Clovis Hills Community Church - Weekend Audio

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

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. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-261. KIND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE KINDNESS COMES FROM But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:4-5God showed us kindness first - we don't earn it, we receive itApplication: You can only give what you've receivedPractical: Start each day remembering how God has been kind to you. Explain how you pray/meditate on the fruit of the Spirit2. KIND PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE KIND EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD But love your enemies, do g

PRAYER IS THE WORKPastor Mark Lee | Vantagepoint ChurchLuke 11:9 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you.Mark 11:24 – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,believe that you have received it and it will be yours.Matt 21:22 – If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for inprayer.Acts 7:55 – full of the Holy Spirit he looked up to heaven and saw the glory ofGod and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.Acts 12:1 – It was about this time that King Herod arrested some whobelonged to the church intending to persecute them. He had James, thebrother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleasedthe Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.Acts 12:12-15 – When this had dawned on him, he went to the house ofMary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gatheredand were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance and a servant namedRhonda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice,

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬“Patience is trusting God’s timing instead of demanding your own.”“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬What This Means: • Patience isn’t about feeling calm - it’s about choosing to trust • It’s a decision you make before the emotion kicks in • You can choose patience even when you don’t feel patientApplication:“The next time you’re tempted to get impatient - whether it’s with your spouse, your kids, your boss, or even God - remember this: patience is not a personality trait some people are born with. It’s a choice available to every believer.”Life Connection:Story of one of children learning to tie their shoes…Think about a parent teaching a child to tie their shoes. The parent doesn’t get frustrated after the third try because they understa

1. PEACE WITH GOD "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1The Problem: Sin separates us from GodThe Solution: Jesus bridges the gapThe Result: No more guilt, no more shame, no more fear of judgmentDo you have peace with God or peace with your sin.Some people think it means that I am okay with God now… I added him to my life I am not mad at him. THATS NOT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS (Sin)10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10 John 16:1-11 and Verse 33"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7The Problem: Worry and anxietyThe Solution: Prayer and trustThe Result:

God's joy isn't just a nice feeling - it's the fuel that powers you through life's greatest challenges. (law Lost for 60-100 years) They found it rebuilding the temple, Ramifications of no law is people just did what they wanted… what felt right, what seemed right.Nehemiah 8:2-10“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ "The joy of the Lord is your strength." – Nehemiah 8:10Happiness depends on what happens to you. Joy depends on what Jesus did for you.Happiness is external – it comes from good circumstancesJoy is internal – it comes from your relationship with ChristHappiness is temporary – it changes with your situationJoy is permanent – it's rooted in eternal truthA thermometer vs. a thermostat. Happiness is like a thermometer – it just reflects the temperature around it. Joy is like a thermostat – it actually changes the temperatu

Galatians‬The best use of life is love.1 Corinthians‬1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Butthe greatest of these is love.The best expression of love is time.1 Corinthians‬The best time to love is now.Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, thePharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested himwith this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in theLaw?”37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with allyour soul and with all your mind.’  38This is the first and greatestcommandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor asyourself.’  40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these twocommandments.”If you love God first and love God most you’ll love others best.

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” k 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 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 o

SERMON NOTES“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and

Amazing Grace: What We Don't DeserveFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NIVGrace Is More Common Than You Think (Common Grace) He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 (NIV)Grace is More Than Forgiveness: Forgiveness is something God does; Grace is part of who He is.The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that

Soul Winning: Church, I can say with confidence, that God’s will for all men, all women, for all of us, who will profess Christ as Lord, it’s all about soul winning. Matthew 4:21-22 says, And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  Have a Passion for Winning Souls: There should always be a willingness to seek after the richness of the word of God, to stir the hearts and challenge people to seek after Christ and His will for the human race. Everything that Christ had in mind, and everything that has to do with the church of Christ, it has to do with winning souls. Whenever people ask me, what is God’s will for my life, my answer is, winning souls.Now this is a crazy response to following Jesus: Who in their right mind, would just up and quit their job, because some stranger said follow me. Not only did this st

Acts 2:1-4, 14-18, 21; 2:22-24, 32-33, 36-39, 42-47Point #1 “The Pentecost Event”  Acts 2:1-13The Pentecost event was accompanied by 3 supernatural signs:  sound (blowing of a violent wind), sight (tongues of fire which came to rest on each of them and speech (filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues or languages as the Spirit enabled them).  Languages…     The miracle of Pentecost is 120 ordinary, unschooled men and women declaring the wonders of God in foreign languages they had never learned.  The Gospel being prophesied to the nations.  The crowds were amazed:  “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.  What does this mean?” -Acts 2:11b Point #2 The Explanation of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41)-Joel’s OT Prophecy-Luke explains that the extraordinary phenomenon of these Spirit-filled believers declaring God’s wonders in foreign languages is the fulfillment of Joel’s prediction that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh.In other words, this (what you saw) is that (

1.  Centered. Centered on Jesus’s Command.“All authority has been given to me”   Jesus, the risen Savior, is taking His rightful place as King.  Before He ascends into heaven He gives His marching orders.2.  OpenJesus tells us to be open to wherever God calls us.“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”3.  PullWhen you are pulling the clay what you are really doing is stretching it.  In God’s mission you will be stretched.  The call for us to make disciples will stretch us.  Let’s talk about the Biblical concept of “Priesthood of the believer”.“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”   1 Peter 2:104.  ShapeGod shapes all of us different.  He gives us all spiritual gifts so that we can build up the church and make disciples. “Teaching

1.  The Reliability of God’s WordThe first question in the Bible was about the reliability of God’s word.“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God poihad made.  He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Gen. 3:1Let’s look at the reliability of God’s word.Consistency-         66 Books-         Written over 1,500 years-         Over 45 authors-         Written on three different continents-         Three different languagesArcheological Proof-Dead Sea Scroll found in 1947, which include the book of Isiah- Herod’s Palace, Ceserea Merritina 2023, Roman cells where Paul imprisoned- Discovery of the City of DavidNelson Glueck “It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has contradicted a Biblical reference”.Manuscript ReliabilityWhat you look for-  Number of manuscripts and how close we can get to the source.  For example:Writer        Date Written       Earliest Copy     No. Years No. of CopiesPlato.   

Hebrews 11:32-40 NIV 1. Faith’s Power through Scripture 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets…..Earlier in this chapter the author commends multiple biblical heroes including Noah, Abraham, Moses and others. Here at verse 32 he says there’s not enough time to continue although there are many more. The goal of the writer of Hebrews is to provide examples of those who displayed the power of faith. This provides us readers with education and inspiration from the Scriptures.There is power available to us as we are educated in what God has done through people like us, and we are inspired by what God can do through people like us. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬.  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”There is education and inspiration available to us through the Scripture to empowe