What does God want to give you this Christmas? In the message Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how God doesn't just want to give you what you THINK you want, but what you REALLY want.

One of the things God wants to give you this Christmas is purpose. The Christmas story is all about purpose. 

1 John 3:8 NASB

Life seems pointless when you're purposeless.  

You were made for meaning and you were planned for purpose by a Creator who intentionally crafted you.

Psalm 57:2 NLT 

You can't determine your own purpose because you didn't make yourself!

Your Salvation is not only about having a future home in heaven but having a present purpose on earth. Your ultimate destination is Heaven, but you have purpose here and now, not just there and then.

What is your purpose?

1. Get to know God.

God created you for connection with Him. John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Eternal life is not just a destination, it's answering the invitation to know a person. 

Its not just a place, it's a process.

2 Peter 3:18 "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

2. Get to know your spiritual family.

God fashioned you for family. 

Luke 10:27-29

You can love God by yourself, but you can't love others by yourself. 

Matthew 6:9-13 – it's "us" and "we", not "I" and "me".

We're saved as individuals but we grow in groups. Christian growth is a group project and only immature believers believe by themselves.

3. Get to work.

God created you to contribute.

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.

Every Christian is a minister as is called to three things:

1) Be in Christ, 2) doing good things 3) according to God's plan

We don't work to get saved, but once we're saved, we get to work.

1 Cor 15:58 "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

Service is God's pathway to your purpose. You won't be happy until you're helping.

We get to be a small part of God's big plan.

Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Do you know your purpose? Are you excited or are you just existing?

Are you walking in the purpose God has given you?

This Christmas, God doesn't just want to give you what you think you want, but what you really want. In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how God wants to give you peace.

Luke 2:14 NKJV "Glory to God in highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men.

What is peace? 

1. Peace does not come from inactivity.

1 Peter 3:11 NKJV (Psalm 34:14) – "...seek peace and pursue it" NLT: "Search for peace, and work to maintain it." 4 words: seek, pursue, search and work.

Peace won't come by doing nothing. If the world has to stop in order for you to have peace, you'll never have peace. 

John 16:33 NLT "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Peace is not the absence of problems but the learned skill of remaining unaffected by them.

2. Peace does not come from being in control.Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord, don't trust in yourself. Control is trusting in your ability to fix things. But control is an illusion because we are not qualified to fix everything. 

3. Peace is a person.

John 14:27 ESV "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

God is not trying to give you your peace, He's trying to give you His peace.

How do we receive peace?  

1. Plan for peace.

Prov 21:5 NLT "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance

If you try to everything, you won't enjoy anything."

Take time away from the peace-drainers and give it to the peace giver.

2. Practice peace.

Phil 4:6-7 ESV "Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

An unthankful heart turns into an entitled heart, and an entitled heart never has peace because it can't be satisfied.

3. Protect your peace.

Colossians 3:15 NLT "And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts."

Protecting your peace is difficult because other people want yours when they run out of theirs.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation."

God has already done his job by giving peace. Now we must do our job by receiving that peace. 

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.

"Nose up, toes up" – don't let anyone steal your peace.

Are you living in the peace God has given you?

What is your spiritual wishlist?

Did you know that you can live life unoffended?

In this message, Pastor Tim Martin shares how you can life an unoffended life. 

When offenses come, you can choose not to be offended. Every day we have choices.

James 1:2

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 

You predetermine that you will not be offended. 

Offense is a sister to unforgiveness. 

How do you deal with offense? If someone offend you, go to that person and reconcile with that person. 

Unforgiveness or offense is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick. 

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. 

Matthew 6:14-15

If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Colossians 3:13

Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  

Carrying offense is the same as holding unforgiveness toward another. 

Forgiveness is contagious. 

When you share your offense with others, people get mad because you are mad.  

Don't spread offense.

Consider whether you are offended at God. Have you blamed God for something? 

