[Matthew 5:21-22] “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not ______________. If you commit ______________, you are subject to ______________.’ [22] But I say, if you are even ______________ with someone, you are subject to ______________! If you call someone an ______________, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

[Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 NIV] The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: [2] "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." [3] What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

Don't spend your life pursuing things that have no ______________ ______________ or significance.

[Ecclesiastes 1:8-11] Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. [9] History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. [10] Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. [11] We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

We are all ______________ something.

[Ecclesiastes 1:14] I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless--like chasing the wind.

Chasing ________________ is like running after the wind.

We need to _______________ our lives into things that _______________.

[James 1:17] Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

Life is _____________________ without God.

The world doesn't offer real ____________________.

[Philippians 3:8] Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

You are the __________ of the earth and the __________ of the world!

We aren't made to do life ______________.

[Psalm 92:12-15 CSB] The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. [13] Planted in the house of the LORD, they thrive in the courts of our God. [14] They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, [15] to declare, "The LORD is just; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."

We don't just _______ to church, we _________ the church.

[Exodus 17:8-13] While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. [9] Moses commanded Joshua, "Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand." [10] So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. [11] As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. [12] Moses' arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. [13] As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

Everyone should have a ______________ and a ______________________.

[Hebrews 10:24-25] Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. [25] And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

If you aren't ___________________ others, then you're doing it wrong.

[1 John 4:11-12] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. [12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

The closer we get to ______________, the more we need to love ______________.

[Ecclesiastes 4:12] A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Together we can accomplish _____________ ____________ for God's Kingdom.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV) Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:

[Matthew 20:25-28] But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. [26] But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. [28] For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Serving people is a _________________ way of showing _________________.

Pride says to serve ____________; while humility says to serve _________________.

[Matthew 25:34-40] "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. [36] I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' [37] "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? [39] When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' [40] "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

Serving people really _________________ to God.

[James 2:17-18] So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. [18] Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."

A _________________ faith is one that _________________ others.

We will always find ___________________ in serving others.

[Ephesians 6:7-8] Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, [8] because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

God created us to _________________.

[Ephesians 2:10] For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Genesis 13:8-13 Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! 9 The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” 10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. 12 So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. 13 But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

Lot wanted to see how much he could get __________ __________.

- ___________ near Sodom.

Genesis 14:12 They also captured Lot—Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned.

- ___________ into Sodom.

Sometimes we make a bad decision and it ends up holding us ____________________.

2 Peter 2:8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

Genesis 19:1-11 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” 3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.” 9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

- ___________ of Sodom.

One small compromise leads to ________________ one.

Lot thought he could change Sodom but in the end Sodom ___________________ him.

You know you are desensitized when you start turning warning signs into ____________________.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

Are you letting your life be gradually _______________ away?

[Romans 10:12] Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.

Generosity isn't just an act of _________________; it's an act of _________________.

[1 Timothy 6:17-19] Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. [18] Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. [19] By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Giving is not a _________________.

What defines a generous person is that they've _______________ generosity.

[2 Corinthians 9:6-10] Remember this--a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. [7] You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." [8] And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. [9] As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever." [10] For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

If you are sowing _________________ everyday the _________________ will come.

[Proverbs 11:24-25] Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. [25] The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

If you want to be like _________________ we need to live a _________________ life.

[Ephesians 4:28] If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

God wants to move us from being _________________ to being _________________.

Generosity _________________ God's blessings.

[Luke 6:38] Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back."

Jonah 1:1-4 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. 4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

We serve a God that _____________.

1. God will speak to you, but He may tell you to do something you _____________ want to do.

Jonah didn't think the Ninevites deserved God's __________.

We don't obey God because we think we _________ better than Him.

2. Whenever God speak you can always find a boat sailing in the ___________ direction.

Jonah was running from what God ____________ him to do.

When you're avoiding God He will create a storm with your ________ on it!

Jonah 1:15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!

3. Disobeying God will ___________ bring consequences.

It is better to work _________ God than to try and go ____________ him.

Jonah 3:1-3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” 3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.

God will often withhold punishment when we _____________.

Jonah 4:1-3 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The same God that provided __________ also provided the _______!

Jonah 4:8-10 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed. 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Bible is a collection of ________ books by over ________ authors ________ year span.

Is God's word a ________________________ in your life?
 

___________________ God's Word.

[Psalm 119:105] Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

You can't ________________________ as a follower of Jesus without being in Scripture.

God ________________________ to us primarily through the Bible.

[Hebrews 5:12] You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

Nothing takes the place of ________________________ reading the Bible.

[Job 23:12] I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.

___________________ on God's Word.

[Joshua 1:8] Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

God defines ____________________ differently than we do.

[Psalm 119:15-16] I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. [16] I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.

___________________ to God's Word.

Knowing God's Word and not applying it is ________________________.

[Matthew 7:24, 26]  "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. [26] But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.