No Excuses
Not just a hearer...I am a doer - James 1:22
Youth: Wrap Up
November 25, 2020 • Michael Fitzgerald
This week, we will wrap the same way we started. Let us commit to stay rid of excuses and to be doers who put our theme verse into practice. James 1:22 says, But do not just listen to Gods word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. At the beginning of this journey, we decided that to be disciples - committed followers of Christ, we had to be disciplined. We have examined a variety of spiritual disciplines and all that is left is doing them. As doers, remember that faith in Jesus is still the most important thing. Faith saves. Faith in Jesus differs from knowing about Jesus because true belief results in action. Your faith will show through your works (or your doing). We’ll see this week that continued practice of the disciplines (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, worship, giving, serving, fasting, & communion) keeps us focused on Christ, maturing in our faith, and bearing fruit because the Holy Spirit lives in and works through us. We must stay on guard and remain Gospel focused as doers who make no excuses.
Kids: Wrap Up
November 22, 2020 • Kristy Motte & Ashley Law
This week, we will wrap the same way we started. Let us commit to stay rid of excuses and to be doers who put our theme verse into practice. James 1:22 says, But do not just listen to Gods word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. At the beginning of this journey, we decided that to be disciples - committed followers of Christ, we had to be disciplined. We have examined a variety of spiritual disciplines and all that is left is doing them. As doers, remember that faith in Jesus is still the most important thing. Faith saves. Faith in Jesus differs from knowing about Jesus because true belief results in action. Your faith will show through your works (or your doing). We’ll see this week that continued practice of the disciplines (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, worship, giving, serving, fasting, & communion) keeps us focused on Christ, maturing in our faith, and bearing fruit because the Holy Spirit lives in and works through us. We must stay on guard and remain Gospel focused as doers who make no excuses.
Parenting: Wrap Up
November 22, 2020 • Brian & Kristy Motte
This week, we will wrap the same way we started. Let us commit to stay rid of excuses and to be doers who put our theme verse into practice. James 1:22 says, But do not just listen to Gods word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. At the beginning of this journey, we decided that to be disciples - committed followers of Christ, we had to be disciplined. We have examined a variety of spiritual disciplines and all that is left is doing them. As doers, remember that faith in Jesus is still the most important thing. Faith saves. Faith in Jesus differs from knowing about Jesus because true belief results in action. Your faith will show through your works (or your doing). We’ll see this week that continued practice of the disciplines (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, worship, giving, serving, fasting, & communion) keeps us focused on Christ, maturing in our faith, and bearing fruit because the Holy Spirit lives in and works through us. We must stay on guard and remain Gospel focused as doers who make no excuses.
Youth: Communion
November 18, 2020 • Michael Fitzgerald
Alright doers, what a crazy journey! Our hope and prayer is that your life has transformed as you have put the Word of God into action. We follow Him whole-heartedly, intentionally, consistently, and without excuses. As James 1:22 states, we do not just know or listen to Gods Word, we do what it says as we put it into practice. Remember, no amount of doing or righteousness (right behavior) can replace your personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship begins when you put your faith in Him as Savior and Lord. This week, we will look closely at a discipline that is typically practiced corporately (with other believers), but should help us keep the gospel and our faith based relationship with Jesus at the forefront of our minds personally. While He was here on Earth, Jesus instructs us in this final discipline, telling us to take communion “in remembrance of me” (Luke 2:19). This week, our look at the practice of communion will show us that this reflective practice helps us look: -Backward at God’s gift of Jesus -Inward for self-examination -Outward as we proclaim the gospel -Forward to Christ’s return
Kids: Communion
November 15, 2020 • Kristy Motte & Ashley Law
Alright doers, what a crazy journey! Our hope and prayer is that your life has transformed as you have put the Word of God into action. We follow Him whole-heartedly, intentionally, consistently, and without excuses. As James 1:22 states, we do not just know or listen to Gods Word, we do what it says as we put it into practice. Remember, no amount of doing or righteousness (right behavior) can replace your personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship begins when you put your faith in Him as Savior and Lord. This week, we will look closely at a discipline that is typically practiced corporately (with other believers), but should help us keep the gospel and our faith based relationship with Jesus at the forefront of our minds personally. While He was here on Earth, Jesus instructs us in this final discipline, telling us to take communion “in remembrance of me” (Luke 2:19). This week, our look at the practice of communion will show us that this reflective practice helps us look: -Backward at God’s gift of Jesus -Inward for self-examination -Outward as we proclaim the gospel -Forward to Christ’s return