You need to understand that there are some things you will never understand.

If there is a loss that you have experienced, or something happened that you don't understand, know that God has got it. He is with you. 

We've all done it: something makes us mad and we start punching others with our words. Let's learn to use our words according to God's design. In this message, Pastor Jamie shares how we can overcome angry words.

Angry words are the idle words and the ugly words we say when we get mad.

Being angry is not a sin.

Jesus got angry.

Mark 3:5 ESV 

The goal for a Christian isn't to never get angry; the goal is never let anger cause you to sin.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (Psalm 4:4)ESV Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Live WITH your anger but don't live BY your anger.  

How do we stop angry words?

1. Ask God to be your editor, not your janitor.

In our anger we often say whatever comes to mind and we make a mess. But God doesn't just want to be your janitor and clean up your mess; He wants to be your editor and clean up your mouth.

Prov 17:27-28 NLT We've got to stop giving ourselves permission to say everything we think.

2. Learn to intentionally respond, not instinctively react.

An intentional response is measured, thoughtful, and deliberate. An instinctive reaction is unrestrained, emotional, and immediate.  

Proverbs 12:16 NIV Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.

3.  Remove "fighting words" from your vocabulary.

Fighting words are words to that cause people to fight about things instead of fix things.

Prov 12:18 NIV The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Examples of fighting words:

Always/never

Name calling/insults

Bringing up the past

Tone

4. Adopt God's perspective on people.

Don't treat people based on who you think they are, treat them based on who God says they are. 

2 Corinthians 5:15-16 NLT 

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

Christians are the dwelling place of God. When you speak angry words at Christians, you are trashing God's house.

If you're not kind to others, God may have to get on their side to defend them against you!

Ever heard someone called a "loose cannon?"

That phrase came from the fact that cannons on ships had wheels for when it recoiled when being shot. A loose cannon was one that wasn't properly secured and it would kick back, roll everywhere and endanger the crew on the ship. Without restraints, a loose cannon can potentially not just destroy enemy ships, but destroy the ship its on. We are loose cannons when we declare war with our words when there is no war. We're a loose cannon when we don't restrain our words and hurt our friends and family with "friendly fire." Don't be a loose cannon and destroy your own ship.

Are you speaking angry words?

This sermon series is all about learning to use our words according to God's design.

The Bible teaches that your ability to speak isn't just for you, but for others through you.

In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally talks about ugly words. Ugly words are harmful words that hurt others and reveal the poison in our own hearts.

James 3:8 ESV but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

God wants to give your words authority. But why would He give weight to your words if you use ugly words instead of useful words?

Examples of ugly words:

Complaining, criticizing, accusing, blaming, insulting, judging, gossip, sarcasm, self-deprecation, etc.

How to fix ugly words:

1. Pause.

Silence adds significance to what you say.

James 1:19 NLT "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

You don't have to have an opinion on everything.

Some people have something to say, other people just want to say something.

"Everything that is said must be true, but not everything that is true must be said."

2. Perceive.

Lamentations 3:40 "Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!"

If you'll watch your thoughts, you won't have to watch your mouth as much.

Ugly words are often caused by emotional inflammation – anger, disappointment, fear, or frustration - which is a reaction to a wound to your heart.

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. [cares] ..."

3. Purify.

Isaiah 6:5 NASB "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'"

Being in the presence of God made Isaiah immediately aware of his ugly words.

Submitting your speech to the creator of speech is the quickest way to tame your tongue.

Have you ever considered the difference between a scalpel and a shiv? They're both sharp, they're both made with the intention of cutting someone, but one is intended to save a life, while the other is intended to take a life. The scalpel has been carefully sterilized, the shiv is covered in contaminants. One has been manufactured to precise specifications, the other has been hastily created from repurposed items from the past. The scalpel is found in a hospital, where doctors and nurses are trying help others, while a shiv is found in a prison where people are trying to hurt others. If you're still shackled by your sin or imprisoned by your past, your words will be a shiv. The truth can cut sometimes, but its intended to be a scalpel that brings life, not a shiv that brings death.

