Follow Me2 Peter 1:3-16 (NIV)“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Keep on Growing! We Have the Inheritance. Deuteronomy 4:20 (KJV)”But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.” Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)“In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”  We Have Access to God’s Nature! Seven Qualities•                Virtue•                Knowledge•                Self-control•                Steadfastness•                Godliness•                Brotherly Affection•                Love Love Exodus 20:18-21 (ESV)“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not si

Follow Me // Mark Davies

The Way of Wisdom James 3:13-18 (ESV)“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” The wisdom of man:
Earthly/Worldly
Unspiritual 
Demonic 
 James 3:15“This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (ESV)The fruit of the wisdom of man:James 3:14“bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth” (ESV)
Envy
Selfish Ambition
Boasting
 The result of the wisdom of man:James 3:16 “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (NKJV)The wisdom of God:1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…”  James 3:17“the wisdom that comes from heaven” (NIV) Decisions made from God's wisdom:
Pure 
Peace loving 
Considerate 
Submissive
Full of mercy
Full of good fruit
Impartial
Sincere  
 James 3:18“will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (NLT)James 1:5 (ESV)“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." 

The Way of Wisdom // Jason King

Don’t Go Back, But Do Go On  Hebrews 6:6 (NIV)“…they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”  Hebrews 11:1-40 (NIV)"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.  By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.  By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: 'He could not be found, because God had taken him away.' For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.  All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and wors

Don’t Go Back, But Do Go On // Jason King

The Influencers of your Steps Galatians 5:25 (NIV) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The influencers of your steps The culture of the god of this worldEphesians 2:2-3 (ESV)“you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ”1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”Romans 12:2 (ESV)“do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”Ephesians 5:25-26 (ESV)"…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”2 Timothy 3 (ESV)“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings… Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)“we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appe

The Influencers of your Steps // Jason King

The Power of Firsts Leviticus 23:10 (NKJV)‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.” Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV)“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” Ezekiel 44:30 (NKJV)“The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.” Genesis 4:3-5 (NKJV)“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” Romans 11:16 (NKJV)“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” 

The Power of Firsts // Jason King

The Story of Christmas in Four Phrases 1.      God with us.Matthew 1:23 (NIV)“the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[which means “God with us”]. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”2.      God for us. Luke 19:10 (ESV)“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Titus 2:14 (NIV)“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” John 3:16-17 (ESV)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 10:18 (NIV)“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again…”  3.      God in us.2 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV)“[God] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Colossians 1:27 (NIV)“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)“…your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 4.     Us with God.Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,  Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”Revelation 22:20 (ESV)“Surely I am coming soon.”

The Story of Christmas in Four Phrases // Jason King

Romans 7:5 (NIV)“For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.”James 2:10 (ESV)“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” Romans 9:1 (NIV)“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel.”Has God's word failed?  God’s Plan of Salvation for the World  Chapter 9: It’s been the same from the beginning.   Romans 9:6 (NIV)“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”Romans 9:8 (NIV)“it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.Galatians 3:16 (NIV)“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”Romans 9:17-18 (NIV)“For Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.’”  Chapter 10: God’s plan has succeeded.   Romans 10:4 (ESV)“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.” Chapter 11: God’s plan will continue to succeed. Romans 11:9-10 (ESV)“Let their table become a snare and a trap,                   a stumbling block and a retribution for them;let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,                   and bend their backs forever.” Romans 11:11 (ESV)So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”Romans 11:13 (ESV)“I magnify my ministry in order to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them.”Romans 11:25 (ESV)“a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved”Romans 9:6 (ESV)“For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” 

God’s Plan of Salvation for the World // Jason King

The Impact of Your Life  Acts 17: 1-7 (ESV)“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”Acts 16:16-19 (NIV)“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.”

The Impact of Your Life // Jason King

Descriptions of a Healthy Church Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)“go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”Matthew 18:20 (NIV)“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”Acts 2:38-41 (NIV)“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”Descriptions of a healthy church1.      Devotion to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.Acts 2:14 (ESV)“Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them”Acts 2:42 (ESV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching”2.      Devotion to one another.Romans 12:10 (ESV)“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”Galatians 5:13 (NIV)"serve one another humbly in love.”James 4:11 (NIV)“do not slander one another.”1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)“clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”3.      Devotion to God’s flow of leadership. 1 Peter 5:2-4 (NIV)“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Descriptions of a Healthy Church // Jason King

Peter Three Noteworthy Characteristics 1.     Peter Spoke his mind, even when no one else would. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:13-19 2.    Peter was zealous.Zeal = emotionally reacting without thinking about the consequencesAnd he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. Mark 8:31-33 3.    Peter was H.O.T.Humble, Open, and TeachableGod opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5 Humility = Deep awareness of one’s own “littleness” For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service]. Romans 12:3 (AMP) Humbition = Humble, God-oriented ambition For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Question to ponder: Where in your thinking, speaking, and acting do you need to humbly invite the Holy Spirit to teach you, returning to a simple and genuine child-like faith?

