Part 2 - For The World

“Might makes right” is the default setting for the world. Those with wealth and power write the rules, and they usually write them to favor themselves. That was true in Jesus’ time as well. But he came to turn everything upside down.

Jesus established a new, upside down kingdom. Power would be leveraged for the powerless. Wealth would be leveraged for those in need. Influence would be leveraged for those without a voice. The first would be last and the last would be first. 

Scripture: Matthew 3:14; 4:1–10; Luke 4:13–14; Mark 10:45; Luke 9:25

Discussion Questions

Part 1 - For The World

Jesus didn’t come to extend an old religion. He didn’t come to just clarify old truths. He didn’t come to just preach sermons and offer wise teachings. From the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to a son whose “kingdom would never end,” it was clear: Jesus would do something new for the world.

Scripture: Luke 3:1–2; Matthew 3:5–6; John 1:7–9, 15, 17, 19–27; Matthew 3:7–8; John 1:28–29

Discussion Questions

Part 6 - You’re Not Enough

Check out this secret ingredient to happiness.

It's so counter intuitive that only people who have experienced it believe it. 

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23

Part 5 -Happy Pleasure

Why are we tempted to make decisions that hurt us in the long run? This message will help you understand the difference between pleasure and happiness. 

Scripture: John 10:10-11; Romans 6:16

Part 4 - Happy Money

If your goal is to find happiness, no amount of money will ever be enough. But this one principle can change the way you view money and help you find peace.

Scripture: Luke 16:13; Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:19-24

Part 3 - Peace With God

Peace with God paves the way to peace with ourselves and equips us to make peace with others. In this message we look at the one thing it takes to find peace with God. 

Part 2 - Plan For It

We think we have to choose between being happy and pleasing God. In this message we look at what Jesus had to say about that. 

Scripture - Matthew 5:1-10

Part 1 - Not Thing

We all daydream about a trouble-free life made possible by something: a dream job, house, car, spouse, child, family, or pile of money. But what if no thing can make us happy?

What makes you happy? Something came to mind, right? Something comes to mind for all of us. We all daydream about a trouble-free life made possible by something: a job, house, car, spouse, child, family, or pile of money. But what if what makes you happy isn’t a what at all. What if it’s a who? 

Scripture - Matthew 22:36-40; James 1:15

Advent Series

Love

The word “advent” means an anticipation of the arrival of a person or an event. Advent is the season that reminds us of an arrival of something great and the love that is attached to that.

The LOVE that Jesus brought with his birth, is a love that we not only receive we are to pass on.

In this message we look at Joseph and see that his story has similarities to our story when we encounter Jesus and his love that changed the world.

This video was played at the end of the message..

A video of the song Joseph's Lullaby with clips from the Nativity Story and the Passion of the Christ. Joseph's Lullaby by Mercyme God Bless!!

This Video was played at the beginning of the message.

"Music video by Yo-Yo Ma;Alison Krauss performing The Wexford Carol.

Advent Series

Joy

The word “advent” means an anticipation of the arrival of a person or an event. Advent is the season that reminds us of an arrival of something great and the joy that is attached to that.

The JOY that Jesus brought with his birth, and the JOY that the Bible talks about it is not the same “joy” that we may naturally think of. It goes a lot deeper than the good or happy feeling that we so often attach to joy.

In this message we will look at joy as the Bible talks about it and realize that as with hope, and peace, this joy is only found in Jesus.

This video was played at the end of the message.

Advent Series

Peace

The word “advent” means an anticipation of the arrival of a person or an event. Advent is the season that reminds us of an arrival of something great and the peace that is attached to that.

The PEACE that Jesus brought with his birth came at a time when all was dark when it seemed hopeless. Even today it can be hard to have hope when so much that is going on in this world brings a feeling of hopelessness.

So the question is; how do we experience peace in a world that is marked by pressure, uncertainty and anxiety?

In this message we focus on these questions so that the Peace of that first Christmas can be ours in the present and in the future.

Advent Series

Hope

The word “advent” means an anticipation of the arrival of a person or an event. Advent is the season that reminds us of an arrival of something great and the hope that is attached to that.

The HOPE that Jesus brought with his birth came at a time when all was dark when it seemed hopeless. Even today it can be hard to have hope when so much that is going on in this world brings a feeling of hopelessness.

So the question is; how do you maintain hope in a world that at times seems hopelessly broken?

Can you trust God; can you maintain hope in God where there is absolutely no evidence of His activity in your life?

In this message we focus on these questions so that the Hope of that first Christmas can be ours in the present and in the future.

Proclamation

“The gospel invitation initiated in the ministry of Jesus remains alive and active to this very day. A genuine incarnational approach will require that we always be willing to share the gospel with those in our world. We cannot take this aspect out of the equation of mission and remain faithful to our calling in the world. We are essentially a “message tribe”, and that means we must ensure the faithful transmission of the message we carry through proclamation.”

Alan Hirsch

 In this message we look at what the gospel message is that we are to proclaim.

This Video was played at the end of the message.

Passion

“This involves in “the incarnation of the heart”. In engaging in the pathos of the human situation, the disciple emphatically feels something of the pain of a person or a people and then seeks to see how the gospel directly addresses that pain. We are dealing with humans and not objects. They all have stories, pains and joys. We share in a common experience of humanity. Many suffer life in great difficulties. WE are called to be engaged in the same way that Jesus was engaged compassionately.”

Alan Hirsch

Question…

Have you ever lost something that is of great value to you and nobody was looking for it but you?

In this message we are going to look at what Jesus was most passionate about; and the question is, are we passionate about the same thing?

Scripture: Luke 15

Powerlessness

“In seeking to act in a Christlike way, we cannot rely on normal forms of power to communicate the gospel but must take Jesus’s model with absolute seriousness.

This commits us to mutuality, servanthood, and humility in our relationships with one another and the world. Sadly, much of church history shows how little we have assimilated this aspect of incarnational Christlikeness into our understanding of church, leadership and mission.”

Alan Hirsch

In this message we look at what means to live powerless like Christ.