Once Upon a Time | Week 1

A Man Named Abram [Chad Simpkins]

Genesis 11:27-31

Genesis 12:1-3 - The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 Promises to Abraham:

1. Make You a Great Nation

2. Your Name Will be Great

3. You'll Be a Blessing and a Curse to People

4. Everyone Will Be Blessed Through You

Genesis 11:30 - But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

Genesis 12:4 - So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

For more information, visit:

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Ever Wonder Why? | Week 4

Why Would God Love Me? [Daniel Roach]

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Greek: poiēma "work of art"

Your Value is Found In:

1. Who Made You

Psalm 139

2. The Uniqueness of You

The Lost Sheep: Luke 15:1-7

“The One That Jesus Loves”

3. The Price Paid For You

1 John 4:8-10 - …God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

For more information, visit:

https://linktr.ee/thejourneynova

Ever Wonder Why? | Week 3

Why Didn't God Answer My Prayer? [Ryan McGhee]

John 14:13-14

INSIDE:

1. Motives are Wrong (James 4:3)

2. Mistrust in God / Misplaced Belief in Your Own Ability (James 1:6; Mark 9:22-24)

3. Manner of Living is Against God

OUTSIDE:

4. Messed-Up Relationships (Mark 11:24-25; Matthew 5:23-24)

UP:

5. Lack of Maturity (Proverbs 30:8-9)

6. God Has More (Mystery) (Isaiah 55:8-13)

Application:

Examine Your Heart and Your Relationships

Pray Psalm 139:23-24

Have Confidence in the Character of God

Pray Isaiah 55:8-13

For more information, visit:

https://linktr.ee/thejourneynova

Ever Wonder Why? | Week 2

Why Is There a Hell? [Daniel Roach]

5 Keys About Hell

1 - God’s Desire: All Saved

2 Peter 3:9

2 - Our Reality: Not All Will Be Saved

Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Matthew 7:13-14; Hebrews 2:14-15

3 - Hell’s Purpose: Punish Evil

-OT - Sheol “Realm of the Dead”

-NT - Hades & Gehenna

-Hebrew “gehinnom” —> Valley of Hinnom

-Molech & Child Sacrifices [2 Chronicles 28:1-3 - King Ahaz & 2 Chronicles 33:1-2; 33:6 - King Manasseh]

-Hell = Total Separation from God

-2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man and Lazarus

Takeaways:

-The rich man believed his suffering to be just.

-It prompted a response.

4 - Our Response: Prepare & Labor

Matthew 25:

-Lamps: Prepare

-Bags of Gold/Talents: Do Work

-Sheep & Goats: Serve the Poor

Faith (Fidelity) = Loyalty & Commitment

Ephesians 2:1-10

Next Steps:

1. Bible Plan - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/1290/together/51091513/invitation?token=0t8V9DgNWAXqWiXBo5GpxA&source=share

2. Serve in Journey Kids - https://thejourneynova.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/328/responses/new

3. Get Baptized on May 22 - https://thejourneynova.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/65/responses/new

Ever Wonder Why? | Week 1

Why Did God Let It Happen? [Daniel Roach]

The Paradox of Epicurus

If God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able to, then He is not omnipotent;

If He is able, but not willing, then He is malevolent;

If He is both able and willing, then why is there such a thing as evil;

...and if He is neither able nor willing, then why call Him God at all?

Psalm 73:1-14

Free-Will

“To prevent all evil, you must remove all freedom and reduce people to puppets, which means they would then lack the ability to freely chose love.”

-Lee Strobel in The Case for Faith

ASK: Where is God?

-Psalm 34:17-18

-Psalm 73:23-28

•Action Step: Be Near for Someone’s Struggle

REMEMBER: God Loves

-John 3:16-17

•Action Step: Remind Someone of God’s Love

KNOW: Something Better Is Coming

-Revelation 21:1-5

•Action Step: Get Baptized

"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross… In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured, figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering." - John Stott

Visit https://linktr.ee/thejourneynova for more information.

Bad Boys of Easter | Week 6

The Thief [Chad Simpkins]

Luke 23:32-42

What moments in your life would you like a second chance with?

Luke 23:43 - And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Bad Boys of Easter | Week 5

Judas [Daniel Roach]

Judas Carries Epic Expectations

Judas Reveals His Financial Motivations

-Matthew 26:6-9 & John 12:4-6

Judas Reveals His Political Motivations

-Matthew 26:10-13

Judas Resorts to Bargaining

-Matthew 26:14-16 & John 13:18-30

Judas and His Remorse

-Matthew 27:1-5

Next Steps:

1. Get Baptized

2. Get Help [Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255]

3. Breath Prayer: "Lord Jesus, Have Mercy"

Link: https://curateministries.org/curateblog/2020/4/3/breath-prayer-for-when-you-dont-have-many-words

Bad Boys of Easter | Week 4

Barabbas [Chad Simpkins]

Luke 23:13-25

Mark 15:6-8

Barabbas Was Guilty

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Barabbas Was Condemned

Barabbas Was Freed

Substitutionary Atonement

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let go of your guilt

"Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving." -Erma Bombeck, Comedian

Safe Harbor Counseling - [email protected]

Let Jesus free you!

Bad Boys of Easter | Week 3

Pilate [Daniel Roach]

https://linktr.ee/thejourneynova

Story #1 - Set the Tone

Story #2 - Get Stuff Done

“By nature rigid and stubbornly harsh.” “Of spiteful disposition and an exceeding wrathful man” -Philo, Jewish philosopher

Poor Decisions of Pilate:

1. Goes Against His Gut [Luke 23:1-4]

2. Passes The Buck [Luke 23:5-7]

3. Ignores Trusted Advisors [Matthew 27:19]

4. Attempts to Appease [Luke 23:13-17]

5. Bargains for the Approval of Others [Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:23-24]

6. Washes Hands of All Responsibility [Matthew 27:24-25]

Deuteronomy 21:7-8

Who is Jesus? What are we to believe about him?

“Lunatic, Liar, or Lord" - CS Lewis

Action Steps:

-Baptism

-Join Our Bible Plan

-Join a Life Group

What if Jesus truly is who he says he is?

What will I do about it?

Bad Boys of Easter | Week 2

Herod [Chad Simpkins]

Luke 23

What are my expectations of Jesus?

We expect Jesus to fulfill all of our requests.

We expect Jesus to entertain us.

"Jesus does not always meet our expectations, does not always give what we ask for or what we think we need. When he doesn’t, we feel let down, deflated, disappointed, or we surf to another channel on the TV, or we try out another church that will, hopefully, give us what we ask for." -Eugene Peterson, Author/Pastor

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Next Steps:

-What are my expectations of Jesus?

-Make Jesus King