Parenting: Communion
November 15, 2020 • Brian & Kristy Motte
Alright doers, what a crazy journey! Our hope and prayer is that your life has transformed as you have put the Word of God into action. We follow Him whole-heartedly, intentionally, consistently, and without excuses. As James 1:22 states, we do not just know or listen to Gods Word, we do what it says as we put it into practice. Remember, no amount of doing or righteousness (right behavior) can replace your personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship begins when you put your faith in Him as Savior and Lord. This week, we will look closely at a discipline that is typically practiced corporately (with other believers), but should help us keep the gospel and our faith based relationship with Jesus at the forefront of our minds personally. While He was here on Earth, Jesus instructs us in this final discipline, telling us to take communion “in remembrance of me” (Luke 2:19). This week, our look at the practice of communion will show us that this reflective practice helps us look: -Backward at God’s gift of Jesus -Inward for self-examination -Outward as we proclaim the gospel -Forward to Christ’s return
Youth: Fasting
November 11, 2020 • Michael Fitzgerald
Over the past week, the family ministry team hopes you have had a chance to really seek the Lord regarding what your gifts are and how you can put them to use to serve Him and the body of Christ. As you serve in your areas of gifting, experiencing the Holy Spirit work through you leaves you feeling filled and excited to join the Lord in His work again. Sometimes, no matter how much we serve, worship, read the Bible, or pray, we can still find ourselves feeling like we are missing something. Maybe you feel distracted or unfocused. You might feel far from God or you might be struggling to discern His answer to a prayer you are persistently praying. Maybe you know that there is something that you need to surrender to the Lord or to reprioritize to better keep your eyes fixed on Him. This week, we will see that in situations like this, the discipline of fasting is a way for doers to ask the Lord to empty them and fill them with Himself instead. Regularly practicing fasting reminds doers to yearn for the Lord- to desire Him more than anything or anyone else. Fasting is a commitment between you and the Lord to intentionally sacrifice one thing and to replace it with Him. Biblically, we primarily see fasting directly connected to food. A person may forgo food for a period of time or they might give up certain types of food for a season. Fasting can take other forms, particularly for young people or people who may not be in a place were forgoing food is a healthy choice. But fasting should not be easy and it should not be haphazard. This decision to fast is always intentional and between an individual and the Lord. Why is fasting effective? The time you would spend on the thing you gave up should be replaced with time intentionally seeking the Lord and focusing on Him. Every time you crave the thing you committed to sacrifice, it reminds you that you need the Lord and that you desire Him above all else. It is a reminder to you and a proclamation to the Lord that above anything or anyone else, you need Him. Psalm. 63:1 says, O. God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Doer, do you earnestly search for God? Do you thirst or long for Him the way you would in the middle of a hot desert without water? If not, what are you relying on and longing for instead? This week, seek the Lord regarding fasting. Dig into Gods Word to see His commands about fasting and the examples of fasting in Scripture. Each day, meditate on Psalm 63:1. If its proclamation is not true for you, ask the Lord why and consider what you may need to fast from (or eliminate) from your life so that you can better focus on Him
Parenting: Fasting
November 8, 2020 • Brian & Kristy Motte
Over the past week, the family ministry team hopes you have had a chance to really seek the Lord regarding what your gifts are and how you can put them to use to serve Him and the body of Christ. As you serve in your areas of gifting, experiencing the Holy Spirit work through you leaves you feeling filled and excited to join the Lord in His work again. Sometimes, no matter how much we serve, worship, read the Bible, or pray, we can still find ourselves feeling like we are missing something. Maybe you feel distracted or unfocused. You might feel far from God or you might be struggling to discern His answer to a prayer you are persistently praying. Maybe you know that there is something that you need to surrender to the Lord or to reprioritize to better keep your eyes fixed on Him. This week, we will see that in situations like this, the discipline of fasting is a way for doers to ask the Lord to empty them and fill them with Himself instead. Regularly practicing fasting reminds doers to yearn for the Lord- to desire Him more than anything or anyone else. Fasting is a commitment between you and the Lord to intentionally sacrifice one thing and to replace it with Him. Biblically, we primarily see fasting directly connected to food. A person may forgo food for a period of time or they might give up certain types of food for a season. Fasting can take other forms, particularly for young people or people who may not be in a place were forgoing food is a healthy choice. But fasting should not be easy and it should not be haphazard. This decision to fast is always intentional and between an individual and the Lord. Why is fasting effective? The time you would spend on the thing you gave up should be replaced with time intentionally seeking the Lord and focusing on Him. Every time you crave the thing you committed to sacrifice, it reminds you that you need the Lord and that you desire Him above all else. It is a reminder to you and a proclamation to the Lord that above anything or anyone else, you need Him. Psalm. 