rest. Proverbs 27:17, Mark 2:1-12

Engage. Commit. Go ALL IN. Become a relentless encourager. It's worth it. 2 Timothy 4:11,
1 Peter 5:13

Stop criticizing and start encouraging. When you praise someone AND when you correct and teach them, always be HONEST and SPECIFIC. The clock is ticking; do whatever it takes. Proverbs 27:6,
Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Lord, I will…

Relationships must trump tasks. Healthy relationships require time—and quantity produces quality. Don't be “unequally yoked” in your most inner circles, but also don't let others' fears and opinions keep you from starting new transformational relationships. Always ask, “What's best for the kingdom?” not “What's best for me?”

Series: Healthy Friendships: As Iron Sharpens Iron

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Choose relationships over tasks. Jesus expected more from the “sinners and tax collectors” He befriended than the Jewish leaders did, but genuine love, purpose, and hope is an “easier yoke” than legalism. We see this kind of godly bravery and selfless, empowering love in Jonathan. Proverbs 27:17, 1 Samuel 13-14 & 17-18, Matthew 11:16-30

Choose the kingdom over yourself. Jesus laid down His life for us and expects us to do the same for Him and for each other. Like Jonathan, we must trust God's wisdom and always ask, “What's best for the kingdom?” not “what's best for me?” John 15:13-15,
1 Samuel 19-23

Choose integrity over reputation. Jesus said wisdom is proven by the results of our actions—even if they make us look bad in the moment. Like Jonathan, we must do the right thing, not the thing we think will make us look good. Luke 7:31-50, John 8:1-11,
2 Samuel 1, 4:4, 9, & 21:1-14, Galatians 6:10, Revelation 3:20

Lord, I will…

Healthy, transformational relationships focus on others' needs. We must relentlessly show love to others—even when they say they don't want our love. We must make time to communicate and learn with those we love. Each person should play their role rst (e.g., be the parent now, friend later), and we must constantly do our best to play our part well.

Series: Healthy Friendships:As Iron Sharpens Iron

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Focus on others' needs, not your own. Ruth is a Real Love Story about several healthy relationships; everyone gets changed for the better, along the way.
Proverbs 27:17, Ruth 1:1-15, John 13:1-17, 34-35, Galatians 5:13 & 6:10 Philippians 2:3-4

Love relentlessly—in word, deed, and prayer. Even others they say they don't want our love, we must keep loving and praying for them. They must answer to God for their choices, but no matter what they do, we are responsible for ours. Ruth 1:16-22
Mark 5:34, Luke 8:19-21, James 2:14-26, 1 John 2:3-11, 2 John 1:6

Make time to communicate. Create moments and spaces to really talk and really listen. Do this often. Make it a priority—and not just when something needs talked out. Ruth 2 Proverbs 15:1-5 & 31:8-9, Ephesians 4:14-15 & 6:4,9, Hebrews 10:23-25

Play your part well. Parents: be parents now so you have a chance of being their friends later. Lead them, disciple them, and teach them to trust Christ more than you. Ruth 3-4, 1 Timothy 5:3-8, Mark 7:5-13, 1 Peter 2:17, Ephesians 4:11-16
Proverbs 6:16-19 & 15:27

Lord, I will…

If living life expecting Christ's return were a tree, the roots would be an authentic hope, the trunk would everything He told us to do to prepare and all we do to remember and accomplish the mission He gave us. The branches would be every action we take in that direction, and the fruit would be the gospel reaching every nation and disciples being made in all of them—then Christ actually returning as promised.

Series: Authentic Faith: The Church

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Growing is the point. All the gathering, leading, worshiping, discipling, giving, and suffering is all about building and growing. Matthew 7:24-27, Genesis 1-2, Psalm 1:3

Healthy trees grow in several directions at once. We must grow deeper, stronger, closer to God, and closer to others. Colossians 2:7, Philippians 1:9, James 1:3-4

A Fixed Mindset… is rooted in the lie that we simply are what we are. It makes us value acceptance and affirmation more than anything else, reject whatever hints we might be wrong, and focus on ourselves. Psalm 90:12, Judges 16:22

A Growth Mindset… is rooted in the truth that we can and must grow. It makes us value achievement and persistence, reject being trapped, and focus on goals that are bigger than ourselves. Matthew 13:1-43, John 15

Nurture a healthy, growth-focused environment. When we do our best, God does the rest. Acts 2:41-47, 1 Corinthians 3:1-11, Luke 6:44, James 3:12
Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 3:14-16, Colossians 1:9-10

Lord, I will stop…

Lord, I will…

If growth were a tree, the roots would be a healthy, growth-inspired environment. The trunk would be strategies designed to reach more people and help people who already know Christ to connect more deeply with Him and with each other. The branches would be implementing those strategies, and the results would be tangible, ongoing growth.

Series: Authentic Faith: The Church

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Growing is the point. All the gathering, leading, worshiping, discipling, giving, and suffering is all about building and growing. Matthew 7:24-27, Genesis 1-2, Psalm 1:3

Healthy trees grow in several directions at once. We must grow deeper, stronger, closer to God, and closer to others. Colossians 2:7, Philippians 1:9, James 1:3-4

A Fixed Mindset… is rooted in the lie that we simply are what we are. It makes us value acceptance and affirmation more than anything else, reject whatever hints we might be wrong, and focus on ourselves. Psalm 90:12, Judges 16:22

A Growth Mindset…is rooted in the truth that we can and must grow. It makes us value achievement and persistence, reject being trapped, and focus on goals that are bigger than ourselves. Matthew 13:1-43, John 15

Nurture a healthy, growth-focused environment. When we do our best, God does the rest. Acts 2:41-47, 1 Corinthians 3:1-11, Luke 6:44, James 3:12,
Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 3:14-16, Colossians 1:9-10

Lord, I will stop…

Lord, I will…

If suffering were a tree, the roots would be sin—but the trunk is what salvation and transformation require in a fallen world. The branches are the disciplines we choose and the actions we take, and the fruit is actual salvation and transformation in ourselves and in all our relationships. We choose to reject the world, follow Jesus, and discipline ourselves or we suffer the inevitable consequences.

Series: Authentic Faith - The Church

Speaker: John Pryor

Notes:

Work (cause and effect) is a good thing.
The concept of “you reap what you sow” was part of God's original design, and remains more of a promise than a curse. Genesis 1-2, Proverbs 31:27, Galatians 6:7-9, Hebrews 12:10-11

Satan and sin are behind all true suffering.
In our fallen world, God allows suffering but limits and uses it. He also disciplines us—but He works for our good in all things. His armor does protect and empower us, but we are still at war! Genesis 3, Romans 1:21-32, Job 1, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 2:3-5

Choose to avoid Stockholm Syndrome.
Trials come from God, but temptations never do. He always provides a way out! Only the Good Shepherd is always good—even in dark valleys, and even when He uses His rod and staff. His love endures forever. Esther 8:6, 1 Corinthians 10:13, John 10:10, Psalm 23, 1 Chronicles 16:34

Choose to embrace the Stockdale Paradox.
Claim God's promises and confront your brutal reality strategically. Ask, “What must I do to stay sane and go home stronger, someday?” Keep on praying honestly and openly, listen for His voice, and never give up! Hebrews 12, James 1:2-4 & 5:11, 2 Timothy 1:7, Matthew 5:10, John 15 & 16:33, Job 2:13, 6:8-10, 7:1-2, 38:1 & 39;26, Isaiah 40:28-31

Lord, I will…