Acts Sunday, the Will of God

Pastor Booker 

The Will of God 

When our submission to Scripture turns from self-exalting to Jesus exalting, we begin to understand the will of God. 

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 

95% of our life is unpremeditated. In other words, we are acting out before we think. 

Luke 6:45 - out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 

God is more concerned about your character, heart, and transformation than about our knowledge of His will. 

I'd like to hear the Biblical basis for that. It sounds like He's putting words in God's mouth. *shrugs* 

We want to know the answer so we can move forward. God wants us to move forward so we can be in the answer. 

We want a crystal ball more than we want transformation. We don't want to just sit at Jesus' feet and say take my life. 

I wanna sit at Your feet

Drink from the cup in Your hand 

Lay back against You and breathe 

Feel Your heartbeat

This love is so deep

It's more than I can stand 

I melt in Your peace 

It's overwhelming 

How do we get our heart in the right place so we're making the right decisions? 

We have to train to hear His voice. Are we near the Shepherd? 

There is a lot to pray about. 

Don't be concerned with where you're going, just be concerned that it's with Jesus. 

One for all? Nope, all for One.

Pastor Booker Acts Sunday 

Matthew 5:14 

The church is many. You cannot light up the whole world with one candle. 

Acts 2:42-47

They broke bread together - they were called to be a light together. 

There is something wrong with our culture that values our individualism, and often we place very little value on the body of Christ. "Identity" always has to do with the individual. It continues to be a crisis because we're looking at identity from the wrong perspective. The identity of the community should be elevated above the identity of the individual (interesting, because of the game theory thing that says if you consider the importance of the group as a whole instead of your own personal interests, you might end up better off than simply "every man for himself" might make you.) essentially, selflessness. We focus so much on ourselves and we don't take into consideration OTHERS, even if they are in our group. 

Do we value personal identity over community relationships? 

It's hard for us to imagine valuing the community over ourselves because it's so ingrained in our culture. We have very little corporate identity. 

A quarterback's goal is for the TEAM to win, not for himself to win MVP or to get 50 touchdowns or something like that. 

2 Samuel 15:18

Our ability to be the bride of Christ is directly tied to our ability to do great things. The more we're together, the more we accomplish. 

"Omari is better than the rest of us."

-- Pastor Booker 

As amazing as he is, he can accomplish more with the people than he can on his own. 

Other cultures realize the importance of the community. 

(unrelated, I think there is a major number of problems in the US that sets us apart from other countries. It makes me wonder what role we will play in the end times, and where we appear in Scripture. Unless the US doesn't even exist when the Tribulation begins. Somehow. Hmm.)

Romans 12:1 

Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your body as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. 

Go on to read verses two and three. 

Romans 12:3

THIS VERSE ENCOMPASSES BOTH WHAT I LEARNED AT BR'S ABOUT HUMILITY AND ALSO IN GREAT TEXTS ABOUT BEING A WATER BOTTLE OH MY GOODNESS

It's literally TELLING us to be humble. To not think of ourselves as higher than we are - it's not telling us to think lowly of ourself or to recognize that we are of less important than the people around us. Not at all. It's saying to think of yourself with SOBER JUDGEMENT. THATS HUMILITY. 

And the water bottle thing, it says IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURE OF FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. He's given us each a certain amount of faith. But He fills us to completion - none of us are lacking His presence in ANYTHING. But some of us may have more faith than others because it's what God has apportioned us - it also doesn't mean our faith can't GROW. But we won't be at the same level as everyone else. 

Harris Creek, the Dreamer

Brady Herbert

Genesis 37:1-11

Why are we focusing on this story? 

The story of Joseph stands out in Scripture because: 

1. It covers a lot of material; 14 chapters. It answers an important question from Genesis 12 (verses 1-5 where God restarts His relationship with humanity through Abraham). The first part of the blessing was through Abraham and Isaac, then Isaac has Jacob and Esau. Through Jacob another promise is fulfilled because his descendants turn into a great nation (12 sons...the 12 tribes of Israel) AND the question: will God bless these people so that they can be a blessing to the all peoples on earth? 

2. The way that God chooses to work in the story of Joseph. It's much different than how He works up until this point. He speaks very directly to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob but that's not the case in the story of Joseph. He works in a different way. He works behind the scenes. 

What is common for believers today is to feel like God is absent. I wonder why this is? Is this our fault? I mean is it a result of our own incompetence of the proper way to worship and carry on relationship with Him? 

Genesis 37:1-4

The story of Joseph. 

"Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons." 

Well that creates angst right here. And then he goes and makes him an ornate robe. 

What the first four verses tell us is that Joseph is a little immature. He's 17, and a little spoiled, and he's also a tattletale. He brought his father a bad report about the brothers. 

I dont know about that. A tattletale? Mmmmmm. I question it. I mean, there's a difference between a tattletale and someone simply wanting to tell the owner of the sheep if his brothers are not working properly. In some cases that's okay. I don't really see the idea that he's this millennial spoiled brat but... Eh. 

What was actually important about this robe was not the color or decoration, but the length of the sleeves. If you have longer sleeves you are in upper management. Just like scrubs show you're a member of the medical profession - someone will longer sleeves makes it clear that they are boss or manager of everyone working in the field. 

Basically, the intern gets promoted to boss. 

Verses 5-11

I feel it's very hard to actually determine Joseph's attitude throughout this. He told his brothers and his father the dream... But if he really had the dream, then he could have either been bragging or he could have honestly been saying hey this is what I dreamed. 

Okay, so I think he probably was aware of all the bonuses he was getting, and he was aware of him being kinda over his brothers - probably a little prideful, and a little smug sometimes - 

The pastor says that the way it's communicated is where we see some immaturity. He says "look" three times; he thinks his brothers will be excited about this but they really hate him and are probably not listening to him.  

There is an inane about of depth in this story. We could spend a lot of time talking about the human error in this story, but if we end there we'll miss the point the text is trying to tell us. 

Joel 2:28

"I will pour out my Spirit on all people"

Peter in Acts quotes it and one of the primary ways God works. 

When God shows up in this way for this purpose it's up to us to respond faithfully to these dreams. 

Dreams will disturb our reality. 

"The dream is the unsettling work of Yahweh, it's unsettling things in Joseph's life and the world around him. It's saying that the present reality will not work any longer. That's perceived as threatening by people who are in control." 

There are people that LIKE the current setup. 

Any God-given dream will create conflict in your life, and it will cost you dearly. It's tempting to ignore these visions from God because of the pain that goes with it. 

You have no idea what the end game is when God gives you a vision for your life. Those dreams are not just for ourselves. 

The question we have to address is this:

Is there a God-sized dream that you've been given that you've either set to the side or given up on altogether? 

...what is my dream? 

Nathan asked me that once. I didn't have an answer. 

"The dream gives definition to our lives and influences the steps we take. Daily we make choices that are either in alignment with or contrary to our dream. God has given us a dream for our lives and that's no accident." 

Quiet Times, Acts Sunday

Omari Head 

THE LAST ONE 

(Until next year.) 

Matthew 5:14

You are the light of the world. 

How to spend time with Jesus. 

The very thing that got us freedom keeps us free. Why do we always forget that? 

Mark 1:35-39

It's really. Really. Really important to have a quiet time. Wahh. I've always struggled with it. And it has to be in the MORNING. 

There are no distractions. I have to set aside that time. 

"He went off to a solitary place", so he went to the place he could focus. Where he was alone and away from the noise of life. 

Matthew 6:5-8

The hypocrites would pray in public in the synagogues. Don't pray for the advantage of others seeing you pray. You should want to pray because you want to talk to God, and it shouldn't matter that nobody knows you're doing it. It's your relationship with Him, not mankind, that should be growing. 

I violently wish I could express in words how glorious and beautiful God is, and how I see Him in each little thing I come across. In my friends, in the leaf that falls and hits me on the head when I'm hammocking, in the clouds, in thinking about the tiny little processes going on in the blade of grass that I use to whistle. He just pervades His creation with this strength that I can't explain, and I can't explain how I'm reminded of Him and how He loves us constantly. It hits me so hard but no matter how I try the words I say don't do Him justice, because no words can, but... I just want to sit in His presence and appreciate it all. Appreciate His massive love for us and the way He reveals Himself in the subtle subtle ways that so often we look over. 

Anyway. 

When you are light... Light is meant to be seen. It's meant to guide others. Are we walking as light? 

When I'm before people, am I light? 

When I'm with Jesus and nobody else, am I light? 

Ooh I love Jesus Calling. 

Five minutes with the Lord. 

