Thrive.Church Weekly Message

[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.

2 Kings 18:1-7 Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. 4 He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. 6 He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute.

Before God's blessing comes __________________.

2 Kings 20:1-2 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.”

Turn your back on your _____________ and turn your face to the ________.

Hezekiah's Prayer __________________ the heart of God.

2 Kings 20:13 Hezekiah received the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

God had blessed him but he took __________________ for it.

2 Chronicles 32:25 But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.

Hezekiah lost God's favor due to __________________.

Proverbs 16:5 The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

tow`ebah: a __________________ thing, abomination.

Pride is the most __________________ sin.

Pride is anything that draws attention to _______.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

To acknowledge that our pride is sin requires an act of ____________

Obadiah 1:3a The pride of your heart has deceived you...

Pride is so dangerous because pride can ______________.

Worship is what __________________ our spiritual life.

[John 4:23-24] But the time is coming--indeed it's here now--when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. [24] For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

We need a __________________ of worship not just an __________________ of worship.

[Romans 12:1 NIV] Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.

We worship God by __________________ our lives to Him.

[Hebrews 13:15] Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.

We can __________________ God in the __________________.

__________________ blocks effective worship.

[Matthew 14:28-33] Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." [29] "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. [30] But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. [31] Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" [32] When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. [33] Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.

Choose __________________ instead of __________________.

We can __________________ even when are walking through __________________.

[Habakkuk 3:17-18] Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, [18] yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

He had wealth and wisdom but found it all to be ________________.

Three Things that Contributed to Solomon's Downfall.

1. Solomon craved ________________.

Deuteronomy 17:16-17 “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ 17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

1 Kings 10:28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.

1 Kings 10:14-15; 21 Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. 15 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land. 21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!

2. Solomon ________________ after many women.

1 Kings 11:1-3 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 2 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

3. Solomon ________________ foreign gods.

1 Kings 11:4-9 In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. 5 Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. 7 On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. 9 The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

Solomon overlooked the fact that disobedience to God brings ________________ consequences.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

The world is full of people who are making a ________________ living but living ________________ lives.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

Important we stay ________________ in God's Word.

[Matthew 6:33 NIV] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When you put God ______________ He will help you with ___________________ else.

[Revelation 2:1-5 NIV] "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. [2] I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. [4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. [5] Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

You can ______________ God and still ______________ put Him first.

[Matthew 10:37-38] "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. [38] If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Your day-to-day choices will ______________ your ______________ priorities.

Everything else falls into place when God is the first ______________.

Our ______________ may be keeping us from what is important.

[Ecclesiastes 12:1] Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore."

Put God as a priority before you get ______________.

God wants to be a priority in your __________________ life!

[Mark 1:35] Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

JOY:

______________

______________

______________

Judges 13:5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.

Samson was an incredibly _________ man with an incredibly _______ will.

The 3 Attitudes that Make Strong Men WEAK.

1. ____________. I ____________ it.

Judges 14:1-3 One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. 2 When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.” 3 His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.”

2. ____________. I can ____________ it.

Judges 14:14-17 So he said: “Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet.” Three days later they were still trying to figure it out. 15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father’s house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?”16 So Samson’s wife came to him in tears and said, “You don’t love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even given the answer to my father or mother,” he replied. “Why should I tell you?” 17 So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men. 18 So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson replied, “If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle!”

3. ____________. I've been ____________.

Judges 15:16 (NIV) Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men."

Judges 16:15-17 Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” 16 She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. 17 Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.”

Judges 16:20-21 Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him. 21 So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.

Samson didn't ruin his life all at _________, he did it one _______ at a time.

Judges 16:22 But before long, his hair began to grow back.

Our ___________ loves to make strong men weak but our _______ loves to make weak men strong.

Judges 16:28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”