Faith Community Fellowship

We are to treat each other in the church the way that God has treated each of us in Christ. the “one anothers” Galatians 6:2 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 When we care for one another... we are caring for the Body of Christ. we enable the Body to more effectively fulfill it’s mission. no one is expected to carry someone else's burden alone. if you don't let the body care for you, we all suffer. pastoral care > span of care > congregational care CARE TEAM: grief support medical recovery home repair crisis support donors

Isaiah 60:1-7 The implication of Isaiah 60 is that no matter how negative your PAST or PRESENT status may be, God can make you rise and shine! 1) WHY rise and shine? It is: a command of the Lord our Lord is the light a sign of life 2) HOW to rise and shine Connect with Jesus Consume God's Word Commit to God's service Cultivate righteous living Call on God's promises ...and Give God Glory!

John 12 Luke 22:4-6 Luke 22:19-20 THE new covenant **See Jeremiah 31:31 Types of covenants: 1) bilateral parity agreement - between equals 2) suzerain / vassal treaty - not between equals (i.e., monarch / subjects) 3) promissory covenant - unilateral, conditional - one party binds itself to an obligation for the benefit of the other party **See Genesis 15:17 Jesus: "...the new covenant in MY blood." "It's on me. It's FOR you!"

The ORDINANCES: sacrament: believed to infuse grace by their administration ordinance: symbolic expression of our allegiance to Christ BAPTISM & COMMUNION baptizo: to dip, immerse, dye Matthew 3 What about my church tradition? Did my baptism count? The meaning of baptism: 1) identification with Christ 2) symbolic of His death and resurrection 3) represents a cleansing NOT part of the salvation process NOT about joining a church "An outward reflection of an inward connection!"

Galatians 5:22-23 - not a to-do list - what the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us - developing a heightened sensitivity to his leadership LOVE 1 Corinthians 13 Love for God and others was central to Jesus’ vision of how to be human. JOY happiness ≠ joy John 15 Grace is an undeserved gift, and grace leads to gratitude, and gratitude gives way to joy. PEACE shalom — complete or whole Romans 5:1 Philippians 4:6-7 PATIENCE What if God is developing something in us in the waiting? The tension in your life right now could be the focal point of God’s activity in your life. KINDNESS Kindness is seeing people. Kindness is a one-size fits all policy toward all people in the recognition that all peopleare made in the image of God. **Kindness towards ourselves... GOODNESS Good is a relative term. Our goodness is determined by the very fact that we were created by God. 1 Timothy 4:4 It is the desire of the Holy Spirit to awaken goodness in us. FAITHFULNESS ...God's faithfulness evidenced in us Allowing the Holy

Esther 6:11, 13 Esther 7:3-10 **Faithfulness is rewarded! Esther 8:11 Jesus made the payment in full for all sin for all time. Living the Christian life = 1% doing + 99% letting. Esther 10:3 Jesus sits in the place of authority -- making intercession for us. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Esther 1:1-3 Esther 2:7 Esther 4:14 Esther 5:1-3 Always set the stage for maximum impact. When you focus only on yourself life is always out of focus. Esther 5:13-14 Esther 6:2-9 Truth is stranger than fiction!

Galatians 5:22-23 SELF-CONTROL Romans 7:19-21 Galatians 5:16-18 Proverbs 25:28 Freedom is not doing whatever you want whenever you want... freedom comes from having the self-control to do what you ought to do — for the good of yourself and your neighbor. To have self-control is to be free from the tyranny of our automatic responses. "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom." - Viktor Frankl God can only use people who are free enough to be used. A person without self-control is a person God can't use. Practice #1: Making Space A rhythm of life that regularly makes space for solitude and silence is meant to be a non-negotiable for followers of Jesus. Practice #2: Looking Both Ways The Prayer of Examen - St. Ignatius of Loyola The Prayer of Examen and Self-Control: 1) Reflect on the day 2) Take note of your responses (good and bad) 3) Pray - thank God for forgiveness - thank God for the grace to

Galatians 5:22-23 GENTLENESS ~ Meekness: a mild, moderate, humble, or submissive quality Psalm 37:11 Matthew 5:5 Proverbs 15:1 Proverbs 15:4 James 1:19 Gentleness is NOT our default mode! Responding to harshness with harshness is the easiest response. Gentleness is our witness to a generally harsh world. Gentle words soften the hearer. Gentleness stands out! Gentleness is an expression of God’s grace. Gentleness = Strength under control... of the Holy Spirit Saul / Paul Acts 8:3 Acts 9:1 Acts 9:19-20 Galatians 6:1 Titus 3:2 1 Timothy 3:3 2 Timothy 2:24-25 Ephesians 4:2 Philippians 4:5 1 Peter 3:4, 16 James 3:17 Isaiah 42:1-4 Isaiah 40:11 Matthew 11:28-29 Matthew 21:5 John 8:3-11 God can and will gently restore all that is broken! What would it look like for you and those around you if you had the power to live your life with an unlimited amount of the Fruit of the Spirit? We do have that power when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives!

