Thrive.Church Weekly Message

The world's problems are caused by __________, not by __________.

In our own power, we cannot be _____________ _________________.

[Isaiah 7:14] All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

God wants to be _____________ you.

[Matthew 1:18] This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

All religions are based on an _____________ to _____________ our way to God.

[Isaiah 41:10] Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

God has already done ___________________ needed for us to have a relationship with Him.

Instead of following _____________ we follow _____________.

[Zephaniah 3:17] For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

God’s ultimate gift is His __________________.

[Matthew 28:20b] And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

This is the last sermon from Thomaston Lanes.  Editors Note: This is a recovered sermon from a CD recording. Due to technical issues, I had to cut stuff. I did my best to keep the essense of Judah's message. So if you get the "Did I just miss something?" feeling, I'm sorry.

________________________________________________

If you're in Christ you're a _______ person.

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

An ambassador cannot be _________________ in, they're ____________________ by the ruler of the country.

An ambassador __________ in one country but represents another.

Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

I am an ambassador sent by _______ to the world around ______.

- You Were _______________ By God.

John 15:16-17 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

If God ______________ of me it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

- You don't represent __________, you represent God

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

If ________________ is different about us then we are doing it wrong.

I may look like I'm alone but I have the in the ___________ of an entire Kingdom behind me

I am a Christian that has been filled with the _________ ___________ that raised Jesus from the dead!

[Malachi 3:1] "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Expect to _________________ God in the unexpected.

[Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV] A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. [5] And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

God often speaks through the _________________.

[Matthew 3:1-3] In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, [2] "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." [3] The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him!'"

True change begins with a _________________.

God _________________ before he _______________.

[Luke 3:15-16] Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. [16] John answered their questions by saying, "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am--so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Humility comes before _________________.

[Proverbs 11:2] Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

The unpredictable things invite us to _________________ God _________________.

Mark 10:43-45 [NIV] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Don't settle for being rich when Jesus wants you to be _______.

Mark 6:34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

In a world where it's easy to get complacent Jesus has _____________________.

A true hero is simply someone who ____________.

John 13:12-17 [NIV] When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

When we take what we have and turn it outwards toward others, we are choosing to make an ______________________.

You will not see and experience _______ the rewards of serving immediately. Many things can make you feel rich quickly, but serving will make you rich permanently…and ______________.

How we live and ____________ in this short life affects the rest of our eternity…and the eternity of _____________.

Proverbs 3:27-28 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—when you already have it with you.

Matthew 9:37-38 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

We should use our gifts to show love to ____________ and ____________ them closer to God.

[Ephesians 4:11-12] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

Teachers have the ability to _________________ God's Word in a _________________ way.

[1 Corinthians 8:1c-2] But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. [2] Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much.

Don't try to impress people with your ___________________.

Always _________________ to learn more about the _________________.

[James 1:22-23] But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. [23] For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

Teachers have a desire to inspire _________________ and life _________________.

[2 Timothy 2:15] Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

In order to be a teacher, you have to be a _________________.

[2 Timothy 4:2] Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

_________ doesn't make you richer, __________________ do.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing. 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 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.

There are no ________________________ christians.

“A shared joy is a _____________ joy; shared sorrow is a ____________ sorrow.”

We don't need just a _________________ relationship with God we need a _______________ relationship with God.

Three Kinds of Friends David Had (That We Need):

- _____________. The __________________ Friend.

Hebrews 10:25 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.

- _____________. The __________________ Friend.

Proverbs 18:24 There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

- _____________. The __________________ Friend.

Proverbs 27:6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

God will often speak to you through the _____________ of _____________.

James 1:23 For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.

You need to follow Jesus ________ yourself but you can't follow him ________ yourself.

Acts 2:46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity

The most radical expression of love Jesus showed was around ________________________________________.

Our gifts should be used to _______________ people up rather than _______________ people down.

[Ephesians 4:11-12] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

You can give a _______________ without having the gift of pastor.

A pastor is like a _______________ of people.

A pastor truly _______________ for the people around them.

[1 Peter 5:2] Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly--not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

Pastors love to _______________ to others.

[Proverbs 11:25] The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

There's a big difference between _______________ to help and _______________ helping.

[1 Thessalonians 5:11] So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

An encourager loves to give _______________ to others.

[Galatians 6:2] Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Sometimes we need to be willing to _______________ without trying to _______________ everything.

Keeping a ___________________ journal for 5 minutes a day has the same effect as ___________________ your income.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

It's not natural to be ____________________ because we were born _____________________.

Attitudes toward Generosity in the Good Samaritan:

Robbers. What's yours is mine and I'm going to __________ it.

Proverbs 28:22 Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.

Religious. What's mine is mine and I'm gonna __________ it.

Philippians 2:3-4 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Generous. What's mine is yours and I'm going to __________ it.

Greatest gift a person can have is being able to __________________ someone else.

Three Levels of Generosity:

- ______________ Generosity. I will give what I can ____________.

- ______________ Generosity. I will give what I ______________.

Malachi 3:10-11 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Tithing is not about ___________________ God it's about __________________ Him as first in our life.

- ______________ Generosity. I will give until it ______________.

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

Instead of trying to increase our standard of ______________ we should be trying to increase our standard of ______________.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 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.

In order to live a _________ life you must live a _____________ life.

Gifts are to be used in love, to _______________ people, and _______________ them to Jesus.

[Ephesians 4:11-12] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

Our job is to _________________ and _________________ our gifts.

[Romans 10:13-15] For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." [14] But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? [15] And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

You are God’s _______________ to reach world.

Evangelism is simply __________________ people to __________________ Jesus.

[Matthew 28:19-20] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

God wants us to make _______________ not _______________.

Evangelism must start with _______________.

[1 Corinthians 3:7-8] It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. [8] The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.

People get _________ but enjoy it _________.

Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

3 Areas of Discontentment:

We are discontent because we expect ______________ to fill a void only ______________ can fill.

James 3:14-16 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Philippians 4:11-13  Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Until Christ is all you ______________ you won't realize that Christ is all you ______________.

"Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor." - Benjamin Franklin.

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Discontentment is saying that things are more ______________ than God

Psalm 23:1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

1 Timothy 6:6-9 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

The secret of contentment is being ___________________ with Christ.