Peter // Mark Davies

Thankfulness in Difficulty // Abundant Gratitude in Lack Three Fruits of Thankfulness 1.      Protected from Impurity But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. [Ephesians 5:3-4] a)     Gratitude and Greed cannot coexist  b)     “Gratitude looks to the past, and love to the present; fear, greed, lust, and ambition look ahead.” - C.S. Lewis 2.      An Uplifted Heart How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:1-6 3.      A more Enjoyable Person to be Around   Pastor: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31 ALL: Lord God, our hearts overflow with gratitude! Thank you for life, it is such a beautiful gift! Father, it's clear to us that when we choose to go our own way, we end up in darkness and despair. Mature us, Lord! Teach us to stay close to you. Pastor:God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your Word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.  You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your Word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.  True to your Word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.  You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. Psalms 23:1-6 (MSG)  ALL: Yes, Lord, we agree with your Word. You are our good shepherd, leading us and having everything we need each day.   Pastor:In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In h

Thankfulness in Difficulty // Abundant Gratitude in Lack // Mark Davies

The Finished Work of the Cross John 19:17-30 (NLT) “Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said,  “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  What did Jesus finish on the cross?  1. The curse of sin.  Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Galatians 3:13 (ESV) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— Isaiah 43:25 (NIV) "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”  1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness;”  2. Mankind's separation from God. Matthew 27:51 (NIV) “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”  Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and fi

The Finished Work of the Cross // Jason King

You Matter To God  Mark 5:24-34 (ESV)“a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.”Malachi 4:1-2 (ESV)"the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)“But he was pierced for our transgressions,    he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him,    and by his wounds we are healed.” Psalm 103:1-6 (ESV)“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” 

You Matter To God // Jason King

Being Right with God Matthew 5:1 (ESV)“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”Matthew 5:17 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”Matthew 5:18-20 (ESV)“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 23:25 (NIV)“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:26 (NIV)“Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matthew 23:27-28 (NIV)“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”John 1:12-13 (NLT)“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” 2 Corinthian 5:21 (NIV)“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Philippians 3:9 (NIV)“[I am] found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” 

Being Right with God // Jason King

The virgin birth, does it really matter?  Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” [which means “God with us”]. Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” [which means “God with us”].When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”Genesis 3:15 (NIV)“I will put enmity    between you and the woman,    and between your offspring and hers;he will crush your head,    and you will strike his heel.” Galatians 4: 4-5 (ESV)“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The virgin birth, does it really matter? // Jason King

Salvation Is Here Matthew 1:1-17 Verse 1“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah” Jesus is… 1.      The one sent to save us from our sins. Matthew 1:20-21 (NLT)“Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 2.      The one who came for the morally outcast.  John 3:16”God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 3.        The one who came to bless the world.  Verse 1"This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” Genesis 12:2b-3b (NIV)“I will make your name great and you will be a blessing… and all the peoples on the earth will be blessed through you” Galatians 3:16 (NIV)“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” Colossians 1:16 (NIV)“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 

Salvation Is Here // Jason King

The book of JonahMatthew 12:40 (ESV)“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”Jonah 1:1-2 (ESV)“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah… saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”Jonah 1:3 (ESV)“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”Jonah 1:4 (ESV)“the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea”Jonah 1:5 (NIV)“Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.”Jonah 1:9-10 (ESV)“I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.”Jonah 1:11-12 (ESV) “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”Jonah 1:15 (ESV)“So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.”Jonah 1:17a (ESV)“the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.” Jonah 1:17b (ESV)“And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”Jonah 2:6 (ESV)“you brought up my life from the pit,    O Lord my God.” Jonah 2:7-9 (ESV)“When my life was fainting away,    I remembered the Lord,and my prayer came to you…what I have vowed I will pay.    Salvation belongs to the Lord!” Jonah 2:10 (ESV)“the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land”Jonah 3:1-3 (ESV)“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh”Jonah 3:4 (ESV)“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:8 (ESV)“Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands”Jonah 3:10 (ESV)“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”Acts 3:19-20 (ESV)“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”1 John 1:9 (NIV)“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”Jonah 4:2-4 (ESV)“O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I

The book of Jonah // Jason King

The Book of Hosea:The holiness and heart of God. Hosea 1:1 (ESV)“The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.”Hosea 4:1a (ESV)“Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,    for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.” Hosea 4:1b-3a (ESV)“There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,    and no knowledge of God in the land;there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.Therefore the land mourns…” Hosea 4:11 (ESV)“whoredom, wine, and new wine,    which take away the understanding.” Hosea 4:12 (ESV)“My people inquire of a piece of wood,    and their walking staff gives them oracles.For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,    and they have left their God to play the whore.” Hosea 4:17 (ESV)“Ephraim is joined to idols;    leave him alone.” Hosea 4:18 (ESV)“When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;    their rulers dearly love shame.” Hosea 13:2 (ESV)"they sin more and more,    and make for themselves metal images” Hosea 1:2-3 (ESV)“the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer…and she conceived and bore him a son.”Hosea 3:1-2 (ESV)“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech [3 bushel] of barley.”Hosea 3:4 (ESV)“For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods."Hosea 3:5 (ESV)“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.”Hosea 2:14-17 (ESV)“I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.And there I will give her her vineyards    and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.”Hosea 6:1-2 (ESV)"Come, let us return to the Lord;    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us;    on the third day he will raise us up,    that we may live before him.” 1 Corinthians 15:4 (ESV)“he was buried, tha

The Book of Hosea: The holiness and heart of God // Jason King

Crucified Life // Salik Barkat

Receiving Your Restoration  Psalm 51:16-17 (NIV)You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;    a broken and contrite heart    you, God, will not despise. Receiving your restoration  Psalm 51:10 (ESV)“Create in me a pure heart, O God,    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The result of our honest and specific confession before God. 1.      God re-creates our heart.2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)“…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”2.      God reestablishes our joy.Psalm 51:12 (ESV)“Restore to me the joy of your salvation…”3.      Re-experience communion with God. Psalm 51:12 (NIV)“grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” 4.     Re-ignition of our calling. Psalm 51:13 (NIV)“Then I will teach transgressors your ways,so that sinners will turn back to you.” 5.      Releasing of our worship. Psalm 51:14-15 (NIV)“Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,you who are God my Savior,and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.Open my lips, Lord,and my mouth will declare your praise.” 6.     Restoration of your confidence.Psalm 51:18 (NIV)“May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.”

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