Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Acts 13:36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. The greatest tragedy in […]

PROBLEM “Last week, I was reading my Bible and praying. But just five minutes after I finished, I found myself yelling at my husband and kids. What’s wrong with me?”. I’ve tried following biblical principles to improve my marriage, but we feel closer to a divorce than to each other.  I’m afraid to tell my Christian friends I’ve fallen into an overwhelming sense of depression. They’ll just tell me I need to trust God more. For years I’d been taught […]

Salvation has a 4,000 year history What do people think church is for? What is a Christian? Pray to Jesus and go to heaven In the image of God – Balloons Tree of decision Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. Battle […]

PROBLEM All of us can choose to forgive or not.  If you were hurt you can choose to forgive everyone or no one. You can choose if you’ll be a victim or a victor. There is a story of a father and 3 siblings.  They resented their father for being so indifferent to them. One day as the father was dying he told the son that he gave his children a better life than he had.  His father would punish […]

Problem What if our individual sins are not really the problem? What if the real problem for us is how others see us, whether they think we are good or bad? What is our response? How can I do better?  (recent examples) Bible – Adam and Eve  From the start they were perfectly loved by God and perfectly loved each other.  They could look at each other in the face. Then – “You will be like God”  You can do […]

Luke 17:1, 3-5 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come… 3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that […] The post Faith To Forgive first appeared on The Point (church).

PROBLEM – forgiveness fixes brokenness We don’t like conflict, and yet we have so much of it.  Forgiveness is an emotionally charged topic, especially when we’ve been deeply wounded. We sinful people who will regularly hurt and be hurt by other sinful people. Victim+izer Too many people dread learning about forgiveness. They fear they will learn what they ought to do and that what they ought to do will make them miserable. GOD – repeat offenders Only God’s Word helps […] The post Forgiveness Gives Life first appeared on The Point (church).

PROBLEM Prayer as a wedge into our busy schedules vs the life we are already living Prayer is about how God welcomes us into what He is doing and how we welcome God into what we are doing. Our response to life: You can pray Illustration: Billy “Graham started praying when he got up this morning, he prayed while eating breakfast, he prayed on the way over here in the car they sent for us, and he’ll probably be praying […] The post Working Prayer first appeared on The Point (church).

PROBLEM It just feels like we can’t find the joy in things, like we are too aware to trust or hope. Everyone has an angle. Unlike our parents , we never believed in anything. Our defining characteristic is cynicism. But that’s a double – edged sword. It protects you from crushing disappointment, but it paralyzes you from doing anything. David Goliath. Answer to prayer I think it would have happened anyways. Pastor Mary. Paul in prison. You cannot go on […] The post Pray Like A Child first appeared on The Point (church).

PROBLEM Powerful and effective prayer is how God extends His kingdom, it’s how he defeats Satan and his empire of darkness and evil, and it’s how God brings His good will on earth. It is God’s means of covering the earth with His blessings. F.B. Meyer –  “The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” In 1952, Albert Einstein at Princeton, What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?  Find out about prayer. […] The post Powerful and Effective Prayer first appeared on The Point (church).