1. Thank God. For everything. 

2. Praise God. Declare who the Lord is. (ABC's)

---those first two things put Him on the throne, and humbles us---

3. Confession. Ask for forgiveness. 

4. Pray for others. 

5. Listen to the Lord. 

Acts, On Freedom and Bondage

Pastor Booker

Acts Sunday 

I wanna sit at Your feet

Drink from the cup in your hand

Lay back against You and breathe

Feel your heartbeat

This love is so deep

It's more than I can stand

I melt in Your peace, it's overwhelming 

Ramah is going to Israel! 

2 Samuel 7:23 

Jeremiah 30

In the last 100 years, SO many prophecies about Israel have been fulfilled. WWII re-established the nation of Israel. 

Romans 1:16

YOU are the light of the world. 

We have a certain way we should live our life - for the love of God to flow out of us. 

How do we get ourselves there? 

It's not just learning it. Sometimes there are things that need to happen in our lives to make us free enough to set other people free. Now, we will never be truly free until we see JESUS. The best Christians we know still have issues - but freedom is a big deal, the more we have of it the more JESUS flows through us. 

Our freedom will be the result of what we choose to believe, what we confess, what we forgive, what we renounce, and what we forsake. And NO ONE can do those things for us. We have to change our thinking. Our minds have to be constantly transformed by the truth of God's word. Too many Christians accept salvation without transformation. 

What are you holding onto of the old life and the old thinking that you are simultaneously trying to carry along with your life with Christ? 

Without acknowledgement that there is an enemy and we are in a battle, we are still in bondage. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy in our lives. 

We're free, but we keep walking back into bondage! What we do when we walk out the doors is what shows if we can maintain that freedom. 

"He who conceals is sins does not prosper - but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." 

Proverbs 28:13

Ezekiel 14:6

In a public profession of faith, the church would say "I renounce you satan". You break your hold and your ties and your agreement with them. 

Renouncing means you give up your right to something; you give up its claim on your life. 

Satan is JUST as real as JESUS is. And there are all kinds of ways that he tries to tear us down. Other religions, for instance, like Brandon always says. 

Have you ever seen, heard, or felt a spiritual being in your room? 

I remember that time Sarah talked about.. Maybe seeing a spirit in her room. But it was probably a demon... 

Do you have recurring nightmares? 

An imaginary friend? 

Voices in your head? 

Repeating nagging thoughts like I'm worthless, dumb, ugly? 

Have you ever made a secret vow or pact? 

Have you ever been involved in any satanic ritual of any kind? 

Have you ever attended a concert or listened to music about satan? 

^^i wonder if this includes literature and media like movies that are about satan. "Ghost Rider" comes to mind. I would think it is included 

Lies. 

Do you know how you know what's true as a believer? 

God's Word. 

There are many things we want to be true, that aren't. 

What we FEEL isn't what's true. But what God's Word says is true, is true. 

Is there anything you've developed your own truth about that's contrary to the Word of God? 

James 4:7 

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Purify your hearts. 

When you realize there is a struggle, then THAT is the time to lay down at the cross and cry out for help - whatever it takes to be free. 

When we are discouraged, it will ALWAYS go back to something we're believing that's not true. 

Ways we are deceived by the world:

Believing that acquiring money and things will bring happiness. 

Believing excess of food and alcohol will make us happy. 

Believing an attractive body or personality will get us what we want. 

Believing gratifying our sexual lusts will meet our lasting satisfaction. 

Believing we can sin without any negative consequence in our life. 

Believing we can hang out with the wrong people and not become corrupted. 

Believing there are no consequences on earth for our sin. 

Believing we have to measure up to some standard in order to feel good about ourselves. 

What are you deceived in? 

(There are thousands more that we didn't list) 

We deceive ourselves by hearing God's Word and not doing what it says, and thinking we are sinless. By thinking we can radically follow JESUS, and still walk in filth and junk. 

YOU are deceiving yourself if you think you can still follow JESUS and hold on to one sin because it's "not that bad". 

Unforgiveness. 

If we do not forgive people, we get tortured. 

Mark 11 - unforgiveness has a huge impact on our ability to live a life of faith. 

Ephesians 4:26 - do not sin when angry. Don't let the sun go down on your anger - that's a foothold of the devil. 

"I forgive you, I just don't like them." 

If you still have anger or bitterness toward them, then you're not free. 

Well.. I mean my dad comes to mind whenever unforgiveness is mentioned; I just don't know that it's actually the issue. Im indifferent. Im not mad, I'm not upset about anything. He's never done anything to me personally. Im simply content with his absence, and don't have a desire to bring him into my life because of his choices.. *shrugs* I don't agree with a lot of what he does. And, I have a heavenly Father. He simply isn't a need that I have, there is no role he can fill that God hasn't already. I don't have any resentment.

