Better Together
Relationship Values
March 20, 2022 • Pastor Denny Curran
Why should you talk with God? 1.) Prayer powers your faith! “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” - John 15:5 - 7 (NIV) 2.) Prayer quiets your heart. “God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans.” - Psalm 131:1 (MSG) 3.) Prayer creates contentment. “But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” - Psalm 131:2 (NIV) 4.) Prayer does what you can’t. “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” - Jeremiah 29:12 - 14 (NIV)
Enough of This (Part 2)
March 13, 2022 • Pastor Denny Curran
“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The http://lord...is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.” - Psalms 11:3-4 (NIV) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it." - Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV) In order for relationships to work, we must let the one who designed them define them. “There is a way that appears to be right, butin the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) All the things that God has for you aren’t there to restrict your life. They are there to bless your life. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV) “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV) 1. We have a wrong understanding of forgiveness. Real forgiveness is remembering what happened and still having God’s peace in your heart. 2.) We don’t think it’s fair. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me," he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” - Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV) 3.) We don’t think we can do it. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” - Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV) A.) Pray for Them “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” - Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV) “O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.’ With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you—http://...let them know that you, whose name is the Lord... that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” -Psalms 83:1-5, 18 (NIV) B.) Bless Them "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” - Luke 6:27-28 (NIV) “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” - Romans 12:14 (NIV) C.) Do Good to Them “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 12:17-21 (NIV) "If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." -2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NIV) "so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes." - 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT)
Enough of This
March 6, 2022 • Pastor Denny Curran
“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The http://lord...is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.” - Psalms 11:3-4 (NIV) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it." - Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV) In order for relationships to work, we must let the one who designed them define them. “There is a way that appears to be right, butin the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) All the things that God has for you aren’t there to restrict your life. They are there to bless your life. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV) “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV) 1. We have a wrong understanding of forgiveness. Real forgiveness is remembering what happened and still having God’s peace in your heart. 2.) We don’t think it’s fair. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me," he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” - Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV) 3.) We don’t think we can do it. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” - Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)
Relationships Within the Church
February 27, 2022 • Pastor Denny Curran
“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Romans 1:12 (NLT) What does the church have to offer? You get five benefits when you belong to a church family! 1.) Your Identity - When you belong to Jesus, He gives you a whole new identity. It’s who you really are and who He meant you to be, and, to Him you are perfect. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) “You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God” Ephesians 2:19 (CEV) 1.) A Support System "In Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” - Ephesians 2:21-22 (NIV) “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours” - Romans 1:12 (NLT) “[God] made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock." - Psalm 100:3 3.) You Discover Your Unique Value “Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others” - Romans 12:4-5 (TLB) "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." - Romans 12:6-8 (NLT) "Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other." - Romans 12:9-10 (NLT) 4.) You Receive Protection “God made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock” - Psalm 100:3 (GNT) 5.) You Become Productive “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener . . . you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1, 5 NIV) - You’ll never be as productive as God intended for you to be if you’re not connected to a church family.