Galatians 5:22-23 FAITHFULNESS - dependable, trustworthy, reliable - predictable, habitual, routine **God's faithfulness evidenced in us! What can we do to allow the Holy Spirit to grow faithfulness in us? Matthew 25:14-30 1) Take stock of our God-given ability 2) Act on our God-given opportunity 3) Take note of our God-given accountability

Everybody is somebody created in the image of God… someone Jesus died for. How do you respond to somebody who is that valuable? 1 John 4:9-11 HOW??! Matthew 5:13 Salt always makes a difference! At Faith Community, servanthood is our operating style. - in the church - in our community - around the world

GOODNESS How do we define good? We were created to be good The Fall (Genesis 3) Romans 8:5-8 We are helpless against our sin nature…without Christ! God is good all the time and all the time God is good Once sin is removed from creation, only goodness will remain We become the kind of person that we wish everyone else was. Challenge: ask God to provide opportunities to let goodness win in your life this week

What is the value of salvation? 1) the beginning of a great adventure 2) a new relationship with the Creator 3) a life with sites, scenes, and scents we have never experienced before Romans 5:1 TOP TEN: #10 - Peace Romans 5:8 & 10 Peace WITH God puts us on His side (salvation). Peace OF God equips us with an indestructible joy (spiritual maturity). Romans 5:2 #9 - Access #8 - Grace #7 - Rejoice in Hope Romans 5:3 #6 - Rejoice in Adversity #5 - Perseverance Romans 5:4 #4 - Proven Character #3 - Confidence Romans 5:5 Romans 10:11 #2 - Love of God #1 - Holy Spirit Within Romans 5:6 Romans 4:5 Galatians 4:4 2 Corinthians 5:21 1 Corinthians 6:19 2 Timothy 1:14

KINDNESS Humans struggle every day just to be kind to other humans. False kindness: beneficial to you, manipulation, self-preservation Ephesians 4:31-32 True kindness: absence of bitterness; generous; flows to those we agree with and those that we don't; meeting the needs of others; self-sacrifice "Niceness is more about fear, while kindness is more about love.” | Candace Cameron Bure NICE actions motivated by fear: fear of conflict fear of rejection fear of vulnerability KINDNESS is seeing people. Politeness: the simple expectation to be a good human by being good to others Niceness: outwardly kind, but can be inwardly selfish Kindness: seeing the other person; more concerned for others than the self KINDNESS: a one-size fits all policy toward all people in the recognition that all people are made in the image of God. John 4:1-30 KINDNESS towards ourselves... Love your neighbor as yourself. #1, It’s okay to not be okay → be kind to your emotions. #2, Transition is temporary → embrace being a beg

Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus Joshua 4:1-8 We forget. THINK BACK: When have you personally experienced the faithfulness of God? God's faithfulness in the past gives us confidence in His faithfulness in the future. ________________________________ Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor Acts 15:19 The church is a means to an end. >>> Avoiding the DRIFT... toward insiders and away from outsiders. toward preserving rather than advancing What do we do with this opportunity? Acts 4:29-30 We have been given the stewardship of the message of a rich and satisfying and eternal life. Influence is a stewardship. Be bold in your INVITING. Be bold in your VOLUNTEERING. Be bold in your GIVING. Be bold in your PRAYING. Acts 28:31

1 Peter 1:1-12 Every sin we've committed: PAID FOR! Every sin we will ever commit: PAID FOR! If we want God's grace and peace, we have to get our Jesus out of the manger, out of the grave, and let him become Lord of our lives. John 6:37 The foundation of Christianity is faith, love and hope. FAITH is rooted in historic fact. LOVE is faith demonstrated and shared. HOPE is future. FUSION: God the Father with God the Son; God the Son with those who trust him; the believer with God the Holy Spirit John 17 Romans 8:28-29

What if God is developing something in us in the waiting? Is it possible that we actually have a role to play in the waiting? Psalm 13:1-3 What if patience is more than waiting? What if it's actually the key to growing in the other areas of the fruit of the Spirit? PATIENCE: the ability to endure ^ How do we do that? In the tension of waiting, God is not absent, God is not apathetic, and God is not angry with you. God’s silence is not a sign of His absence. Matthew 4:12-13 There is a purpose in the exercise of your patience. James 1:1-4 The tension could be the focal point of God’s activity in your life. Spiritual maturity is always measured in terms of persevering faith, not perfect behavior. Psalm 13:5-6

GALATIANS 5:22-23 PEACE Galatians 5:2-4 If you are counting on ______________ to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. Galatians 5:13-14 What is peace? freedom from conflict? tranquility? a life with no problems?? Peace starts with GRACE and leads to FREEDOM. First, RECEIVE peace from God through the gift of salvation. Colossians 1:20-23 Mark 5:24-34 "Go in peace..." shalom = wholeness John 16:33 Philippians 4:6-7 God's peace is available to you!

Those who sacrificed in war gave us political and social freedom; Jesus Christ sacrificed to give us ETERNAL freedom. Jesus is the very hinge-pin of all human history. Ephesians 5:30-32 We identify with Jesus: He is the head; we are the body. He is the bridegroom; we are the bride. Genesis 1:1 John 1:1-2 Colossians 1:15-17 Genesis 2:21-22 Ephesians 5:25-27 Genesis 3:6 1 Timothy 2:14-15 Romans 5:14 2 Corinthians 5:21 Romans 5:18-19 Do you know the Shepherd?

GALATIANS 5:22-23 JOY Philippians 1:6 Happiness does not equal joy. John 15:1-11 Joy... a result of gratitude rooted in gratitude for our salvation Salvation: justification, sanctification, glorification Ephesians 1:13 2 Corinthians 4:15 Grace... undeserved gift, leads to gratitude, gives way to joy HOW? Our goal is more JESUS! John 15:11-12