"Core Value #4 - Unconnected People!"

What are Core Values and why are they important for us as Point of Grace?

Core Values are known by how they are demonstrated!  They reveal the heart, character and priorities of a church!  They help answer the question, “Why do we do what we do?”

#1—Tangible Grace!

#2— Relentless Dependence!

#3— Personal Transformation!

#4— Unconnected People!

What does it mean to highly value Unconnected People?

“Jesus reached out to all people, including the least and the lost, and as His ambassadors so should we!” 
                          -Point of Grace Vision Frame-

2 Corinthians 5
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. 
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What compels us to highly value Unconnected People?

What’s our new lens to look at people through?

What is our message to those Unconnected from God and His church?

What is my church’s passionate plea?

How can I help my church highly value Unconnected people?

I can start by praying for Unconnected people I know!
1__________________________
2__________________________
3__________________________
4__________________________
5__________________________
My 5X5 list!  (5 people far from God I pray for 5 times a week!)

Then, I can respond to opportunities God creates to talk with them, serve them, listen to them, help them, invite them to Alpha  etc.

The possibilities are endless!  

Jesus, You have a heart for Unconnected people and as your follower  You have given me that same heart.  The problem is my heart of love and compassion which desires people to get connected to You often gets covered up with my own agenda and the general craziness of life.  
Right now I deliberately slow down and ask you to bring to life Your heart in me.  I want live out of You living in me!  I  want to see what You see and see who You see and see how You see them!   
Please use me to help someone who  is Unconnected from You to get connected to You this year!  
Amen

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         Romans 12:1-2
Tuesday:         John 10:9-10
Wednesday:    Philippians 2:12-13      
Thursday:       Galatians 5:19-25
Friday:            Romans 2:3-4
Saturday:        Psalm 51:1-12

"Core Value #3 - Personal Transformation!"

What are Core Values and why are they important for us as Point of Grace?

Core Values are known by how they are demonstrated!

#1 - Tangible Grace

#2— Relentless Dependence

#3— Personal Transformation

What is it?

Why do we value it?

How can I be a part? 

Jesus changes lives and we desire every person to experience all the life-change He intends! 

  John 10 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 Romans 12  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 Philippians 2 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

 Galatians 5
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  

God powers transformation we don’t ……

but we definitely participate!

 Grace + Truth over Time =  Transformation!  

“God loves us just the way we are and too much to leave us the way we are!”

Tension?  

Hope!

 My Transformation Story 

How has God changed me?

How is God changing me now?

How does He desire to change me?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         Romans 12:1-2
Tuesday:         John 10:9-10
Wednesday:    Philippians 2:12-13      
Thursday:       Galatians 5:19-25
Friday:            Romans 2:3-4
Saturday:        Psalm 51:1-12

"Core Value #2 - Relentless Dependence!"

What are Core Values and why are they important for us as Point of Grace?  

Core Values are known by how they are demonstrated! 

#1- Tangible Grace

#2— Relentless Dependence describes the life of
          faith in the one true God!

            “Faith is an “all in” radical reliance on God who:

· speaks authoritatively in His Word,

· is actively present by His Spirit,

· and radically available through Prayer!” 

John 15 Jesus said “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

  Relentless dependence is demonstrated at PoG in our unwavering trust in the Scriptures as God’s living word and the source and standard for our beliefs, teaching and life!”

John 8
31 So Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

Psalm 119
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

 Relentless dependence is also demonstrated at PoG as we rely fully on the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity among us— “If He doesn’t show we are toast”!

John 7 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living
water” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive!

Ephesians 5 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit

Galatians 5 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; ... If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

  Relentless dependence is also demonstrated at PoG by a vibrant prayer culture which calls us to,
“Pray First, Pray Now, Pray Bold and Pray Through!” 

Luke 11 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Luke 18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

Ephesians 6 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         John 15:4-8
Tuesday:         Psalm 119:103-108
Wednesday:    John 7:37-39      
Thursday:        Luke 11:5-13
Friday:            Psalm 119:9-16
Saturday:        Psalm 119:33-40

"Core Value #1 - Tangible Grace!"

What are Core Values and why are they important for Point of Grace?

 What is Grace?

 “Grace describes God’s disposition of  ‘unmerited favor’ toward sinful humanity!  It is core to God’s heart!”

 What is “Tangible Grace”?

           - It is grace expressed! 
           - It makes forgiveness, life and salvation possible!

 Ephesians 2 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Titus 3 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior

 Luke 15 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

 God’s church puts God’s heart of grace on display !

 God’s grace -

            - Gives value that is undeserved!

             - Is risky!

             - Is hard, especially as it complements truth!

             - Makes transformation possible! 
               Grace gives hope!

 WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         Ephesians 2:8-10
Tuesday:         Titus 3:4-7
Wednesday:    Luke 15:17-24      
Thursday:        Romans 2:3-5  
Friday:            John 1:14-18
Saturday:        Psalm 18:1-6