Enduring Hardships 2 Timothy 2:8-1311 Here is a trustworthy saying:     If we died with him,         we will also live with him;12 if we endure,         we will also reign with him.     If we disown him,         he will also disown us;13 if we are faithless,        he will remain faithful,       for he cannot disown himself.  (@DailyKeller) “The basic premise of religion –that if you try hard to be good, things will go well for you is wrong. Jesus lived perfectly yet suffered.” 1 – Fix your eyes on Jesus (vs. 8) 2 – Live by His powerful Word (vs. 9)3 – Motivated by others being Saved (vs. 10) 4 – Trusting in His promises; (vs. 11-13)  Sermon Resource Guide 

Living Life with Christ’ Attitude Philippians 2:5-111.  Status Is not Important (vs. 6-7) Jesus had Status… What He is · Being of God· Very nature God· Equal with God What He became · Made himself nothing · A Servant · Human likeness  2. Obedience is Everything (vs. 8) · He Remain human · He was Obedient  3. Rewards are about Eternity (vs. 9-11)· Jesus’ Rewards        Here is the truth… “Jesus will have the last word! · Our Rewards  storylines prompt:Reflect on your commitment to living life with a Christ-like attitude. How important is having status in this world versus wanting to glorify God in your life? Do you need to refocus your attitude? What steps will you take to develop a Christ –like attitude in your life?  Sermon Resource Guide

The Longest Poem Psalm 1191. Eight facts about the poem.2. Eight words to describe the Bible.Law—                                 Statutes—Precepts—                        Decrees—Commandments—          Laws—Word—                              Promises—3. Eight things the Bible does for us.· Keeps us from sin· Grants us freedom· Provides us wisdom, understanding and discernment· Offers us comfort in affliction· Gives us guidance· Affords us strength when we are weary· Fills us with joy and peace· Gives us hope for the future4. Three conclusions from the poem.· The Word of God points us to the God of the Word.· The Word of God gets into us as we get into the Word.· The Word of God is to be loved and to be lived. Sermon Resource Guide 

The Lament of the Bow 2 Samuel 1:11-271. The grief he experiences.· Allow yourself to grieve.· Allow yourself to lament. 2. The grace he exhibits.· Look for the good in others.· Refuse to hold a grudge.· Treat people based on who you are, not how they act. 3. The truth he communicates.· “Might” is not forever; use it for good while you have it.· Choices have consequences.· We can easily become our own worst enemies.· Our greatest griefs are often over what could have been.·

Death is inevitable.storylines prompt:Take a moment to write the eulogy of a person that meant a lot to you.  What did you appreciate most?  How did they have impact on you?  What could you copy from their life / values / personality? Sermon Resource Guide 

The Coalition of the Willing Judges 4,5The theme of the poem:  Willingness  The characters in the story (and lessons to be learned):A. Deborah · Maybe more than anything else, God chooses and uses  willing people. B. Barak · Limited willingness = limited rewards. C. The tribes of Israel · Willingness is a matter of heart, not circumstances.· Your willingness (or lack thereof) has a significant impact on others. D. Jael · Willingness seizes opportunities, it doesn’t wait for invitation.The question we need to ask:  How willing am I? storylines prompt:Can you write a poem (or a short story) about the topic of willingness?  What it looks like, acts like, sounds like, etc.? Sermon Resource Guide

Making the Most of Our Days Psalm 90A. We need an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVEGod is1.  Creator (Author)2.  Eternal3.  Sovereign4.  Holy5.  Personal Man’s life is 1.  Finite2.  Fragile3.  Fleeting 4. Frustrating B. Which informs our EARTHLY PRIORITIES1. To make the most of our days.2. To make the most of our moments. C.  Which determine our EVERYDAY PURSUITS1. Wisdom 2. God3. Gladness4. Family5. Work D. Supported by our EARLY MORNING PRAYER. storylines prompt: Take some time to plan and prioritize your day—then take some time to reflect on how your day actually went.  What “successes” can record?  What lessons did you learn? Sermon Resource Guide 

The Darkness of Restlessness Matthew 11:28-30A. The invitation to a relationship              Come to me / Learn from me”          To R.S.V.P.1. Do some soul searching.2. Give time and attention to your spiritual walk. B. The invitation to rest “I will give you rest / You will find rest for your souls”          To R.S.V.P.1. Address physical needs.2. Engage in noticing practices. C.  The invitation to get ready “Take my yoke upon you / My yoke is easy”          To R.S.V.P.1. Surrender yourself.2. Listen to God’s promptings.3. Have some spiritual conversations.Try some next steps.storylines prompt:Use your journal in conjunction with a contemplative or noticing exercise and record your thoughts, impressions and anything that  you learned.Sermon Resource Guide 

The Darkness of Bitterness Hebrews 12:12-15The descent into bitterness The deception of bitterness1. That bitterness is effective2. That bitterness is harmless The thing about roots...A. They are beneath the surface and hiddenB. They have gripping powerC. They creep and growD. They poison the planE. They kill the fruit. The decision to live bitter free1. We are told to do so.2. We are told why to do so.3. We are told how to do so. storylines prompt: Have you ever tried to write a parable?  Write a story about a garden that is destroyed by bitterness.  Not into fiction?  Recount a time in life when you practiced forgiveness and write about how it affected you. Sermon Resource Guide

The Darkness of Overwhelm Mark 6:30-34The situation:1. They were likely exhausted.2. They had been giving out without taking in.3. They were in a spot that they had no control over.4. They had been given responsibility they didn’t ask for.5. They were simply inadequate to meet the demands. The solution:1. Just do the next thing.2. Use what is available to you.3. Look to heaven.4. Maintain a spirit of gratitude.5. Call in the team.6. See yourself as a distributor.7. Look for the reward. storylines prompt:Can you think of a time in your life when you were overwhelmed?  Can you rewrite the story of the feeding of the 5,000 to reflect your situation? Sermon Resource Guide

The Darkness of Languishing Jeremiah 29:4-13How do we get there?1. We get stuck in a rut.2. We jump from experience to experience.3. We live in the margins.4. God takes us there. How do we get out? How do we make the most of the situation?1. Understand the virtue of the ordinary.2. Embrace the value of investment.3. Pursue the vision of flourishing.4. Claim this verse (vs. 11) for encouragement.  Sermon Resource Guide