Monthly Archives: March 2021

Mar 28 2021
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Examining our Spiritual Dashboards

Sunday Sermon Notes from March 21, 2021

Read 1 John 2:12

We looked at this letter from John during a previous midweek, it resonated with me because of the literal techniques used in his writing. Let’s explore further:

  • What are some reasons for John’s writing?
    • Because our sins are forgiven
    • Because we known him
    • Because we have overcome satan
    • Because we know Him who is from the beginning
    • John, the Elder, was using positive reinforcement to encourage the readers to continue in their faith
  • What are the three groupings of people addressed in this passage and why?
    • Fathers- leaders of families and raising up children
    • Children-integral parts of family, learning hearts
    • Young Men- carries on the faith and pass on beliefs
    • everyone/every age was included in this encouragement

Read 2 Peter 1:1-15

  • How did Peter see himself with regard to the church?
  • As a “slave” - the literal Hebrew translation is "Doulos", not just a servant, "Diakonos".
  • Jesus even referred to himself as a “slave” not just a servant
  • As disciples were are “slaves” of the Gospel
  • As disciples we will still have our evil desires but we need to allow ourselves to be lead by the spirit
  • God has given us everything we need to live righteously
  • What should we be adding to our faith?
    • Goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love
    • When we desire to grow, God will add these things to our faith and work in us to produce these things

Read Galatians 5:13-25

  • We are instructed to walk by the spirit not  by the flesh
  • When we live by the flesh, we are prevented from inheriting God’s Kingdom
  • When we live by the spirit, we inherit God’s kingdom
  • What does your Spiritual Dashboard look like today?
    • Spiritual Dashboards:not just a list of things to do but having the right state of being
    • The Galatians church was struggling with “works of the Law”. They were trying to follow the Levitical Law, which is a huge burden. When we are lead by the spirit we are not under the Law
    • Gal 5:1- we were set free from the law by Jesus himself
    • We should use our freedom from the law not to indulge in our flesh but to serve each other

Read Revelation 3:14-22

  • Who is the Amen?   In  Hebrew-the letters that make up this word is related to Jesus.
  • Are you hot, cold or lukewarm?
  • Don’t be self deceived, look and examine yourself
  • Lukewarm people send mixed messages to others that are looking for God and misrepresent who God is
  • One recent study showed that humans need 7-8 hours of sleep each night to function properly. There was a group who got only 2 hours and the other got 6 hours. The group that got 6 hours did worse than the group with 2 hours because they were not aware they were sleep deprived. 
  • The way to fix "luke-warmness" is not to get busier but to sit and feast with Jesus on his words
  • Jesus took the opportunity to knock on our door and speak to us, we should, let Him in and feast with Him!
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Mar 20 2021
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Love God, Love Each Other

Sunday Sermon Notes from March 14, 2021

Read 1 John, the whole book

  • Who do you think is the author of this letter and why?
    • Likely John the apostle, who walked with Jesus
    • Lots of similarities of the writing style of the writer of the Gospel of John
  • What kind of language is he using in his writing?
    • Terms of endearment like: friend and children
    • How would you feel if the leader of your church sent you a letter like this?
    • Wouldn’t he have to have been close with these people in order to write a letter like this? Otherwise it could come off as fake, right?
    • John experienced and understood Jesus so much that in his writing he communicates this intimacy to us
    • We are able to experience Jesus’s love through this writing
  • This writing was also a clear stance against the thinking of the day where many thought Jesus was not a real human being in the flesh: Docetism
    • When Jesus came back from the dead, he ate with his disciples in flesh and blood
    • Jesus allowed his disciples to touch his wounds
    • When we spend time with each other we can experience what it was like to be with Jesus in the flesh.
    • Some people in John’s time thought that the “flesh” was bad and therefore it doesn’t matter how we live in the flesh since only our belief matters
    • Many were using this thinking to give into fleshly desires of sin
  • 1 John 1: 5-10
    • We actually need to obey God’s word
    • What we DO actually matters
    • What are some examples of living one way, yet believing another?
      • Eg. engaging in living together with a significant other and not being married
      • Not walking in the light, not sharing our sins and getting help to get out of darkness
      • When we confess our sins we can get help and feel close to other believers
  • 1 John 2: 1-14
  • John 13: 34-35
    • What “new” Command is he referring to?
      • To love each other like Jesus loves us- he served us, he died for us, he acted as a slave for us
      • What does it look like to  love another person the way Jesus did?
    • Consider Leviticus 19
      • We are commanded to not hate in our heart but to also love and serve each other
      • We can be honest and open because we are already forgiven
      • Nothing can take us away from the love of God so we can be open and honest with who we are and where we are at
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Mar 09 2021
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Who is Satan?