Hebrews 12:1

Let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders us. Everything. 

"You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin." 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. 

Acts Sunday Morning

Pastor Booker

Matthew 5:14

"You are the light of the world..." 

Let our light shine in SUCH A WAY. Not just any way, don't just follow the crowd. A specific way. 

It's hard to set people free in JESUS when we're struggling with our own personal freedom. We have the weight of the things we're carrying. These issues are on the forefront of our thought process, and so we have a hard time serving Him. Our first thought should be JESUS, not the trials we're going through. 

The battle we are engaging in is a battle of the mind, because our mind is not saved yet. We have the same memories and insecurities that we did before. Our mind is still, in many ways, the same mind that we had before. (Basically, it's a Battle of Wits. Don't go up against a Sicilian.) 

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to the patterns 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. 

What is the difference between saying you can "test and approve" His will instead of "learn to know" His will? Because NLT says that you will learn to know it, but I think that's much different than the one that I memorized (above). Mine is more like we have to discover it, but NLT sounds more like God will teach it to us. I think both have an element of truth... We can't figure it out without Him. 

Ephesians 4:22

1 Corinthians 2:14

In 2:16, it's saying we have the ABILITY to receive truth. We cannot misinterpret this when it says we have the mind of Christ. 

What is your first thought about who you are? Because it should be that you are a child of God. That He loves you, and it's amazing. 

All of us, if we are accepted into the family, are Godly. We are of God, we are His children. Just like an earthly family, the way we act cannot change our acceptance in the family. We might not ACT like we are part of it, but it doesn't change who we are. That is something that can't be taken from us. 

Bondage is any area of our life that is out of control. Any behavior or sin in your life that you cannot stop. Where there's bondage, there needs to be freedom. 

Matthew 3:7

John the Baptist speaking. "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." 

***note to self, look up lexical considerations on the term "repentance" and "repent". The Greek word metanoeo seems to have some discrepancies in differences of how it's translated, and just from looking at Google it looks like it may not be entirely correct. 

In this life, constantly renew your mind, that you would be able to live out the things He's called you to. 

Acts Sunday, February 15

The Urgency of Evangelism

Jeremy

Matthew 25:14-30

Context: Matthew 24, where JESUS is talking about the signs of the end of the age. Verse 42: you don't know what time the Lord is coming. 

Note: look up the answer to the question of why Yahweh is not used in the New Testament (or just inquire if it is or not) 

Are you living your life in expectation of Christ's return? 

Revelation 22:20, He's coming quickly! How does John respond? Amen. Let it be. Come Lord Jesus. 

In our country we're so comfortable, we think we know the right answers, and we know it so well, that we are just on auto response. But what about our heart? Not the mind answer, but your heart. Proverbs Ch. 4 says guard your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

JESUS says it is not what goes into a man that defiles him- it's what comes out of a man. 

Whatever our heart is truly about, it will be known because it will be seen in how we live our life. 

A tidal wave is coming, and some people have been building a sandcastle on the shore. Instead of preparing for his kingdom, we've been preparing for ours. Our heart will betray us. 

Be watchful and pray, lest you fall into temptation. 

^^^Does "fall into temptation" mean to succumb to it, and sin? Why shouldn't it just say fall into sin? Temptation is not wrong, but giving into it is. I wonder why it uses that diction as opposed to using the term sin. 

Matthew Ch. 25:14 =

Three points to get out of this parable. 

1. We have been entrusted with something, the kingdom of God. 

2 Corinthians 5:18

We are ambassadors for Christ 

What are we doing with what He has entrusted to us? We've been given this commission, and if tomorrow is not guaranteed, how are we spending today? 

We need to start storing up treasures in heaven. 

2. At some point, we'll stand before JESUS and give an account of what we've done. 

Ezekiel 33:8-9

Oh man. 

Well that's intense. 

Are we proclaiming the truth or did we bury it? Beneath football and our house and our car- how could we? Why would we do that? 

We have a responsibility to all who have been entrusted to us. 

3. There is an unequal joy in sharing the Gospel. 

Do you think about standing before JESUS, and Him saying "well done"? 

***well done, well done, im GONNA chase You Lord, im GONNA show the world Your love. I'll run, I'll run, im gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

We live in a world that is broken and hopeless and we have a message of ETERNAL life. We don't have silver and we don't have gold but what we do have we give to you. 

The most lasting thing we could ever do is tell others about JESUS. 

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17)