63:1 says, O. God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Doer, do you earnestly search for God? Do you thirst or long for Him the way you would in the middle of a hot desert without water? If not, what are you relying on and longing for instead? This week, seek the Lord regarding fasting. Dig into Gods Word to see His commands about fasting and the examples of fasting in Scripture. Each day, meditate on Psalm 63:1. If its proclamation is not true for you, ask the Lord why and consider what you may need to fast from (or eliminate) from your life so that you can better focus on Him
Youth: Serving
November 4, 2020 • Michael Fitzgerald
For the past few weeks, we have had a chance to check our hearts. Are we doing because we love the Lord and want to glorify Him? Last week we saw that where our treasure is, our hearts are also (Matthew 6:21). This was a check for us about where we spend our money and our time. But our offering does not stop there. Two weeks ago, Romans 12:1 challenged us to give our bodies- our whole lives- to Jesus as our worship of Him. Today, we see that these two disciplines: Worship and Giving really result in serving. Doers Serve. But be careful, friend! First, if you are not, you might think that serving earns you favor and righteousness in Gods sight. Make no mistake. We do not earn our salvation. We cannot earn Gods favor and grace. He freely gives those things to us because of Jesus. We serve because we love God are grateful that He saved us. Jesus gave His life for us so we offer ours in return. Second, if you are not careful, you might think that serving means busyness. You might find yourself always doing- finding anything and everything you can do to pitch in and help. God does not want you serving for servings sake. God wants you serving so you can be a vessel for His power and the Gospel. Through this, your life and the lives of others will be changed. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. We will see this week that God designed you as a vessel that is better suited for certain service. You’ve been given gifts, talents, and abilities that intentionally wire you for the good works God planned for you long ago. Lastly friend, be careful because if you are not, you might think that serving is optional. You might leave it until you have time, until you or your kids are older, or until you are better equipped and trained to serve. A living sacrifice does not hop off the altar until it is ready. It is faithfully submitted and follows God daily, serving Him in each and every step along the way. As a member of Christs body, you have been given a role that only you were made to fill. The body of Christ will limp along incomplete and unsupported if you choose not to fill your role. This week, spend time seeking Gods plan for how you should serve. Then, do it - No excuses!
Kids: Serving
November 1, 2020
For the past few weeks, we have had a chance to check our hearts. Are we doing because we love the Lord and want to glorify Him? Last week we saw that where our treasure is, our hearts are also (Matthew 6:21). This was a check for us about where we spend our money and our time. But our offering does not stop there. Two weeks ago, Romans 12:1 challenged us to give our bodies- our whole lives- to Jesus as our worship of Him. Today, we see that these two disciplines: Worship and Giving really result in serving. Doers Serve. But be careful, friend! First, if you are not, you might think that serving earns you favor and righteousness in Gods sight. Make no mistake. We do not earn our salvation. We cannot earn Gods favor and grace. He freely gives those things to us because of Jesus. We serve because we love God are grateful that He saved us. Jesus gave His life for us so we offer ours in return. Second, if you are not careful, you might think that serving means busyness. You might find yourself always doing- finding anything and everything you can do to pitch in and help. God does not want you serving for servings sake. God wants you serving so you can be a vessel for His power and the Gospel. Through this, your life and the lives of others will be changed. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. We will see this week that God designed you as a vessel that is better suited for certain service. You’ve been given gifts, talents, and abilities that intentionally wire you for the good works God planned for you long ago. Lastly friend, be careful because if you are not, you might think that serving is optional. You might leave it until you have time, until you or your kids are older, or until you are better equipped and trained to serve. A living sacrifice does not hop off the altar until it is ready. It is faithfully submitted and follows God daily, serving Him in each and every step along the way. As a member of Christs body, you have been given a role that only you were made to fill. The body of Christ will limp along incomplete and unsupported if you choose not to fill your role. This week, spend time seeking Gods plan for how you should serve. Then, do it - No excuses!
