Restoring Wonder, Advent 4

SERMON NOTES:  

Wonder Tools:

1.       Wow!

2.       Jesus, I wonder what you ……… how you………?

3.       Enter the Presence and Provision of Jesus as we enter our problems,
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” 

4.       Wonder is Worship!

5.       “Jesus, My Yes is always on the table!”

Matthew 1 18 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. 19 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.

20 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. 21 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.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

God is growing Joseph into the man He needs him to be – into a YES man!

The more Joseph says “YES” the more wonder-full his life became!  He was learning to live expectantly!

What is God saying to you about your “YES” to Him?

How is Matthew restoring our wonder as he leads us to focus on two Names!

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

You are encouraged to use the daily Advent devotional booklet, “I Wonder as I Wander”, in addition to meditating on the following readings:

Monday – Matthew 1:18-25

Tuesday – Luke 2:1-20

Wednesday – John 1:18

Thursday –  Isaiah 7:14, 9:1-7

Friday – Galatians 4:1-7

Saturday – Psalm 113

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Restoring Wonder, Advent 3

SERMON NOTES:  

Wonder Tools:

1.       Wow!

2.       Jesus, I wonder what you ……… how you………?

3.       Enter the Presence and Provision of Jesus as we enter our problems,
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” 

4.       Worship in Wonder

Luke 1 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 
61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”
 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

A Wonder-full life is a life of practical faith in Jesus …

… with tangible acts of obedience

... unlocking new vistas of wonder

… resulting in fresh dimensions of praise!

Wonder Tool:

5.       “Jesus, you already have my YES!”

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

You are encouraged to use the daily Advent devotional booklet, “I Wonder as I Wander”, in addition to meditating on the following readings:

Monday – Luke 1:57-66

Tuesday – Luke 1:67-80

Wednesday – John 14:15-21

Thursday –  John 14:22-31

Friday – Hebrews 11:1-16

Saturday – Psalm 111

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Restoring Wonder, Advent 2

SERMON NOTES:  

Luke 1 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Humility is the path of the life of wonder. 

We wonder at humility and we wonder with humility.

Mary’s humility was preceded by the humility of God.   Enter and be ravished by wonder.

Wonder Tools:

1.       Wow!

2.       Jesus, I wonder what you ……… how………

3.       Enter the Presence and Provision of Jesus as you enter your problem,
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” 

4.       Worship in Wonder

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

You are encouraged to use the daily Advent devotional booklet, “I Wonder as I Wander”, in addition to meditating on the following readings:

Monday – Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday – Luke 1:39-45

Wednesday – Luke 1:46-56

Thursday –  Philippians 2:1-11

Friday – 1 Peter 5:5-11

Saturday – Psalm 51

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Restoring Wonder, Advent 1

SERMON NOTES:  

Wonder?

Luke 1 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
8 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Wonder is:        

- restored as we engage the story in all its depths and details,

- faith’s weapon to battle fear,

- comfortable with mystery allowing for God possibilities,

- targeted by the enemy! 

Wonder Tools:

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

You are encouraged to use the daily Advent devotional booklet, “I Wonder as I Wander”, in addition to meditating on the following readings:

Monday – Luke 1:1-10

Tuesday – Luke 1:11-25

Wednesday – Colossians 1:13-22

Thursday –  Revelation 5:6-14

Friday – Malachi 4:1-6

Saturday – Psalm 148

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Eucharisteo, Part 2

SERMON NOTES:  

Am I a thankful person?   Do I need to be?

Eucharisteo (giving thanks) is the way of living with the living God

because within Eucharisteo is charis (grace)

and within charis is chara (joy)!

1 Thessalonians 5 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Eucharisteo as a way of life has enemies.  (That is why it is hard and takes effort.)

Genesis 3  5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

Satan is the ultimate ingrate …. and our “sinful nature” selves naturally follow his lead.

Eucharisteo powerfully strengthens our “in Christ” selves and weakens our “sinful nature” selves.

Eucharisteo takes time, intentionality, rhythm, practice, tools, encouragement, …  and the result is JOY!

Psalm 116 12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord…17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

The readings this week:

Monday – Psalm 116

Tuesday – Psalm 69:29-36

Wednesday – Romans 12:1-2

Thursday –  1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Friday – Romans 1:20-22

Saturday – Psalm 136

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Eucharisteo

SERMON NOTES:  

Am I a thankful person?   Do I need to be?

Luke 17 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Eucharisteo – “give thanks” … Jesus revealed that life lived to the full is a life full of eucharisteo.

Mark 6 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people.
Mark 14 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Eucharisteo is the way of living with the living God

because within Eucharisteo is charis (grace)

and within charis is chara (joy)!

Joy is the realist reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped.
God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy!
Ann Voskamp – One Thousand Gifts

1 Thessalonians 5 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

The readings this week:

Monday – Luke 17:11-19

Tuesday – Ephesians 5:15-20

Wednesday – Philippians 4:4-7

Thursday –  Colossians 3:15-17

Friday – Psalm 107:1-31

Saturday – Psalm 118

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

go for more... don't settle, Part 6 "SOUL THIRST"

SERMON NOTES:  

The whole idea of “going for more”?        Luke 10:38 – 11:13

“Going for more” is asking for more life in Him, more of Him in us and more of His working in our lives .” 

Luke 11 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. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Of all the needs we could use God’s help with why does Jesus encourage us to ask for the Holy Spirit?

John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Ezekiel 47  8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 

Is my soul thirsty?

Where do I go with my soul thirst?

How do I drink from Jesus?

Awareness of “soul thirst” and knowing how to “drink” from Jesus is a revolutionary way to live!

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

The readings this week:

Monday – Ephesians 6:18-20

Tuesday – Ephesians 1:15-23

Wednesday – Ephesians 3:14-21

Thursday –  Colossians 4:2-6

Friday – Acts 4:8-31

Saturday – Psalm 27

Got questions? Continue the discussion. Follow the link @ https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

go for more... don't settle, Part 5 "going for more for others"

SERMON NOTES:  

The whole idea of “going for more”?        Luke 10:38 – 11:13

11 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,  for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 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…

“Going for more” is asking for more life in Him, more of Him in us and more of His working in our lives
and world.  We get to have an effect on His “more-ness” in our lives and in the lives of others.

          “ how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”- Jesus

Intercession – Our prayers matter!      “Devote yourselves to prayer…   And pray for us, too,” –  Apostle Paul

Get Informed – engaging with the facts!

Get Inspired – engaging with God’s word!

Get Indignant – engaging with your heart!

Get Insync – engaging with the saints!

Hebrews 13 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Study Guide

Solitude, Scripture & Prayer 

Find a quiet place and 15 minutes.

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone.  Take some deep breaths… Just be… … …”Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word!”

Scripture – Read slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! 

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?”  Talk about what you notice is on your heart.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God

The readings this week:

Monday – Ephesians 6:18-20

Tuesday – Ephesians 1:15-23

Wednesday – Ephesians 3:14-21

Thursday –  Colossians 4:2-6

Friday – Acts 4:8-31

Saturday – Psalm 27

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7