How to Beat the Enemy

Harris Creek

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How to Beat the Enemy

Hindsight is 2020

January 24, 2021 • Jonathan Pokluda • Matthew 4:1–11

What are you most often tempted by? Did 2020 bring new and more temptations into your life? As we wrap up our series, Hindsight is 2020, JP teaches through Matthew 4:1-11, teaching us all about temptation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

-There are five main things the enemy uses: despair, disunity, deception, disease, & death. Do you think he was at work in 2020?

-We are culpable. The enemy will tempt us, but we always have the option to say no.

-Temptation: a proposition to not trust God.

-Where and what are you tempted by: fear, laziness/apathy, prejudice, cynicism, materialism, alcoholism, drugs, isolation, anger, despair.

-When tempted with His wants, Jesus trusted God’s Word.

-Sometimes your greatest temptations come after mountaintop moments.

-Where in life do you feel entitled?

-Trust yourself the least when you really really want something.

-Not all of your desires are from Got. You have desires that you should NOT act on...they are from your flesh and of this world and you should put them to death.

-Trust God’s Word over your wants.

-When tempted to display power, Jesus trusted God’s plan.

-The enemy knows Scripture. He will twist and distort it to tempt and lie to you.

-Are you able to sit in a conversation and keep the focus on the other person, or are you always trying to make the conversation about you?

-Test this: every time you seek power, the enemy is at play.

-When tempted with a shortcut, Jesus trusts God’s schedule.

-When faced with suffering or temptation, do you lean on the Lord, your Master, or your own strength and feelings?

-The Christian life is not about following your feelings. It’s about acknowledging them and then trusting and following what God and His Word says.

-Not a single person in Scripture or history has gotten away with taking a shortcut.

-If the only way you were going to overcome the temptation of satan today is to quote Deuteronomy, how would you do?

MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

-Suggested Scripture Study: James 1:13-15; Matthew 4:1-11; Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Psalm 91:11-12; Deuteronomy 6:16; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 5:9

-Book: The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

-Bible Reading Plan: biblereadingplan.org

What Can the Righteous Do?

January 17, 2021 • Nate Hilgenkamp • Psalm 11

Do you find yourself prone to panic when chaos comes? When the foundations are being destroyed, what will the righteous do? As we continue our Hindsight is 2020 series, Nate Hilgenkamp unpacks Psalm 11 and we'll see David's response to the chaos and confusion around him. While his friends suggest fleeing, he reminds them why he knows that he can stand firm no matter the situation. KEY TAKEAWAYS -The advice of fear. -Our enemy has a plan and a purpose in a crisis. Don’t buy his lies! He’s trying to change how you view God. -Protection provides peace. Find your protection in the Prince of Peace. -Danger is real, and life in a fallen world is hard. But, you need to identify words of faith vs. words of fear in times of crisis and hardship. -Words of fear will always be about you. Words of faith will always be about God. -The answer of faith. -Our situation doesn’t change God’s goodness, closeness, protection, or love for us. -When your protection is in God, the world can’t take it away. -There never has been and never will be something in your life that God is surprised by. -God always sees you and you can always have His full and undivided attention. -The activity of the righteous. -The world flees, but our God sees, so I’ll stay. -How you take refuge in the Lord when crises comes can be predicted by how you are taking refuge in the Lord right now. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Suggested Scripture Study: Psalm 11; -Sermon: The Power of Jesus’ Name

The Power of Jesus' Name

January 10, 2021 • Shane Pruitt • John 11:17–44

A lot has changed in the last year, but not everything has changed. In an ever changing world, we need to hang on to never changing truths. As we continue our series, Hindsight is 2020, Shane Pruitt teaches us three things we will never have to regret about Jesus. KEY TAKEAWAY -In an ever changing world, we need to hang on to never changing truths. -Jesus hasn’t changed and neither has our identity in Him. We are still—always!—called to know Him and to make Him known. -COVID-19 has not changed the great commission. -You never have to regret experiencing Jesus’ power. -You won’t understand resurrection and life until you understand Jesus. -The only thing that can overcome death is life, that can overcome the grave is resurrection, the very thing Christ did! -Sin spreads worse than any virus has ever spread. -Sitting inside a church doesn’t make you a Christian. We are not born http://christians...we are born sinners in need of a Savior. -Have you ever noticed that when someone else sins we become judges but when we sin we become defense attorneys? -Sin is powerful, but Jesus is infinitely more powerful. -You will never be too far gone for Jesus. Never! -Why would we ever follow someone who can’t do anything different than we can do all by ourselves? Jesus is the only person to ever defeat http://death...the one thing we can not do all by ourselves. Buddha, Mohammad, Joseph http://smith...all other major religions central figure died and stayed dead, but not Jesus! -You never have to regret walking in Jesus’ victory. -The gospel of Jesus is not about making good people better or bad people good but about making dead people alive. -The power of the gospel doesn’t just change our identity, it changes our actions. -Grave clothes are for the dead. They are no longer appropriate for the living. -Lost people are supposed to live like lost people. What’s sad is when found people still live like lost people. -What are some old grave clothes that you are still holding on to? Gossip? Complaining? Fear? An addiction? Anger? Social media? -One of the greatest tragedies is when people who are spiritually alive in Christ walk around and live like people who are dead. -The world needs the hope of Jesus and God’s plan A is that His people, Christians, would live out that hope day in and day out, outside the four walls of the building we gather in once a week. -You never have to regret pointing others to Jesus. -Most of the things we do in response to fear we regret. -When our flesh sees something difficult our faith sees an opportunity. -Lazarus used the most difficult thing in his life (death) to point people to the most powerful thing in his life (Jesus). -Who needs to hear about Jesus in your life? MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Suggested Scripture Study: John 11:17-44; Hebrews 13:8 -Sermon: A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember

January 3, 2021 • Jim Underwood • Mark 11:11–24

Do you have any regrets as you look back on 2020? As we start a new year we are starting a new series: Hindsight is 2020. Jim Underwood teaches through the story of Jesus and the fig tree in Mark 11:11-24, teaching us about bearing fruit through a relationship with Christ. KEY TAKEAWAYS -What if you knew this was the last week of your life? How would you live? Would you do anything differently? -Fruit is a symptom of true, saving faith. -If we belong to God, the fruit of the Spirit should be increasingly evident in our lives over time. -Jesus had the most problems with the http://pharisees...the religious people who had a bunch of leaves and no fruit. -Christianity isn’t about checking boxes for God. -We do not earn our way to God through producing fruit. The fruit comes because of our relationship with God. -Bearing fruit is impossible on our own. -No matter who you are and what you’ve done, it’s never too late to put your faith in Christ. -Are you trying to store up for yourself treasures on earth or treasures in heaven? -Fruitful living has no regrets. -This is not a sermon—nor is Christianity—about trying harder. -What will Christ find when He examines your branches? Make no mistake, the day will come when He does. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Suggested Scripture Study: Mark 11:11-24; Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 12:1-2; John 15:5; Psalm 1:1-3; 2 Corinthians 7:10 -Sermon: Missed Expectations