Clovis Hills Community Church - Weekend Audio

John 20:31John 1:1-141. WHO IS JESUS? John 1:1-5John calls Jesus "the Word." In Greek, that's Logos.Now, if you were a Greco/Roman listener hearing this, your ears would perk up. Logos was a big deal in Greek philosophy—it meant the rational principle that ordered the universe, the divine reason behind everything.If you were a Jewish listener, you'd think of how God SPOKE creation into existence. "And God SAID, 'Let there be light.'" The Word of God was God's creative, powerful self-expression.John takes both ideas and says, "That Logos? That Word? He's not an 'it.' He's a 'He.' And His name is Jesus."So who is Jesus according to these first five verses?Eternal ("In the beginning was")"In the beginning WAS the Word."Not "in the beginning, the Word came into being." Not "in the beginning, the Word was created."WAS. Already existing. Already there.You know how when you show up late to a party and ev

1 Kings 18:16-211. Some gods never answerAnd here's the tragic irony: The more your god doesn't answer, the MORE you sacrifice to it. The prophets of Baal started dancing. Then shouting. Then cutting themselves. Why? Because when your god doesn't work, you think: "I'm not doing enough. I need to try harder."I heard someone once call it “ the treadmill of false worship.”2. One God always answers1 Kings 18:36-39Because it is not about how much you pray, it's about WHO you pray to.prayer isn't about convincing a reluctant God to do what we want. Prayer is accessing the power of a God who WANTS to answer, who LOVES to reveal Himself, who DELIGHTS to turn hearts back to Him.3. When God answers, hearts change4. The FIRE we really needActs 2:1-4At CarmelFire Fell on the AltarFire Consumed the SacrificeFire proved God’s powerThe people's hearts changed temporarilyAt PentecostFire fell on the PEOPLEFire filled them with GOD’S SPIRITFire proved God’s PRESENCEFire changed them PERMA

1. UNITED PRAYER RELEASES EXPONENTIAL POWERMatthew 18:19-20Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 2. CORPORATE PRAYER BUILDS SPIRITUAL UNITY3. COLLECTIVE PRAYER CARRIES SHARED AUTHORITYActs 4:29-304. COMMUNAL PRAYER ENCOURAGES WEAK FAITHJames 5:16

Matthew 6:9-131. START WITH WHO GOD IS, NOT WHAT YOU NEED"Prayer doesn't start with your problems—it starts with God's perfection."Starts with Our Father (intimate)Not "Dear Sir" or "Almighty Judge" or "Distant Creator." Father. But notice: He doesn't just say "my Father"—He says "OUR Father." Prayer is never just about you. You're part of a family. When you pray, you're praying with millions of other sons and daughters.In Heaven (Close but transcendent)"Hallowed be your name."To "hallow" something means to treat it as holy, set apart, sacred. Jesus is saying, "Before you ask God for anything, WORSHIP HIM FOR WHO HE IS"Application:Most of us pray like this: "God, I need this. God, fix that. God, help me. Amen.""Worship recalibrates your heart before you ever open your mouth."When you start with "hallowed be your name," you're reminding yourself:God is bigger than your

2 Corinthians 12:7-101. PRAYER CONNECTS YOU TO GOD'S POWERJohn 15:52. PRAYER CHANGES YOUR PERSPECTIVEPhilippians 4:6-7When you pray, problems don't necessarily get smaller—you get biggerYou start seeing with God's eyes, not just your circumstancesYou begin to see God clearer… JESUS GETS BIGGER”Every Year you grow you will find me bigger” 3. PRAYER CLARIFIES YOUR PURPOSEPsalm 37:4 Prayer aligns your wants with God's willThe more time you spend with God, the more you think like HimApplication: What you focus on in prayer reveals what you valuefasting clears space for God…. Where you were hungry… you pray….Use this fast to help eliminate the noise in your life.4. PRAYER CULTIVATES YOUR CHARACTERRomans 8:28-29Romans 8:28-29 - God is conforming you to Christ's imageUnanswered prayers often protect us from our immature requestsPrayer isn't about getting what you want; it's about becoming who God wants"God is more interested in changing you than your circumstances."Start a "

Intervention: The Act of stepping into a situation to change its course, especially to prevent harm or improve an outcome.Galatians 4:4-7There are two important things when it comes to an intervention: Timing and PurposeGalatians 4:4-7 reminds us that’s what Christmas is all about.1.    God Intervenes at the right time (v. 4) (Timing)“But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a women, born under the law”The phrase “set time” used here is the Greek word Pleroma.  There is only one other place in the New Testament that the word “Pleroma” is used. Ephesians 1:10. Ephesians is referring to the second coming.   John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” 2.    God Intervenes to Set Us Free (v. 5-7) (Purpose)“To redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭45‬-‭56‬ ‭NIV‬‬I. MAGNIFY: Worship Begins with Right PerspectiveLuke 1:46-47 ESVMary doesn’t say “my soul feels the Lord”—she says “my soul magnifies the Lord.” Worship isn’t about amplifying your feelings; it’s about amplifying God’s greatnessIllustration:"A telescope doesn’t make stars bigger—it helps you see how big they already are.” “You become small when you make yourself big. You become significant when you make God big.”“Mary called Him ‘Savior’ before the manger, before the cross—she knew she needed rescue too.”Application: Even the mother of Jesus needed a Savior. Nobody gets to God on their résumé.What’s competing with God for the “bigness” in your life?II. MERCY: Remember That Grace Flows to the Low Places God didn’t choose Mary because she was exceptional—He chose her because she was available. Her “humble estate” wasn’t an obstacle to God’s plan; it was a qualification for it.Luke 1:48-49“God’s eyes scan past the spotlight to find the servant.”“Mercy isn’t God meeting you halfw

