Almost Gospel - Week 1

Almost Gospel - Week 2

WEEK 2 – "The Gospel of [self]Comfort" Opening Reading: Romans 8:26-28 These three sayings distort God's purposes in su=ering and hardship. The Lie: "God Exists to Make My Life Easier" Core Passage: Romans 8:18-30 Big Idea: God's goal is not our COMFORT, but our CONFORMITY to Christ. Exegesis Romans 8:18-30 – helps break down the misrepresentation of Romans 8:28 Teaching Movement Saying 1: “Everything happens for a reason” Not everything that happens is good. • Acts 2:23 Evil is genuinely evil. Not in the Bible. Romans 8:28 is often mis-paraphrased this way, “God works all things together for my(our) good” , but the verse says something much richer: "God works all things together for good for those who love Him..." The Bible does not teach that every event is good. It teaches that God is sovereign enough to redeem evil, su=ering, and tragedy for His purposes. Saying 2: “This too shall pass” Temporary su=ering is not meaningless su=ering. "This too shall pass" isn't Scripture. I believe Gandalf better says it in his epic battle with the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-Dum “you cannot pass” {four times by the way book, not the one usage from the movie of “you shall not pass”}. But: • Revelation 21:4 God uses su=ering as formation. Not in the Bible. The phrase has roots in ancient Middle Eastern wisdom traditions.- Originating from medieval Sufi poets like Attar of Nishapur, the phrase is famously tied to a fable about a king who asked his wise men for a ring with an inscription that would keep him grounded in both bad times and good. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Dietrich Bonhoe=er, “The Cost of Discipleship” Saying 3: “God works in mysterious ways” God's ways are often hidden but never absent. Not in the Bible. The expression itself, is actually a misquotation of the hymnist William Cowper. The proper quotation is actually “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” It is found in the Hymn that is titled, “God Moves In a Mysterious Way” from 1774. • Isaiah 55:8-9 Mystery is not abandonment. Again, the great theologian Gandalf the Gray says it this way, “A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.” The concept is biblical; the quotation is not. Practical Application When life hurts – Instead of asking: "Why did this happen?" Learn to ask: "How is God meeting me here?" Invitation At Calvary, God transformed history's greatest evil into history's greate

Almost Gospel - Week 1

WEEK 1 – "The Gospel of Self-Reliance"                    The Lie: "I Can Do This" Core Passage: 2 Corinthians 12:6-10   Big Idea: The Christian life is not about becoming strong enough FOR God; it is about becoming dependent enough ON God.   Teaching Movement Point 1: God helps those who help themselves. On the contrary, God helps the helpless. He is near to the brokenhearted.  Example: Israel at the Red Sea * Exodus 14:13-14 – Stand firm, see the Lord’s salvation, He will accomplish, He will fight for you (you must be quiet)  * Romans 5:6 – We are helpless, Christ salvation is our help NOT IN THE BIBLE. This saying is often attributed to Scripture but is more commonly associated with ancient Greek thought and later popularized by Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1730’s). The exact phrasing is actually attributed to English political theorist Algernon Sidney 1698. What the Bible actually teaches: God often helps those who cannot help themselves. * Psalm 121:1-2 – Our help comes from the Lord, not from ourselves or our circumstances * Isaiah 41:10 – Our strength comes from the Lord, life is in His’ power and His’ strength * Romans 5:6 – We are helpless, Christ salvation is our help The gospel itself is built on the reality that we were helpless apart from God's grace.   Point 2: God won't give you more than you can handle. The opposite is true, God often allows more than we can handle. * 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – We were completely overwhelmed, beyond our strength * Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near the brokenhearted, He saves those crushed in Spirit NOT IN THE BIBLE. This is probably the most common misquotation among Christians. People often derive it from *1 Corinthians 10:13*, which speaks specifically about TEMPTATION, not SUFFERING. What the Bible actually teaches: God regularly allows circumstances that are beyond our ability so we learn dependence upon Him. * 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – We were completely overwhelmed, beyond our strength * Judges 7:2-3 – In “success” man often elevates themselves, over God, in “victories” The biblical message is often: "You cannot handle this alone, but God can."   Point 3: Follow your heart. Your heart is a poor compass. Do not lean on your own understanding, RELY ON HIM.  * Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is more deceitful than anything else, who can understand the heart * Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust your heart with the Lord, do not rely on your own understanding THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. This phrase is everywhere in modern culture. What Scripture says: "The heart is deceitful above all things..." (Jeremiah 17:9) The Bible consistently teaches: * Trust God above your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)  * Submit your desires to God's will  * Allow God to transform your heart  The biblical message is closer to: "Follow God, HE will lead your heart with truth."   Point 4: To thine own self be true. The truest version of yourself is found in Jesus. * Luke 9:23 – To follow Jesus is to deny ourselves. Take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus * Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified in Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me SHAKESPHERE, NOT SCRIPTURE! The phrase comes from Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3. It is spoken by the character Polonius to his son Laertes before Laertes leaves for France. The famous line appears in a longer speech: "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." The Biblical Contrast The Bible approaches the self very differently. Scripture certainly values integrity and sincerity. For example: * Matthew 5:36-37 – We should not rely on ourselves, but let our integrity come from the Lord * Ephesians 4:25-27 – Do not lie, do not give power to mistrust. Be angry, but don’t sin * Acting out of impulse comes from Satan the Father of Lies  Again, Scripture is remarkably skeptical about the human heart as the ultimate source of truth.   Gospel Invitation: The world says: "Believe in yourself." Jesus says: "Come to Me."

