Busyness

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Busyness

7 Deadly Sins of Suburbia

January 9, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • Luke 10:38–42

Do you ever feel like your life is busy? What causes it to be that way? As we start a new series, The Seven Sins of Suburbia, JP addresses the sin of busyness by examining Mary and Martha in Luke 10.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

-Busyness is the enemy of encouragement.

-What all could you put in the blank: Busyness is the enemy of ________.

-Here’s a secret: you will always have a lot to do. There will always be more to do than you have time for.

-How much do you like yourself and your life when you are busy?

-Jesus had friends. Have you ever considered that?

-Minister or ministry simply means to render aid to those in need. All Christian’s, regardless of where they work and get a paycheck, are called to ministry.

-Busyness is the enemy of focus.

-What is the work that only you can do? What are the things that only you can do?

-Don’t let the many things distract you from the one thing.

-You are the only one who is in charge of your relationship with Jesus.

-Busyness breeds a victim mentality. You are either for me or against me when I’m busy.

-Busyness is the enemy of empathy.

-People become distractions to your list of things to do when you are busy.

-Nobody cares how busy you are. No one.

-This is not an admonition to single moms. If you are a single mom, we are here for you! Let us know how we can help and serve you.

-The world will not crumble if you slow down and stop.

-Busyness is the enemy of peace and joy.

-The greatest antidote to “What if…” is to answer the question.

-If busy frustrates you, you have set yourself up for a life of frustration.

-When something comes at you that you didn’t expect, margin is a great thing. But more than margin, prioritization will help you more.

-There are things that won’t get done. Choose them carefully.

-“I have so much to do today that I will spend three hours in prayer in order to get it all done.” -Martin Luther

-If you want to see your kids go to an Ivy League school or play professional sports, but you don’t disciple them or teach them the Bible, that is a really, really bad trade.

-What you say no to will tell other people what is most important to you. People will remember what you say no to.

-Three of the big rocks we want you to prioritize at Harris Creek are attending corporate worship, serving, and meeting consistently with your Life Group.

-What are your personal big rocks? Your non-negotiables in life?

MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

-Suggested Scripture study: Luke 10:38-42

Indulgence

February 27, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • 1 John 2:15–17, Genesis 3:6, Matthew 6:24, James 4:4, Philippians 3:18–20

What do you want right now? In this moment as you read this, if you could have anything in the world, what do you want? As we finish our sermon series, 7 Deadly Sins of Suburbia, JP teaches about indulgence by studying 1 John 2:15-17. KEY TAKEAWAYS -What do you turn to when you are stressed? -What you want shows who you love. -We love stuff and use people to get more stuff. This couldn’t be further from what the Bible teaches. -A biblical worldview teaches us to use stuff to love people. -You can either love the world or you can love God. You can not have or love both. -You will either be full from the things of God and able to resist the world, or, you will be full from the things of this world and will resist the things of God. -Wickedness comes from wanting worldly things. -Satan is the little g god of this world. His one desire is to drag you out of a right relationship with God, and he uses the things of this world. -What marks you? If those closest to you got asked about what’s important to you, what would they say? -“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis -Walking in the will of God is living for another world. -As you walk with God, your wants and desires will align with His. -Parenting is teaching kids what to do with their wants as well as teaching them what to want. Christianity is no different. -If you take sin it will take you. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Scripture to study: 1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 6:24; James 4:4; Philippians 3:18-20; Genesis 3:6; James 1:14-15; Psalm 37:4; Romans 12:2 -Sermon: Anger from Unforgiveness

Anger From Unforgiveness

February 20, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • Micah 7:18, Matthew 18:21–35, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 14:23, Isaiah 53:10

1) God's anger toward you was satisfied 2) Forgiven people are forgiving people 3) Your forgiveness demonstrates God's forgiveness

Gossip

February 13, 2022 • Nate Hilgenkamp • John 17:20–23, Genesis 3:4–5, Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 18:8, Romans 1:29–30

Have you ever talked about someone who wasn’t present? Have you ever found out people talked about you when you weren’t present? As we continue our series, 7 Deadly Sins of Suburbia, Nate Hilgenkamp teaches about gossip by teaching through the book of Proverbs. KEY TAKEAWAYS -Gossip is sharing unhelpful or unnecessary information about someone who isn’t present. -Gossip is in the same list of sins as murder and hating God. -Gossip is enjoyable. -TMZ made $126 million in 2021…they’ve literally made an industry out of gossip. -Neuroscience has shown that the reward center of our brain lights up in response to gossip in a similar way as it does to romantic interest or eating chocolate. -We enjoy gossip because it makes us feel better than others. -Gossip also makes us feel important because someone trusts us to tell us something. -When someone gossips to you, they are really saying, “I’m OK talking about people behind their back.” -We enjoy gossip because it’s easy. It’s a lot harder to ask intentional questions of others or share specific struggles in your own life. -Gossip is divisive. -As adults it’s easy to see gossip in middle and high schoolers, but the reality is, it’s rampant and divisive in adults too. -It’s been said that gossip is the devil’s telephone. -God hates gossip because He loves you. -Before being crucified, Jesus prayed specifically for us, today, that we would be perfectly unified with other Christians the way He and the Father are perfectly unified. -Gossip can be put out. -The only way a fire can continue is by adding fuel. The same is true of gossip. Are you adding fuel or putting it out? -Even if you don’t share gossip, you have a part to play when you listen or permit it to happen. -We talk to people not about people. -On Harris Creek staff, we practice the “24-hour rule.” If someone says something to you about someone else, you give that person 24-hours to go tell the person they gossiped about, and if they don’t, you go with them to talk to the person together. -These phrases are almost never going to have helpful things behind them: “Don’t tell them I told you, but;” “This doesn’t leave this room;” & “Just between you and me.” -Venting is simply calling gossip by a different name. -If something doesn’t honor God or encourage others, just don’t say it. -If you are afraid your phone might record what you are saying about someone, don’t say it in the first place. -God hears every word you speak. Your words matter. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Proverbs 18:8, 16:28, 26:20; Romans 1:29-30; Genesis 3:4-5; John 17:20-23; Ephesians 4:29; Matthew 12:36-37 -Sermon: Comparison