Luke 19:1-10 NIVJesus’ actions reveal his authority- He does what He wants to, where He wants to, how He wants to, for whomever He wants to do it.Jesus’ actions reveal his kindness- why he does it, when he does it, even though he doesn’t have to do it. Jesus personally invites the most unlikely and undeserving people into His presence and He uses the church to extend that same life-changing invitation today. Invitations tell us we are specialNotice that Jesus adds Zacchaeus to his agenda by naturally seeing him along his way. Yes he supernaturally may have known his name but it was a natural sight of a man in an odd position-that grabbed our Lord's attention. Who might possibly be in the odd positions in our spaces?  Zacchaeus did not deserve Jesus but Jesus responded not to what Zacchaeus deserved but what he desired. What are some signs people display that show curiosity or openness? Jesus’ ability to make this man feel special is the power of an invitation and invitations have weight depending on who i

John 4:1-15FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONSTRANSITION:“From Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman, I want to give you five practical principles that you can use THIS WEEKPRINCIPLE #1: START WHERE THEY ARE“Notice how Jesus begins. He doesn’t launch into a sermon. He doesn’t hand her a tract. He asks for a drink of water!John 4:7 Jesus started with something natural, something she could relate to. He met her at her point of need—she had water, He was thirsty.Start conversations where people already are. Talk about their job, their family, their struggles, their interests. Find common ground.1 Corinthians 9:22Don’t be weird. Don’t be pushy. Just be HUMAN. Build a bridge through genuine interest and conversation.”“Ask questions! People love talking about themselves. ‘How’s your family?’ ‘What do you do for work?’ How were you raised spiritually ‘How are you handling all the stress in the world right now?’PRINCIPLE #2: CREATE CURIOSITY“Once Jesus has her attention, watch what He does:John 4:10He

1 Timothy 2:1-7 NIV1. PRAY WITH BOLDNESS1 Timothy 2:3-4 - "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."God wants ALL people to be savedYour prayers matter more than you thinkDon't apologize for praying big prayersGod's will is for everyone to know HimFree will/predestination debates Who’s your one and prayer event"If it's worth praying about, it's worth praying boldly about.""Never pray small prayers to a big God."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."Jesus taught us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knockingLuke 18:1-8 - The Parable of the Persistent WidowDon't give up on people God hasn't given up onColossians 4:2 - "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."Breakthrough often comes right before we want to quit"The devil's favorite time to attack is

Romans 1:16Colossians 2:13–151.  The Gospel has the power to bring life to the dead.“When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ”.-         Paul begins with our condition.  We are separated from God and spiritually dead.  Sin is not just a bad thing we do, not just an obstacle between God and us, no it is spiritual death. Because of that we don’t just need resuscitation we need resurrection! 2.  The Gospel has the power to forgive all our sins“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness”Our DebtEvery sin is a spiritual debt — a legal record that stood against us.The “charge” (Greek: cheirographon) refers to a written IOU, a debt we could never repay.b. God’s GraceJesus “canceled” our debt — the term means “to wipe out completely.”How? “He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”Every accusation, every shameful act, every failure was placed on Him.3.  The Gospel has the power to triumph over evil“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19Let me speak the truth in love right out of the gate this morning.  Or put another way, let me address the “pink elephant” before we even get started.”1. This morning’s message is about Generosity/Giving.  Just giving you a heads up.  The topics of stewardship, giving, and generosity are central in Scripture.   My convicti tv on:   it’s spiritual malpractice for pastors NOT to preach/teach on this topic.  My story…I received “master class” ministry training when I was in my early twenties from an incredibly gifted Pastor/Mentor who loved to help people develop the gift of GIVING.2. Jami and I are lifelong tithers and givers.  So everything I’ll share with you today are spiritual disciplines and habits we have practiced for decades in our lives. Truth be known, it’s a source of tremendous JOY.3.  Stay open to the possibility that God wants you to “put on” a new mindset about Generosity.  Meaning:  Living from an “abundance” mindset is so much greater than a “scarcity” mindset.  I love th

Ephesians 6:10-20THE BATTLE IS REAL, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINKFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12Your real enemy isn't your boss, your ex, or your circumstances—it's much more dangerous than that."We modern people are too materialistic to believe in spiritual warfare, yet too superstitious to deny that evil exists. We sense something is wrong but misidentify the enemy.The enemy wants you to fight the wrong battlesWe exhaust ourselves fighting people instead of praying.We blame circumstances instead of recognizing spiritual oppositionWe try self-help solutions for spiritual problems"You can't fight a spiritual battle with physical weapons."This is why all our cultural solutions—therapy, politics, education, technology—while good in themselves, never quite deliver the peace and transformation they prom