Real Men, Follow Him - Father's Day 2026

Title: Real Men, Follow Him                       Text: Luke 9:23-25   Opening (Problem, Facts, Hypothesis) The “solution” to many of our problems within this shattered world, in which we all share, sits in this room RIGHT NOW! What if we took the call of Jesus to “Follow Him (Daily)” seriously in every detail of our lives? Then we would be the spark of change this world needs, based on the most basic and fundamental call of discipleship from Jesus (Follow Him).    Three Marks of a Man Who Follows Jesus 1. Let God Be Your Direction (v23) "If anyone wants to come after Me..."  2. Pick Up Your Cross Daily (v23-24) "...deny himself, take up his cross daily..." Sin says, "My will be done." Discipleship says, "Your will be done." The first sin in Eden was humanity attempting to occupy God's throne (Genesis 3:1-7). The first step of discipleship is climbing off that throne. 3.    Be a Dad Worth Celebrating (v25) "...what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose themselves?" The Context Provides The Prescription (Revisit, THEN, Luke 9:22) Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything He hasn’t already done Himself. He lived in the same way and same temptations of this life in the incarnation, and yet He was without sin. The Christian life is not merely admiration of Jesus. It is participation in the pattern of Jesus. Cross before crown. Death before resurrection. Surrender before glory.   Challenge Today we are giving every man three gifts. Each gift represents a challenge. First, a Compass. – Let God be your direction. -       Stop following the crowd. -       Stop following culture. -       Follow Jesus. Second, a Cross. – Pick up your cross daily. -       Choose surrender over selfishness. -       Choose obedience over convenience. -       Choose Christ every day. Third, a Trophy. – Be a dad worth celebrating. Not because you are perfect. Because you consistently point your family toward Jesus.

Sound Mind - Week 4 "Living With a Sound Mind"