Are you speaking ugly words?

Are you aware of the significance of your words? In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson shares how idle words can hurt others and even bring judgement upon ourselves.

What are Idle Words?

Matthew 12: 36-37

NLT:  "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.  The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."

NIV:  "for every empty word" 

ESV:  "for every careless word" 

We speak idle words when we speak without understanding the weight and responsibility of our words.

Speaking idle words is like putting a car in neutral and hammering the gas. You are wasting vital energy but not going anywhere or helping anyone.

Idle words come in many forms but the most common form of idle words is empty criticism.

Your words shape your world. If you sow seeds of empty criticism you will reap the fruit of it.

How Are We Judged?

Matthew 7: 2 

You are judged with the same measure that you judge others. You get to choose your own judgment based on how you treat others. This happens in this life and the next.

This judgment does not pertain to your salvation but to your ministry and what you have done with what you were given.

1 Corinthians 3: 12-15 

How Do We Protect Ourselves from Idle Words?

1.      Check your heart.

Luke 6: 45  "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

The key to taming the tongue is forming yourself into the image of Jesus. God is not interested in renewing one part of you, He wants to transform all of you.

2.      Check your mind

A word starts with a thought. If you can change the way you think, you can change the way you speak.

If you are constantly thinking about what is wrong, you are misdirecting your ability to make things right. Criticism is a gift that, when used correctly, leads to restoration, but when used incorrectly leads to division and pain.

Philippians 4:8 

3.      Check your mouth.

Not everything you think needs to be said. The key to growth in this area of your life is self-discipline brought forth from a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you tame your tongue.

Ephesians 4:29 

Proverbs: 29: 11 

If what you want to say isn't going to build someone up, or it doesn't fit the occasion, don't say it.

What would your life look like if you exchanged criticism for kindness?

You are creating a world with your words. You are either creating heaven on earth or hell on earth. What do you want your legacy to be? Your words are the building blocks of your legacy no matter how you use them.

Do your words matter? In the message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares why we should tame our tongues. Taming the Tongue is learning to use our words according to God's design.

What if your ability to speak isn't just a gift from God for you, but a gift to others through you?

James 3:2-6

2 "Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.

 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.

6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."

1. Your words matter because your words determine your destiny.

Proverbs18:21 NKJV "Words plant seeds which grow into fruit, and you and those around you will eat that fruit."

Matthew 12:36-37 ESV "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

 James 3:7-8

2. Your words matter because you can't tame your tongue without God's help.

Psalm 141:3 NIV 

Taming your tongue is a lifestyle that requires your constant attention.

James 3:9-10

3. Your words matter because you can hurt others with what you say.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Words are like bricks—you can help build someone's house, or you can break someone's window. It depends on how you use them.

Prov 12:18 NLT  

James 3:11-12

4. Your words matter because your words reveal the real you.

Luke 6:45 NLT 

(Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.)

James 1:26 NLT  "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."

Don't let your tongue destroy your testimony.

A manchineel tree is a tree in south Florida and parts of South America and the Caribbean that scientists say may be the deadliest tree in the world. Scientists believe since the tree lives in an area where there are more toxic plants than normal, it has grown an overdeveloped defense mechanism to protect itself.

For many of us, like the manchineel tree, our words have become toxic fruit used as a defense mechanism. Receive healing for yourself so you will stop hurting everyone else.

Do you speak as if your words matter?

Have you ever listened to a director's commentary on your favorite movie, or listened to a "behind the scenes" podcast for your favorite TV show? In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how you can read God's word with the Author.

Reading with the Author.

Christianity is a relationship.

Matthew 25 is the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. The groom says "I don't know you." He probably didn't know the other bridesmaids either, but they were with the bride, so they gained entrance. You won't get into heaven because of what you know, but because of who you know.  

