Life Apps - Part 6

THE ENCOURAGEMENT APP

There is a ratio in your conversations.

The problem with encouragement is that it is't urgent.

Three circles of conversation:
    - Inner
    - Influence
    - Life

A conversation is an opportunity.

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.  Proverbs 11:24 NLT

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.  Proverbs 11:25 NLT

MEN:  Do I have what it takes? Am I good enough?  Am I respected?

WOMEN:  Does he notice me? Does he think I'm pretty? Am I special?

How are you doing?    
What are you doing?

Encouragement is never small.

What about me?

Many people don’t feel good enough about themselves to let you feel good enough about yourself.

Refresh others and you will be refreshed.

This is a principle, not a promise.

Homework:  Change your ratios!

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  James 1:22 NLT

Application makes all the difference!

Life Apps - Part 5

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud. 1 Cor. 13:4 NLT

Or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 1 Cor. 13:5 NLT

It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 1 Cor. 13:6 NLT

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  1 Cor. 13:7 NLT

Love gives the other person the benefit of the doubt

Love looks for the most generous explanation for the other person’s behavior

Love chooses trust over suspicion.

We decide what goes in the gap.

TIP:  In healthy relationships, both parties go to ridiculous extremes to believe the best.

There is nothing to gain by refusing to trust.

When you can't choose to trust, you must choose to confront.

The moment there is a gap, have a conversation.

5 commitments:
-When there's a gap between what I expected and what I experienced, I will believe the best.
-When other people assume the worst about you, I will come to your defense.
-If what I experience begins to erode my trust, I am coming directly to you.
-When I am convinced I will not be able to deliver on a promise, I will tell you ahead of time.
-When you confront me about the gaps I have created, I will tell you the truth.

What can you do to break the cycle of mistrust?

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.  Luke 6:31 NLT

Life Apps - Part 4

Trying to outsmart God is a sin.

We belief the primary purpose of confession is conscience relief

Genuine confession serves as the first step towards repentance and reconciliation

Genuine confession leads to genuine change

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.  Numbers 5:5-6 NLT

They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged. Numbers 5:7 NLT
        Repentance
        Reconciliation
        Restitution

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”  Luke 19:8 NLT

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.  Luke 19:9 NLT

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  James 5:16 NLT

We fear consequences of confession more than we fear consequences of concealment.

Homework: What and who do I need to tell?

Life Apps - Part 3

THE REST APP

Is life robbing you of the joy of life?

Push back / Fight back

There's no neutrality 

When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”  1 Kings 19:1-2 NLT

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.  1 Kings 19:3 NLT

When the circumstances of life get bigger and bigger, God gets smaller and smaller. 

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 1 Kings 19:4 NLT

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” 1 Kings 19:5-7 NLT

So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.  There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.  1 Kings 19:8-9 NLT

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.  After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.  Matthew 14:22-23 NLT

Your life moves to a better place when you move at a sustainable pace.
Tip One:  24 Hour Sabbath
Tip Two:  Sleeping Aids
Tip Three:  Quarterly Recharging

Rest is always associated with trust.

Homework:
Evaluate...Is my current life-pace sustainable?

Life Apps - Part 2

THE FORGIVENESS APP

God stands ready to help you release the grip of the grudge

Forgiveness works better than grudge holding

Start with the cross

What Rome knew is that once you experienced someone dying on a cross, you’ll never ever forget it.  

What God knew is that once you come face-to-face with the Savior of the world crucified, you will never ever forget it.

We are not just recipients but distributors of God’s grace and forgiveness

Forgiven people forgive  

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Romans 12:17 NLT

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  Romans 12:18 NLT

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.  Romans 12:19 NLT

Instead,“If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”   Romans 12:20 NLT

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.  Romans 12:21 NLT

Forgiveness is aggressive  

How to apply the life app of forgiveness:
    -embrace God’s forgiveness of you
    -forgiven people forgive
    -let God avenge you
    -overcome evil with good

Life Apps - Part 1

Application is Everything

Application makes all the difference.

The New Testament authors assumed a relationship with God.

The New Testament says that insiders are not supposed to judge outsiders.

If you are a Jesus follower, you really need to pay attention.  If you're not, you get a free pass.

It's what you do that matters.

Believing without behaving is the same as not believing.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  James 1:22 NLT

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  James 1:23 NLT

You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  James 1:24 NLT

You're more committed to things that don't make that big of a difference than you are to the things that make the difference.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  James 1:25 NLT

The Word of God is freedom-giving if you trust.

In the application there is liberty and you don't know it initially but you experience it eventually.

Application makes all the difference.

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Matthew 7:24 NLT

Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.  Matthew 7:25 NLT

Your Church

YOUR CHURCH

Our non-negotiable:  to draw people to Jesus

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.”  Acts 15:13 NLT

And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.  Acts 15:19 NLT

We are a church that unchurched people love to attend.

You are our church.

Following Jesus makes your life better and makes you better at life.

Mandate:  Assume guests are in the room

1. What do they see?
Do our facilities look like we are expecting guests and their children?
Do guests see themselves?

2.  What do they hear?
    Do we have a good reputation in the community?
    Is the communication engaging?
    Is the content helpful?

3.  What do they experience?
     Was it genuine?
     Did we show respect for the values and views of our guests?

It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 1 Corinthians 5:12 NLT

We should be attractive not coercive.

God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. Romans 2:4 HCSB    

Did we respond quickly, directly, and personally?

Will we all be a church that unchurched people love to attend?

Beginning Again - Easter

BEGINNING AGAIN

We believe Jesus rose from the dead not because the Bible says so.

We believe Jesus rose from the dead because of social media.

Q:  Do you know why Nero could persecute Christians in Rome 30 years after the resurrection?

A:  There were thousands of Christians who believe Jesus rose from the dead in the city of Rome and this was long before there was a Bible.

Everybody unfollowed Jesus.

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  John 20:1 NLT

Nobody expected no body.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”  John 20:2 NLT

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.  She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.  John 20:11-12 NLT

“Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  John 20:13 NLT

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.  John 20:14 NLT

“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”  John 20:15 NLT

 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).  John 20:16 NLT

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”  John 20:17 NLT

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.  John 20:18 NLT

Because of the resurrection: 
-you can pray knowing that God hears your prayers.
-you can live knowing there’s life beyond this life.
-you can sacrifice knowing that your faithfulness matters.
-if you have never put your faith in Christ your Savior, you should consider it.

Who is Jesus?  He's exactly who He claimed 

to be - Savior & Lord!