Thrive.Church Weekly Message

[Joshua 2:1] Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho." So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

God saves _____________________ people.

[Joshua 2:8-13] Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. [9] "I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. [10] For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. [11] No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. [12] "Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that [13] when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families."

God _____________ when we step out in ______________.

When you have faith, your _____________ doesn't need to dictate your __________________.

[Matthew 1:5-6] Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. [6] Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).

You are not too __________________ to be used by God.

[Hebrews 11:31-32] It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. [32] How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

We can walk in faith even when the _____________ are ________________ against us.

[James 2:25-26] Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. [26] Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

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[John 3:1] There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

Many people would rather follow _______________ than follow _______________.

God isn't ___________________ with your behavior.

[John 3:2] After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you."

If you find yourself in the _______________, turn to Jesus.

[John 3:3-5] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." [4] "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" [5] Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

Following Jesus isn't about trying _______________, it's about starting _______________.

[John 3:16-17] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus wants to change your _______________ not just your _____________________.

[John 7:48-51] “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? [49] This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!” [50] Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. [51] “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

The RESTORATION process usually takes time.

[John 19:38-42] Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. [39] With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. [40] Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. [41] The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. [42] And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Welcome to ThriveChurch! We are so glad you are joining us online for service. We encourage you to comment below to share with others about what parts of the service minister and stand out to you.

If you are a first-time guest you can fill out this form to get connected: https://thrive.church/connect/

If you would like to give financially you can do so here: https://thrive.church/give/

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One _________________ with Jesus will change the course of your life.

[Luke 19:1-4] Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. [2] There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. [3] He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

If you _________________ Jesus, He'll ________________ himself to you.

[Luke 19:5] When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today."

Jesus sees you even if everyone else _________________ and _________________ you.

[Luke 19:6-7] Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. [7] But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.

God's forgiveness should inspire ______________________.

[Luke 19:8] Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"

Jesus is not your _________________, He is your _________________.

[Romans 2:4] Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

God's _________________ comes before our repentance.

[Luke 19:9-10] Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

Welcome to ThriveChurch! We are so glad you are joining us online for service. We encourage you to comment below to share with others about what parts of the service minister and stand out to you.

If you are a first-time guest you can fill out this form to get connected: https://thrive.church/connect/

If you would like to give financially you can do so here: https://thrive.church/give/

If you need any prayer you can send prayer requests here: https://thrivect.churchcenter.com/people/forms/13260

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God specializes in ________________ people.

Jesus can ________________ us as if we had never been ________________.

Luke 8:1-3 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

God is ________________ to the ________________ you face.

Our ________________ actions should reflect our ________________ transformation.

If you've been ________________, the only reasonable response is to ________________ Him.

Matthew 27:55-56 ESV There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

You don't have to be a ________________ to ________________ like one.

Mark 16:1, 9-10 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body. 9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened.

2 Corinthians 5:15, 17 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

God always offers ________________ chance.

You will never fully appreciate the ______________ News until you fully grasp the ______________ news.

Nahum 1:2 The LORD is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies!

If you don't realize that you have a _______________ you'll never reach out for the ______________.

Romans 2:4-8 Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

God is never ______________ towards evil.

If you only see God as ______________ you have the wrong idea of God.

Romans 5:8-11 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Because of what Jesus did on the ______________ we can escape God's ______________.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.

Matthew 19:16-22 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Many want Jesus as an _______________, but not as their _______________.

James 1:22-25 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. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

You may not always have _______________, but you can _______________ God.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

God doesn't want to be ______________ _______________.

Faith in God is _______________ control to Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

You should trust God in the _______________ days and you should trust God in the _______________ days.

Don't trust your _______________ to a ________________ God.

We are not ________________ to God.

Psalm 25:14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.

Fear of the Lord means you have ________________ ________________ for God.

Luke 12:4-5 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

We like a God who ________________ us, but reject a God who ________________ us of sin.

Proverbs 8:13 All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.

We can't say we fear God when we ________________ the very things He ________________.

John 15:14-15 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

People want God as their ________________, but forget He's also their ________________.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

God doesn't ________________ sin, He ________________ sin.

Psalm 89:5-8 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. 8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

What you ______________ about God affects how you see yourself.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 In the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Our view of God needs to come from ______________ not our personal ______________ and preferences.

A distorted view of ______________ leads to a distorted view of ______________.

Psalm 100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

God doesn't exist to ______________ us, we exist to ______________ Him.

1 John 4:9-10 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Romans 8:35-39 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God doesn't _____________ His love when He answers our prayers; He _____________ His love when He sent His Son.

Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

It takes ______________ to trust God in the difficult times.

Isaiah 55:8-11 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 53:5-6 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

Jesus came to ______________ our sin.

Matthew 20:18-19 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

The fulfillment of ______________ proves that Jesus is who He says He is.

Luke 24:1-8 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee,7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this.

We worship a risen ______________ who walked out of that ______________.

John 3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Death doesn't have the ______________ ______________.

Jesus was not a ______________ he was ______________.

Romans 10:9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Hebrews 9:13-14 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit,Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

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.

After 2 great Worship Nights at our Torrington and New Britain campuses, we top off our 3 Nights of Praise at our main campus in Terryville. Our lead pastor Judah Thomas said a few words and here they are. Grab a cracker and some grape juice or a pastry and water or whatever you have available and join us as we have communion.

Welcome to ThriveChurch! We are so glad you are joining us online for service.