Since Christianity is a relationship, His word is meant to be read with Him. Reading the Bible isn't something you do FOR God, but something you do WITH God.

Reading the Author:

Make a D.A.T.E. to read the Bible with the Author

Day, time, & place

Approach with Prayer

Take your time

Examine yourself

Day, Time, & Place

If we want to know someone, we make plans with them, and we honor them by showing up.

Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. [with all your heart]

Approach with prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Never stop praying."

Prayer is simply communication with God.

Your opinion of God's character will determine how you pray. If you believe in a prayer-hearing God, you'll become a prayer-loving Christian.

Embrace a "running commentary" with the Lord. Talk to Him as you read, and be open to His thoughts.

Take your time

Finishing all 66 books by the time the earth goes around the sun is a really arbitrary thing. When you read, focus on retention, not production.

Tips:

1. Emphasize each word.

2. Personalize the word.

"God so loved me, that He gave His only begotten Son, that if I believe in Him, I won't perish but have everlasting life."

3. Repeat the passage.

Evaluate yourself

Communication has a purpose. Scripture is God's communication, and its purpose is transformation.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

Transformation equation: (Information + Application) x Dedication = Transformation

Are you reading the Bible with the author?

 Is doctrine important? In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson tells us how the Bible helps us know how what to think about God. 

 We are thinkers by nature.

 We are curious by nature. Have you ever looked up at the stars at night and wondered how in the world they got there?

 Proverbs 25: 2  It is God's privilege to conceal things and the king's privilege to discover them.

 Our beliefs shape our actions, and our doctrine determines our direction.

 Doctrine gives us the proper glasses to view the world and ourselves. Doctrine gives us answers to the questions of our hearts and allows us to live out those truths.

 What is Doctrine?

 Doctrine Informs

 ·       The word doctrine comes from the Latin phrase "doctrina" which means teaching and instruction. Doctrine is the teaching of scriptures that provide a framework for us to grow in our knowledge of God and spiritual maturity.

 ·       You should want to grow in your knowledge of God!

 ·       1 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

 ·       2 Timothy 3:16  tells us that the Bible is God's inspired Word that is good for teaching

 ·       Doctrine isn't the end, it is the means to the end. The end goal is to know Jesus.

 Doctrine Transforms

 ·       The purpose of doctrine is transformation not just information.

 ·       Isaiah 55: 11-13

 ·       Good doctrine bears good fruit. Bad doctrine bears bad fruit. No doctrine bears no fruit.

 Prioritizing Doctrines

 ·       Doctrinal differences have caused a lot of division throughout church history. Usually, the disagreements are about non-essential issues. This is a core belief of VFC: if someone professes Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to salvation, we consider them a member of Christ's family and a brother or sister of ours.

 ·       Love is prioritized over belief. Belong, Believe, Become.

 ·       1 Corinthians 8: 1-3 

 Building Your House

 ·       For me, reading the Bible for doctrine is a lot like building a house. There are 4 essential things that every house needs.

 1.      Foundation: Matthew 7: 24-27 24

 2.      Walls: Our theology must make us distinct from the world. You can't help the world if you believe like the world. We live in a culture that is searching for identity by destroying boundaries. Boundaries define who you are and what is yours. Romans 12: 2

 3.      Roof: A roof protects us from the elements, and good doctrine protects us from harmful beliefs and behaviors. Galatians 1: 6-7

 4.      Door: The door to our theological house is always Jesus. John 14: 6  

 Where do you get the materials? The Bible! The Bible is our home center. The Bible provides the raw material that we need to build our theological house on a solid foundation.

 How to Read the Bible for Doctrine:

 1.      Question

 2.      Scripture

 3.      Community

 4.      Construction

 4.1     (Remodel) Deconstruction to Reconstruction.

Pastor Jamie teaches on how to read the Bible