WEEK 4 — “LIVING WITH A SOUND MIND”          Reflect – “How do I become a witness of healing?” Series Core Text: 2 Timothy 1:7       Primary Text: Philippians 4:4–9        4 Questions of a Sound Mind Big Idea: A sound mind becomes visible through a transformed presence. TENSION QUESTION: What does a healed life actually look like? 1. Rejoice (v4) [present imperative, not momentary but a posture of life] -       Joy comes from the Lord -       The Lord’s joy is a double share (rejoice…again I say rejoice) 2. Gentleness (v5) [Possessing power, but possessing more restraint] -       Grace, mercy and kindness has been given to us, we are to likewise extend it 3. X-Anxiety (v6) [Putting an X in anxiety] -       Anxieties(worries) will come and go, do not be consumed by anxiousness -       Prayer and Petition -       Thanksgiving -       Turn all our worries over to God 4. Guard (v7) [Military metaphor, in a Roman Military Colony] -       God’s peace transcends human understanding -       Guard your heart – affections and desires -       Guard your mind – thoughts and reasoning -       The Lord is protector and provider for the whole man 5. Virtuous (v8) [Characteristics of Christ-likeness] -       True - Aligned with reality as God defines it. -       Noble - Worthy of respect and dignity. -       Right - Morally upright according to God's standards. -       Pure - Free from corruption and impurity. -       Lovely - That which awakens affection for goodness. -       Admirable - That which deserves commendation. -       Excellent - Moral excellence. -       Praiseworthy - Worthy of celebration before God. 6. Practice (v9)  [Paul’s Quadrilateral of Discipleship] -       Learned – Learned from experience (formal teaching) -       Received – Lived out in community (Apostolic tradition) -       Heard – Sought out by listening (verbal instruction) -       Seen – Watched in real-time (embodied example) o   I do, you watch. We do it together. You do, I watch. You do, I support (we train others.) Full Circle Moment - The God of Peace (v7) – The Peace of God (v9) FINAL CONCLUSION: A sound mind is not the absence of storms. It is the presence of Christ in the storm.

Sound Mind - Week 3 "The Small Things Change Everything"

Sound Mind Week 3 – “The Small Things Change Everything“ Theme: Reorder – “What Practices Reshape My Life”   7 [http://biblehub.com/2_timothy/1-7.htm]For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV   Big Idea: A sound mind is not built by winning tomorrow's battles. It is built by faithfully surrendering today's moments to God. (If you don’t win today, there is no tomorrow.)   The Space Race It began in 1957 when the Soviet Union shocked the world by launching Sputnik 1, the first satellite in space. The Soviets followed with several early victories, including sending Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. In response, President John F. Kennedy challenged America to land a man on the Moon before the decade ended.  Many years ago, the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it? He said, “Because it is there.”  Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.  -       JFK (on going to the Moon) “We choose to go to the Moon” Rice University 9/12/1962 The race culminated in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. July 20, 1969 4:17pm EST “The Eagle has landed!” Why was it significant? Because it wasn't really about space. It was a global demonstration of which system—communism or democracy—could win out. The same rocket technology that launched astronauts could also launch nuclear weapons, so success in space was seen as evidence of national power and security. When the United States reached the Moon first, many viewed it as a symbolic victory in the broader Cold War struggle.   Transition: It's only your greatest battle, until you hand it over to God.   Teaching Point 1: A Sound Mind Begins With Rest 30 [http://biblehub.com/mark/6-30.htm]The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 [http://biblehub.com/mark/6-31.htm]Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:30-31 NIV “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” When life feels out of control: * Stop. * Rest. * Sit with Jesus. If you don't come apart and rest, eventually you'll come apart from stress.   Teaching Point 2: A Sound Mind Focuses On God’s Assignment 33 [http://biblehub.com/matthew/6-33.htm]But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 [http://biblehub.com/matthew/6-34.htm]Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34 NIV “Seek First His Kingdom” God gives grace for today, not previews for tomorrow.   How a Janitor helped land a man on the moon. 1962, JFK is visiting the NASA Space Center. He happens to take a few wrong turns and get himself lost in a service corridor. Here he sees a janitor mopping. Seeming so out of place in the spaces JFK has found himself, he stops.   He walked over to him and said “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?” The janitor responded, “Well Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.”   Conclusion: Sometimes it is the unexpected, seemingly mundane, moments that when lived in surrender; change our entire lives.   3 [http://biblehub.com/revelation/21-3.htm]And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 [http://biblehub.com/revelation/21-4.htm]‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4 NIV   Honest Reflections: Asbury and my first EV VBS   Takeaway: A sound mind is built when we stop carrying tomorrow and start surrendering today.