We all have some “sacred cows” in our lives; belief systems and personal practices that may be irrational, outdated, unhelpful, and even counterproductive to what we say we’re trying to accomplish. Yet we cannot seem to let them go or even allow them to be challenged - even when holding on to them is hurting us. As we lead into Thanksgiving, we are looking at some common “thieves of thankfulness” that we probably aren’t even aware are impacting our lives more than we realize. Is Jesus important? Or is He first? Let’s tip some cows together.

Notes:
Psalm 100:4 
Romans 5:20
1 Samuel 15:11, 23 
1 Peter 2:9 
Ephesians 1:4 
Jeremiah 29:11, 13 
Proverbs 3:5 
Proverbs 4:23
1 Samuel 16:7
Matthew 6:21 
Matthew 5:8 
Psalm 51:10

We all have some “sacred cows” in our lives; belief systems and personal practices that may be irrational, outdated, unhelpful, and even counterproductive to what we say we’re trying to accomplish. Yet we cannot seem to let them go or even allow them to be challenged - even when holding on to them is hurting us. As we lead into Thanksgiving, we are looking at some common “thieves of thankfulness” that we probably aren’t even aware are impacting our lives more than we realize. Is Jesus important? Or is He first? Let’s tip some cows together.

Notes:
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
Is Jesus important - or is He first?
Philippians 4:6 NLT
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 ESV
Romans 14:23 NIV
Matthew 6:26 NIV
Matthew 6:33 NIV
It may never happen.
It may happen, and won’t be as bad as you thought. It may happen, and God will carry you through it. Give it to God!
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

This week begins a brand new chapter in our story; the next season of our journey as a church and as a people. We believe that God has turned our hearts toward our community, and we are excited to share with you the new name and the vision that accompanies it.

New service times locally: 9:00 & 10:30 am Sundays, 6:30 pm First Wednesdays. 
Why are we changing our service times?
We want to make it as convenient as possible for people to connect with God. 
Why are we changing our name?
Because God is giving us new territory, and we will take it by storm. We are: Thriving Hills Church

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. Matthew 5:13 ESV

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 ESV

New website: thrivinghills.com
Psalm 92:12 ESV
Psalm 72:16 NLT
Ben Douglass quote from “History of Wayne County, Ohio, From the Days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time,” published by Robert Douglass in 1878.

Matthew 15:13-14 ESV

Pastor Adam Drinkard shares with us a powerful and timely message about the importance of showing Biblical honor.

There is a world we cannot see that is influencing the world we can see; and in the Bible we see some pretty crazy things that low-key sound like science fiction. Are they real? What do they mean? And how can this help us in our lives today? This week, we look at a time and place when God used a Medium to literally bring a man back from the dead; and in this story we can find hope for our own lives.

Notes:
1 Samuel 28:3-19 NLT
1 Samuel 15:10-29 NLT
Abraham: Genesis 15
Romans 11:29 NCV
Isaiah 40:8 ESV
Psalm 119:89 ESV
Whenever you fight the will of God, you lose 100% of the time. Romans 13:1 NLT
John 10:18 KJV
Psalm 34:20 KJV

There is a world we can’t see that is influencing the world we can see. Supernatural forces are often working “behind the scenes” to orchestrate what happens in our everyday lives. How do we navigate that? Isn’t that kind of freaky? Am I safe? Today we look at one of the most overlooked and impossible moments in the Bible: when Jesus was crucified, and His death caused a bunch of dead people to come back to life, get up out of their tombs, and walk into the “holy city” of Jerusalem.
Notes:
Matthew 27:50-53 ESV
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
John 10:10 NIV
John 2:19 KJV
Luke 19:40 KJV
Our darkest moments bring us closer to God.
“God is too good to be unkind and too wise to be mistaken. When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Psalm 34:18
God prepares us in quiet places.
Luke 24:49 KJV
Joseph’s story found in Genesis chapters 37-50.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV
God sends us to people.
Romans 10:13-15 KJV
Colossians 2:13-15 KJV
”Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless.” (Billy Graham)

There are some things in the Bible that we don’t understand; some things that don’t make sense to our natural minds. Many times, it is because there is a world we can’t see that is influencing the world we can see. When the spiritual world begins to impact our natural world, how do we navigate that?

Notes:
Genesis 3:1-5 ESV
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
John 10:10 KJV
Paul Harvey “If I were the devil” 1965 2 Peter 2:20 ESV
1 Peter 5:8 KJV
James 4:7 AMP

We need to follow the Holy Spirit instead of expecting the Holy Spirit to follow us. If we want God’s best for our lives, we need to learn what it means to be “led by the Spirit.”

Notes:
Romans 8:14 NLT
Galatians 5:16 NLT
John 16:7 ESV
God is in you!
John 14:26 ESV Helper, Teacher, Reminder 
John 16:13 ESV Leader
We need to follow the Holy Spirit, instead of asking Him to follow us.

What does it mean to, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit?” What is “The baptism in the Holy Spirit?” It can be intriguing for some, but scary or weird to others. Pastor Chris shows us today how this baptism is all part of the Christian experience, and an important part of the journey God has for our lives.

Acts 2:38-39
Baptism in Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27 Water Baptism - Acts 2:41, Matthew 10:32-33

Baptism in the Holy Spirit - Acts 8:14-17, 1 John 5:7-8 Be filled with the Spirit - Ephesians 5:18
Remove the barriers - Hebrews 12:1
Ask Him to fill you up - Luke 11:13

Receive Him by faith - Ezekiel 47:3-5, Hebrews 11:6 Relate to Him daily - 2 Corinthians 13:14 MSG

The Holy Spirit is a mystery to many people. He is often misunderstood, and poor representations and incorrect teachings have made some people want to avoid Him altogether. But scripture is clear that we don’t even have the full picture of God without Him. Who is the Holy Spirit? What does he do? In this message, we look at the spiritual gifts He gives and what they mean for our lives today.