Parenting: Serving
November 1, 2020 • Brian & Kristy Motte
For the past few weeks, we have had a chance to check our hearts. Are we doing because we love the Lord and want to glorify Him? Last week we saw that where our treasure is, our hearts are also (Matthew 6:21). This was a check for us about where we spend our money and our time. But our offering does not stop there. Two weeks ago, Romans 12:1 challenged us to give our bodies- our whole lives- to Jesus as our worship of Him. Today, we see that these two disciplines: Worship and Giving really result in serving. Doers Serve. But be careful, friend! First, if you are not, you might think that serving earns you favor and righteousness in Gods sight. Make no mistake. We do not earn our salvation. We cannot earn Gods favor and grace. He freely gives those things to us because of Jesus. We serve because we love God are grateful that He saved us. Jesus gave His life for us so we offer ours in return. Second, if you are not careful, you might think that serving means busyness. You might find yourself always doing- finding anything and everything you can do to pitch in and help. God does not want you serving for servings sake. God wants you serving so you can be a vessel for His power and the Gospel. Through this, your life and the lives of others will be changed. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. We will see this week that God designed you as a vessel that is better suited for certain service. You’ve been given gifts, talents, and abilities that intentionally wire you for the good works God planned for you long ago. Lastly friend, be careful because if you are not, you might think that serving is optional. You might leave it until you have time, until you or your kids are older, or until you are better equipped and trained to serve. A living sacrifice does not hop off the altar until it is ready. It is faithfully submitted and follows God daily, serving Him in each and every step along the way. As a member of Christs body, you have been given a role that only you were made to fill. The body of Christ will limp along incomplete and unsupported if you choose not to fill your role. This week, spend time seeking Gods plan for how you should serve. Then, do it - No excuses!
Kids: Giving
October 25, 2020 • Kristy Motte & Ashley Law
Alright doer - keep it up! Hopefully your relationship with God has been growing and you feel His leading in your life. Keep pressing into His Word. Pursue Him faithfully and often in prayer. Rub shoulders with other believers through fellowship and keep one another sharp. Praise God boldly for who He is and what He has done. Word of warning doers: God does not just want our actions. He wants our heart. Do not get caught up going through the motions of doing and lose sight of why you are doing all of these things in the first place. We do because we love God and belong to Him. In our doing, our hearts are what matter most to God. As we learned about worship, we saw that worshiping God helps set our hearts on Him. This helps us make sure that our doing is motivated by a heart that wants to honor and glorify the Lord. This week, we will see that part of our worship is giving to God. Sometimes giving does not come easily. The Word of God will remind us all week that where we give shows what we value and where our trust is. Giving is a quick check up of where our heart truly lies. Matthew 6:21 says, Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. We worship God as living sacrifices. This is done through our choices, our attitudes, and our outpouring of praise. But our sacrifice does not stop there. Living sacrifices are obedient in generous giving. We give to God because we love Him. We give to God because it is all His in the first place. We give to God because we know He can move powerfully in the lives of others when we give.
Youth: Giving
October 28, 2020 • Michael Fitzgerald
Alright doer - keep it up! Hopefully your relationship with God has been growing and you feel His leading in your life. Keep pressing into His Word. Pursue Him faithfully and often in prayer. Rub shoulders with other believers through fellowship and keep one another sharp. Praise God boldly for who He is and what He has done. Word of warning doers: God does not just want our actions. He wants our heart. Do not get caught up going through the motions of doing and lose sight of why you are doing all of these things in the first place. We do because we love God and belong to Him. In our doing, our hearts are what matter most to God. As we learned about worship, we saw that worshiping God helps set our hearts on Him. This helps us make sure that our doing is motivated by a heart that wants to honor and glorify the Lord. This week, we will see that part of our worship is giving to God. Sometimes giving does not come easily. The Word of God will remind us all week that where we give shows what we value and where our trust is. Giving is a quick check up of where our heart truly lies. Matthew 6:21 says, Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. We worship God as living sacrifices. This is done through our choices, our attitudes, and our outpouring of praise. But our sacrifice does not stop there. Living sacrifices are obedient in generous giving. We give to God because we love Him. We give to God because it is all His in the first place. We give to God because we know He can move powerfully in the lives of others when we give.
Parenting: Giving
October 25, 2020 • Brian & Kristy Motte
Alright doer - keep it up! Hopefully your relationship with God has been growing and you feel His leading in your life. Keep pressing into His Word. Pursue Him faithfully and often in prayer. Rub shoulders with other believers through fellowship and keep one another sharp. Praise God boldly for who He is and what He has done. Word of warning doers: God does not just want our actions. He wants our heart. Do not get caught up going through the motions of doing and lose sight of why you are doing all of these things in the first place. We do because we love God and belong to Him. In our doing, our hearts are what matter most to God. As we learned about worship, we saw that worshiping God helps set our hearts on Him. This helps us make sure that our doing is motivated by a heart that wants to honor and glorify the Lord. This week, we will see that part of our worship is giving to God. Sometimes giving does not come easily. The Word of God will remind us all week that where we give shows what we value and where our trust is. Giving is a quick check up of where our heart truly lies. Matthew 6:21 says, Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. We worship God as living sacrifices. This is done through our choices, our attitudes, and our outpouring of praise. But our sacrifice does not stop there. Living sacrifices are obedient in generous giving. We give to God because we love Him. We give to God because it is all His in the first place. We give to God because we know He can move powerfully in the lives of others when we give.