Jan 1 – Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-26)
We kick off a new year filled
with possibilities and hope. What this
year becomes depends largely on what we do with the time we’re given. What goals will we pursue? What will we value? How courageous will we be? Of course, many things are beyond our
control, and we have to choose to walk by faith in those things. But how do the words of Jesus affect how we
look at life? We’re going to start our
series by looking at some of the more famous words He spoke that we call the
Beatitudes. What He says and what they
mean may surprise you, and they will definitely challenge us all. Hopefully, they give us clear vision about
this life and the next life so that we’ll use this year for what matters!
We all affirm that we believe
in a heavenly kingdom – the values of that kingdom are immeasurably more than
anything of this earth
But when certain situations
arise, we cave
These situations are kind of
the greatest hits of that list
Do we actually believe or do
we just believe as long as it costs us nothing or always looks like very little
is at stake?
Blessed – in a position of
advantage or a desirable situation
Thought bomb
Rhetoric as opposed to
doctrinal exposition
Notice the contrasts – notice
the surprising way of talking about being poor, hungry, sad, and hated
God’s kingdom has a different
economy than this world – than what seems advantageous or beneficial – an
enviable position
What it looks like now will
not endure
Having it now shifts your
focus from one realm to another
QUESTION: What kingdom do you
believe in? What reality drives the way
you look at times of need, sorrow, and rejection? Will you, by faith, see
beyond the situations and conditions of this world to the assurance of the
world to come (and remain)?
Jan 8 – Love Your Enemies (Luke 6:27-36)
COMMUNION
Our loved ones are what gives
our lives a sense of depth and meaning.
Those we are close to somehow transform what would otherwise be a string
of meaningless activities into dear memories and feelings. It’s easy to see how normal it is to love
those who love us. But Jesus tells us to
love our enemies. That almost looks like
a misprint! How can we do that? Why
would we do that? And what does this mean in practical terms for our lives?
Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, pray for those who mistreat you
The freedom of choosing to
love
Choose to be wronged (turn
the other cheek, don’t demand what is yours, give them your shirt too)
Do to others as you would
have them do to you
Transformational –
Your reward will be great and
you will be children of the Most High – because he is kind to the ungrateful
and wicked
God can choose any response
He wants – He chooses kindness and mercy – even to those who do not recognize
His goodness
COMMUNION – Ephesians 2:4-5
QUESTION: Have you ever loved
your enemy? Prayed for them? What would have to shift in your soul for you
to embrace the Golden Rule? Are we
acting like children of God?
Jan 15 – Judging Others (Luke 6:37-42)
Have you ever wondered how
many ‘judge’ shows are now on TV? Long
ago, “The People’s Court” made it popular to look in on the way a court
works. We heard the evidence from each
side, and then came to an opinion on which side should win. Others followed in Judge Wapner’s steps, and
now we have had dozens of shows where the entire program is litigation. Maybe
the reason this became so appealing is that people like to judge. We are prone to jumping to conclusions on
others, whether we know the whole story or not.
Jesus has instruction for those who follow Him. He tells us, “Do not judge.” What does this
mean and how are we doing at embracing His words?
The Bounce Back Principle (v.
37-38)
Blind leading the blind (v.
39-40)
Self-evaluation (v. 41-42)
QUESTION: How much have you
drifted into a judging mindset with others?
In what areas do you need to recognize your inability to see? Where do you need to turn your judgment on
yourself?
Jan 22 - Sharing Jesus – Job Fair
Our mission for 2017 is to
share Jesus. We are asking God to teach
us how to share Him with those who are lost and those who have lost their
way. Today we have the privilege of
hearing from someone that God has called to share Jesus for their living! Josh Hallahan is our missionary to Uganda (as
well as the brother of our youth pastor!) and he will give us an update on what
God is doing there, and help us think about how we can become more effective
witnesses for Jesus. Then we’ll take a
look at the ways we’re going to try to share Jesus by helping people in need –
and you’ll have a chance to sign up for any and all opportunities at the end of
the service. This is a great launching
point for our mission this year, so make sure you are ready to be challenged
and to respond to God’s calling!
Josh Hallahan Sharing – Love
Offering
– Josh (evangelism) – 20 mins,
Mark (meeting needs + help us fill in any gaps) – 15 mins
Need accounting for what
openings we have outside of Needs Team
QUESTION: Will you ask God to stretch your ability and
opportunity to share Jesus? Will you
team up with us to meet needs in our church, our community, and around the
world?
Jan 29 – Fruit Trees and Foundations (Luke 6:43-49)
Suppose you wanted to grow
apples… You’d probably need some land and some equipment. You’d definitely need some information and
know-how. But unless you actually got
some apple trees, you’d never produce any apples. This is such an obvious truth that Jesus uses
it to explain a spiritual truth. You get
what you grow. You grow what you
plant. If you plant an orange tree,
you’re not going to get apples. What
does this mean for our lives? And what
does a fruit tree have in common with the foundation of a house? We’ll take a look at how Jesus ties these
together today and learn about one key choice that can make an overwhelming
difference in our spiritual health!