Sunday Sermon Notes from February 28, 2021

WHO IS SATAN?

  • The very name can send chills into our spine. He is the enemy, prowling around looking for someone to devour. 
  • His name is Lucifer- the shiner of light, this was his only job in Heaven before he tried to take over
  • He steals our faith in God and tries to destroy our souls
  • Jesus wants us to be aware of Satan’s schemes and tricks. He attacks us when we are weak. He even went after Jesus when he was fasting for 40 days alone in the desert. 
  • When does Satan attack you?

Read Matthew 6:9-13

  • The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Don’t be too ashamed to ask for spiritual help. This will help you to overcome Satan. 
  • The word “Pray” in Hebrew has three characters: Pey-Lamed-Lamed
    • “PEY”- means mouth or to speak
    • “LAMED”- means a shepherd's staff, the voice of authority,
    •  “LAMED” is repeated as the third character in the word, meaning the “authority of authorities”
    • God seldom repeats himself, but in one word- PRAY he does
    • This is very important, everytime a word is repeated we need to pay close attention to it
  • When we pray-we are speaking to the authority of authorities, GOD Himself! The Great I AM. The Alpha and the Omega.
  • When we talk to God, the authority of all mankind we should realize what is happening and be respectful of who we are talking too.
  • The first thing Jesus teaches his disciples about praying: know who you are praying to, The Holy One!
  • Jesus also teaches his disciples to pray for help not to be tempted by the evil one because we may not make it back from temptation. The enemy, Satan, is relentless. He will keep coming back over and over again to tempt us. 
  • Do you consider yourself immune from temptation? Or beyond sinning?
  • We need to pray for our spouses, our brothers and sisters daily. We need to remember to confess our sins so they won’t fester and make us weak and unable to fight off Satan. 
  • God gives us prayer as a way to handle Satan and keep us from sin

Read Numbers 22:22

  • Balaam was stopped by the Angel of God  with a drawn sword because Balaam was acting as an adversary toward God. 
  • The Angel of God was there to oppose Balaam. He became an adversary of God. We can become God’s adversary when we are proud. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 
  • Satan is an adversary toward God and can manifest in many forms: a thing, a situation, any issue that is an adversary toward God. It can be finances or a relationship; anything that makes us lose focus on God.
  • God will oppose, remove or destroy any adversary toward Him. That is why we need to trust God.

Read James 4:7 and 1Cor 6:18

  • We should handle Satan with God’s word
  • Satan flees from God’s word
  • We need to flee from sexual sin and when Satan comes around, don’t play with him

Read Ephesians 6:10-20

  • Sometimes we need to stand firm against the enemy to fight and win
  • We need to be prepared with God’s armor first, in order to take a stand against Satan’s schemes
  • Praying, reading the bible, having christian relationships will keep our faith strong
  • When we are prepared, we have the upper advantage against Satan when he attacks

Read Isaiah 14:12

  • What do you think God thinks of Satan?

Read Revelation 20:7-9

  • Satan will be destroyed in the end
  • The Hebrew word for Satan has three characters:
    • “Sheen”- means God
    • “Tet”- means sin, addiction, snake or entwine
    • “Noon”- means life or activity
  • Therefore, Satan means: God destroys the enemy, then life comes!
  • Anyone or anything can become an adversary of God. God will destroy it to bring life
  • Jesus destroyed the enemy on the cross and brought us to life, to have a relationship with God.
  • Why does Jesus teach us to turn the other cheek instead of destroying our enemies?

Read Romans 12:18-19

  • Leave room for God to act and live at peace with each other
  • When we take revenge, we become an adversary of God 
  • God will even destroy us if we become his adversary
  • Remember the parable of the unmerciful servant

Read Psalm 110

  • God will take care of our enemies,so we can be free of hate
  • It is God’s job to make peace
  • When things become tough in our lives, we need to trust that God will take care of it and submit ourselves to his will

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