March 2, 2008 Everywhere … and Always!
March 9, 2008I Give Away My Life
March 16, 2008 The Grace to Forgive
March 23, 2008 Resurrection Sunday

March 2, 2008
Everywhere … and Always!

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
I Chronicles 29:14-18

Reach the Lost … Everywhere!

1. Don’t allow yourself to become comfortable

But who am I, and who are my people … We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. I Chronicles 29:14-15

2. Make your life count

Our days on earth are like a shadow I Chronicles 29:15

Be Generous … Always!

1. Stewardship

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. … for all this abundance that we have provided … comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I Chronicles 29:14, 16

2. Integrity

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.
I Chronicles 29:17

… excel in this grace of giving. II Corinthians 8:7

3. Desire

And now I have seen with joy how willingly your
people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. I Chronicles 29:17-18

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

… be generous and willing to share. In this way … lay up treasure …. as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. I Timothy 6:17-19

March 9, 2008
I Give Away My Life

Luke 9:57 – 62; 14:25 - 33

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-33

Selfishness

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality … witchcraft; hatred, …selfish ambition Galatians 5:19-20

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

Service

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:25-26

Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

1. Die to self

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20

I die every day I Corinthians 15:31

2. Die for Christ

But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same. Mark 14:31

March 16, 2008
The Grace to Forgive

Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8 The Living Bible

Forgiveness Is Not

1. Conditional

2. Minimizing the seriousness of the offense

3. Resuming a relationship without change

4. Forgetting what happened

Forgiveness Is

1. Remembering how much I've been forgiven

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

2. Relinquishing my right to get even

... Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for He has said that He will repay those who deserve it. Romans 12:19 The Living Bible

3. Responding to evil with good

… do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28

Love keeps no record of wrongs. I Corinthians 13:5

4. Repeating the process as long as necessary

" Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22

Offer This Grace To Others Because …

1. God is gracious to me Ephesians 4:32

2. The alternative is bitterness

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

3. God expects me to do it

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15

This sermon was first preached by Rick Warren

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March 23, 2008
Resurrection Sunday

 

Who is the Resurrection For?

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" Mark 16:1-7

1. Mary Magdalene

… from whom seven demons had come out Luke 8:2

Busted up people

2. Salome

… came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." Matthew 20:20-21

Controlling people

3. Peter

But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." …Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? … Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:31, 37, 72

Self sufficient people

4. Us

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection Philippians 3:10

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