Bad Fruit or Good Fruit? (v.
43-45)
Stored up in his heart….
Truth and faith mixed – out of the heart (what I think and believe and embrace
as true)
A house that falls (v. 46-49)
Call me Lord but don’t do
what I say
Action speaks of belief
All ‘good’ actions don’t
equal deep faith in truth – can represent a belief that I can control what
people think or that a façade is good enough
But those who believe WILL
follow Jesus
And those who reject what
Jesus says to do will face collapse
QUESTION: When you look at the fruit that is growing in
your life, can you trace it back to something you believe to be true that just
isn’t? And where does your faith in Jesus need to transform into action so that
you’re building your home on the rock?
Feb 5 – Teen Service
As a church, we want to share
Jesus. Sometimes we think of that as
sharing Him with people “out there.” But our greatest privilege is to share Him
with the next generation of Hopers!
Today, we get to have our teens take over our service and to receive
ministry from them. It reminds us of
what is at stake in our efforts to reach our own kids. And it encourages us to think about how we’re
influencing them. So let’s make sure we
take full advantage of this chance to support what God is doing in our youth
group!
(World Outreach Project – usually we do Choices of the
Heart in this time frame)
Feb 12 – Sower and Seed (Luke 8:4-15)
If you were going to make an
investment, you’d probably want to be pretty careful about where you put your
money. Throwing cash around randomly
would not seem to be the best way to maximize your returns. But we read a very famous story today that
Jesus told where He describes a farmer recklessly throwing seed everywhere. There was a good chance that several of the places
where seed landed would not produce any crop at all. But Jesus is using this surprising tale to
teach us all something about God’s work and how truth has an impact. Let’s look at the story and then at what
Jesus says it means.
Sower story
Ears to Hear
Receiving Truth – what stops
it, what chokes it, what allows it to grow
QUESTION: What is your response to the truth? Is your heart receptive or competitive? Do you have limits on what you’ll let the
truth do? Or are you just closed off to
God’s work in you altogether?
Feb 19 – What’s in the Way? (Luke 9:57-62)
There is a saying often
repeated that says, “Nothing worthwhile comes for free.” Your experience
probably bears this out to a large degree.
When we want something that actually has value, there is a price to pay.
Of course, we don’t hold back from paying that price if we really believe that
what we get in return is of much greater value.
Jesus spoke to three men who offered to follow Him, and His words invite
them to pay a price. All of them found a
reason to refuse. These excuses are
still in play for us. So let’s allow
God’s Spirit to examine our hearts today and see if there is anything in the
way of following Jesus.
(of following Jesus)
Basic Needs / Provision,
Would you still follow if it
meant sacrifice at this level? Are there
conditions on your discipleship?
No place to lay their head –
why did Jesus live like this?
Season of Sorrow,
Companionship… close
relational ties
Occupation / Achievement /
provision for future
QUESTION: Are you unwilling
to put it all on the line to follow Jesus?
What would hold you back if it came up in your life? If Jesus were having a conversation with you
on this topic, what would He ask you to lay down to follow Him?
Feb 26 – The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)
COMMUNION
When we hear about a ‘good
Samaritan’ we have this picture of someone happening upon a person in need and
being kind-hearted enough to help. This
kind of event brings warmth to our hearts and in some cases even reassures us
about the state of humanity. But when
Jesus first told the story, it was offensive, shocking, and scandalous. He told this story to challenge His listeners
to a different way of looking at others. As we read this familiar story, let’s
dig into the original impact of the story.
And then let’s open our hearts to the challenge God has for us in acts
of kindness and compassion – especially when we have every excuse to just walk
right by.
The Self-Excusing (v. 30-32)
The Open Hearted (v. 33-35)
The Lesson (v. 36-37)
QUESTION: Since God calls us to help those in need, who
is God putting in your path for you to help?
Have you excused yourself from this ministry? Will you open your eyes to your ‘neighbor’?
March 5 – The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4)
When we talk about prayer, we
have to start by recognizing that people come from all different kinds of
backgrounds and traditions. Some have been in very formal religious practices
and others have barely ever walked into a church. However, almost everyone prays at some point
in their life. Whether it is simple
desperation or a daily choice, people pray.
One prayer has been repeated over and over again. What should we do with the Lord’s
Prayer? Are we supposed to pray it
repeatedly? Or is Jesus doing something
bigger than just giving us some words to speak?
Teach us to pray (v. 1)
Hallowed Be Your Name (v. 2)
Provision (v. 3-4)
QUESTION: How’s your prayer
life? Are there elements of Jesus’
prayer that you need to learn from? Will you seek God’s glory or your own? And will you live recognizing your dependence
on Him?
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