Thrive.Church Weekly Message

[Psalm 23:1-6 ESV] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2] He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

There __________ be always be valleys in __________.

We can find comfort in the fact that we are never _____________________.

You can be _____________________ in the valley.

[Psalm 46:1 ESV] God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

A _____________________ only momentarily blocks the _____________________.

[1 Corinthians 15:55-56] O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" [56] For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.

God ___________ __________ the valleys.

[Romans 8:31] What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

The rod and staff shows God's ____________________ and _____________________.

[Deuteronomy 31:6] So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Many religions offer a solution to try to pay for past sin, but only one person offered ___________________ as the solution.

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Jesus didn't just ___________ the solution, he __________ the solution!

Just being “good” is trying to fix an ___________________ problem with an ___________________ solution.

John 1:26-27; 29 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Takes Away (Greek: airo). To take away from another & __________________ off.

1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

You don't have to forgive ___________________ for God to ___________________ you.

1 John 1:7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

The things that once brought us shame, guilt and regret can now remind us of God's ___________________, ___________________, and ___________________.

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

The Devil is the accuser but the Judge finds you ___________________.

Any guilt we feel after we have been forgiven is _________-___________________.

[Psalm 23:1-6 ESV] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2] He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

We have a Shepherd who promises to ________________ and ________________ us.

[Psalm 23:3] He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

God's purpose isn't to ________________ you but to restore you.

We restore things that have ________________.

God knows our ________________ and understands our ________________.

[Isaiah 40:30-31 ESV] Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; [31] but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Our Shepherd knows the way ________________ and guides us in right direction.

[Isaiah 53:6a] All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own.

God will not ________________ you.

God restores us not so __________ look good but so __________ looks good.

[Psalm 34:2-3] I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. [3] Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together.

No one likes ______________ unless they create them.

3 Models of Rules:

• _____________ rules

• _____________ rules

• _________________ _________________ rules

_________________ tends to focus on rules over relationship.

[Exodus 20:1-2] Then God gave the people all these instructions: [2] “I am the Lord your God,

who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

The 10 Commandments were a ____________________ of, not a condition of, Israel's

relationship with God.

[John 1:12] But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become

children of God.

Anything God requires is _______________ of His love for you.

[Matthew 22:34-40] But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with

his reply, they met together to question him again. [35] One of them, an expert in religious law,

tried to trap him with this question: [36] “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in

the law of Moses?” [37] Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all

your soul, and all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] A second is

equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] The entire law and all the demands of

the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

He's saying all the law and prophets hang on ______________.

If we are ________________ God and people there becomes no reason for rules.

Rules without relationship becomes _______________.

Jesus' Rule Book:

1. Love _____________

2. Love _____________

[John 13:34-35] So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I

have loved you, you should love each other. [35] Your love for one another will prove to the

world that you are my disciples.”

_____________ don't make you right with God. _____________ makes us right with God.

[Psalm 23:1-6 ESV] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2] He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

God won’t always give us everything we _______________, but He will always give us what we ______________.

A Good Shepherd ___________________ for the needs of the sheep.

[Matthew 6:31-34] "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' [32] These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. [33] Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [34] "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

We don't have to ______________ when the Good Shepherd is leading us.

God will provide you with enough for __________________.

[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.

With Jesus as my Shepherd I can be __________________.

Sometimes God has to force us to ______________ down and ______________.

[Matthew 11:28] Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

[Genesis 12:1-2] 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. [2] 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 make you into a ___________ ______________.

I will bless you and make you ______________.

You will be a ________________ to others.

[Genesis 15:4-6] Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” [5] Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” [6] And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

3 Different Views of How to Be Righteous:

Jews: ____________________

Muslims: ____________________

Christian: ____________________

Faith is trusting that ____________________ will happen in God's timing.

[Romans 4:1-3] Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? [2] If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. [3] For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

[Romans 4:20-22] Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

________________ God results in being made right with Him.

Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

A relationship with God starts simply with _____________

Abraham chose to believe in __________ of the consequences.

[Romans 10:9-10] If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

________________ is what makes us right with God.

[Mark 9:24] The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

[Psalm 23:1-6 ESV] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2] He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

A Good ________________ takes care of their flock.

[1 Samuel 17:34-35] But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, [35] I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.

God is ________________ ___________ in our life.

[1 Peter 1:18-19] For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. [19] It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Jesus paid a ______________ ______________ so He can be your Shepherd.

[John 10:10-15] The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [11] "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12] A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. [14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

Sheep ________________ when they have a Good Shepherd.

[Matthew 9:36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

God doesn't ____________ those who want to _____________ their own lives.

[John 10:27-29] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.

Our Shepherd is so ________________ that He comes after us when we get ________________!

-Sometimes we make “mistakes” on _________________!

-Sometimes we ____________ out our “mistakes!”

-We make our “mistakes” ___________ and __________!

[1 John 1:8-10] If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

Sin ____________________ relationships.

[Romans 3:23] For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

A sinner is someone who _________ better and does it anyway.

Jesus' purpose in talking about sin was ___________________, not ___________________.

[Matthew 5:20-22; 27-28] “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! [21] “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ [22] But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. [27] “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ [28] But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus came for the ___________________ people.

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

John 8:10-11 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Acknowledging our sin is the first step towards _____________.

John 3:16-17 (NIV) 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I need to acknowledge the fact that I have ________________.

Proverbs 28:13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Doubt can either __________________ our faith or __________________ our faith.

[John 20:24-29] One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. [25] They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." [26] Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. [27] Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" [28] "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. [29] Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."

There's nothing wrong with looking for ________________.

[John 14:1-6] "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. [2] There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [3] When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. [4] And you know the way to where I am going." [5] "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" [6] Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

God invites us to bring our __________________ to Him.

[John 11:7-16] Finally, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." [8] But his disciples objected. "Rabbi," they said, "only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?" [9] Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. [10] But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light." [11] Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." [12] The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!" [13] They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. [14] So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. [15] And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him." [16] Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too--and die with Jesus."

Jesus __________________ us in our __________________ and questions.

Doubt doesn't have to __________________ your life.

“The ______________ says” is not an adequate starting or returning point for most people.

Paul knew what he knew because of ____________ he knew not because of what he read.

[Acts 17:16-34] While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. [17] So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. [18] A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. [19] Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? [20] You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” [21] (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) [22] Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. [24] “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. [25] And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. [26] From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. [27] God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. [28] ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ [29] “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. [30] In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. [31] For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” [32] When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” [33] At that, Paul left the Council. [34] Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Proof moves us from “___________ so” to “___________ so.”

Where we should start is with a _______________________.

___________ ______ _________________?