Ephesians 4:17-24I. You Have Been Taught Better (v. 20-21)“That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ” Ephesians 4:20A. Learning Christ vs. Learning About Christ •Paul says we “learned Christ” - not just facts, but a person •Christianity is encountering Jesus, not adopting a moral systemTruth isn’t a system to master; truth is a person to know. And knowing Jesus changes everything. •The gospel itself contains the power for transformationB. The Truth That Is in Jesus •“As the truth is in Jesus” - a crucial phrase •Truth isn’t abstract principle; it’s embodied in a person •The reality of who Jesus is and what He’s done changes everythingTransition to point 2“to be made new in the attitude of your minds; “ Ephesians 4:23A. Put Off the Old Self REMOVAL(v. 22)You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; •The “old self” corrupted by deceitful desires •Not gradual improvement but decisive break

The reality of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity. b. The resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. c. The resurrection of Jesus informs our view of the future. The believers response to the resurrectiona. Stand on the truthb. Stand up for the truthc. Stand out for the truth 

 Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV1. YOUR ENEMY HAS A STRATEGY "You followed the ways of this world" Ephesians 2:2A. He Uses Cultural CurrentsSatan doesn't need to possess everyone; he just needs to influence the cultureWhen the culture moves away from God, people drift with it naturally"Satan's greatest victory isn't making people bad - it's making bad things normal in a world that's going the wrong direction."B. He Makes Wrong Feel RightThe "ways of this world" feel natural and acceptablePeer pressure becomes spiritual pressure"When everyone's doing it, it's easy to forget that God isn't."Against the grainHis Strategy has worked well! He has deceived and separated all humanity from a relationship with God. (give premise to the Gospel, our SIN)"The ruler of the kingdom of the air" Ephesians 2:2A. Satan Is Real and ActiveNot a cartoon character with a pitchforkHe has authority in the spiritual realmHis influence is invisible but undeniableB.

I. THE CALL FROM THE GRAVE"When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out..." John 11:43-44aOnly Christ's voice has power over spiritual death (cf. John 5:25)“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44Augustine noted: Jesus called Lazarus by name, lest all the dead ariseApplication: Your salvation began with Christ's specific call to you (Give reference to people's lightbulb moment)Lazarus heard and obeyed while still dead—this is graceFaith is the dead hearing the voice of the living GodModern parallel: We respond to Christ while still spiritually bound"Your grave clothes do not define you—Christ does.""...his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face." John 11:44bTheologically: The "old man" that Scripture says we must put off (Eph. 4:22-24)22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life

Galatians 5:16-26 NIV1. WHAT SELF-CONTROL REALLY MEANSGreek word: "enkrateia" = strength from within Not gritting teeth and trying harder Allowing God's power to control your life Illustration: You're the caboose, not the engine QUOTEABLE: "You don't need more willpower; you need more God-power."Not achieved through willpowerFruit that grows when connected to the SpiritIllustration: Apple tree - keep the tree healthy, fruit grows naturallyApplication: Stop manufacturing; start nurturing relationship with GodQUOTEABLE: "You can't manufacture fruit, but you can cultivate the tree."QUOTEABLE: "Self-control isn't just about controlling some things - it's about surrendering everything."GospelContext: Acts of flesh vs. fruit of the SpiritFlesh controls:Your appetites (sexual immorality, impurity)Your attitudes (hatred, discord, jealousy)Your actions (fits of rage, selfish ambition)Spirit-control touches:Physical - body and appetitesEmotional - feelings

In our age of instant everything—instant texting, instant coffee, instant results—we've largely forgotten the power of the slow, steady work of faithfulness. We swipe when relationships get difficult, quit when jobs get challenging, and abandon commitments when they stop feeling convenient. We live in a culture that has trained us to expect immediate gratification and to move on the moment things require effort or sacrifice.Matthew 25:14-15Matthew 25:20-21Matthew 25:24-28I. FAITHFULNESS IS A CHOICE, NOT A FEELING"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."1 Corinthians 4:2 Quoteable Statement: "Faithfulness isn't about feeling like it - it's about following through when you don't feel like it."Everyone wants to be a beast, but they don't want to do what beasts do….“It is required of a man that he be faithful, not successful.” Howard Hendricks, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is

1. UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL GOODNESS I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Romans 15:14Goodness Is More Than Being NiceGreek word agathos: Active benevolence that seeks others' welfareGoodness confronts what's wrong and promotes what's rightKingdom Principle: God's goodness always acts for His glory and others' benefitOnly God is inherently good Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.(Mark 10:18)When you're born again, God's nature becomes your natureSpiritual Reality: You don't try to be good - you express the goodness already in you"Stop trying to manufacture what God has already deposited.""You can't live the Christian life on human horsepower - you need Holy Spirit power.""The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you - start acting like it."Niceness avoids conflict; goodness addre