God the Holy Spirit – Who He Is & What He Does – Part II: Fruits & Gifts
Galatians 5:22-24 NLT & I Corinthians 12:4-7 NLT |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: Galatians 5:22-24 NLT & I Corinthians 12:4-7 NLT

BIG IDEA: The Holy Spirit produces to help us overcome the flesh and to help us serve. Our job is to put these things to work in our lives!

FRUIT

  1. Fruit is born when we choose the  over the lust of the flesh moment by moment.
    Galatians 5:13-18 NLT, Galatians 5:25 NLT
  2. Focusing on the  the Holy Spirit is building in you leads you away from the fear of breaking the law…you won’t be inclined to do so when you’re under the direction.  Galatians 5:23 NLT

GIFTS

  1. God the Holy Spirit gives gifts as He . So use what you have instead of fighting over others! 
    I Corinthians 12:4-6 NLT, I Corinthians 12:11 NLT

    NOTE: The Bible nowhere teaches that certain gifts have “ceased.” Nor does it teach that one or two are given to everyone. God the Holy Spirit gives them as HE chooses.

  2. The purpose of gifts is to “ the .” Don’t use them for selfish purposes! 
    I Corinthians 12:7 NLT, Ephesians 4:12 NLT, Romans 12:6-9 NLT, I Peter 4:10-11 NLT

    NOTE: The proper selfless use of gifts blesses the Church and glorifies God. In doing so, we are blessed for using ours in that process.

CALL & PRAYER: To honor God the Holy Spirit by choosing to let Him produce fruit in us and by using the gifts He gives to accomplish His Work.

PERSONAL NOTES

 

God the Holy Spirit – Who He Is & What He Does
John 16:5-14 |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: John 16:5-14

BIG IDEA: The key to success in the new year is to experience revival via the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: Much of the weakness of Western Christianity comes from thinking the Holy Spirit is just a force like in Star Wars, or a Ghost, or something else. Getting this right opens the door to revival.

 

WHO IS HE?

  1. He is God, an Advocate, or Helper, sent by the Father and Son for us.
    John 16:5-7 and John 14:26, Matthew 28:19, Acts 5:3-4
  2. He proves the world wrong about…
    a. Sin
    b. Righteousness – 2 Timothy 1:7
    c. Judgment – John 16:8-11
  3. He leads us to truth and reminds us of it, too.
    John 16:12-13, John 14:26
  4. He glorifies Jesus!
    John 16:14-15

But HOW does the Spirit do all of this? How can we best tap into and support His work in all of these areas?

CALL & PRAYER: To maintain the truth about the Holy Spirit. Help us, Holy Spirit, to honor You and be in sync with Your work here below…

PERSONAL NOTES

Lessons on Love
I John 4:1-6 NLT |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: I John 4:1-6 NLT

BIG IDEA: Now more than ever, we need to be able to discern truth from error and help others do the same. Here’s how…

  1. Don’t believe , test them all!  I John 4:1 NLT
  2. Ask whether they believe in the  and the  nature of God. They reject Gnosticism, and it’s fruit-liberalism or legalism.  I John 4:2-3 NLT, Colossians 2:16-19 NLT, Romans 6:1 NLT

    pseudoprophētai – false prophets

  3. Consider…do they listen to, teach, and obey the ?  I John 4:4-6 NLT

CALL & PRAYER: To discern and take a stand against false teachers while supporting and valuing the true!

PERSONAL NOTES

Lessons on Love
John 3:16 |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: John 3:16 NIV

BIG IDEA: John 3:16 reveals at least  truths about . We must apply these to our lives as we seek to live and demonstrate the love of God.

  1. God’s love is . It’s just who He is!  John 3:16a
    The world isn’t loveable – but God IS love (see I John 4:8). It isn’t earned and it’s not a feeling…
  2. Love is an active  – “God GAVE.”  John 3:16b & I Corinthians 13:1-7.
    What IS love? Gr.(ẽgapēsen) Strongs: “With the believer, 25/agapáō (“to love”) means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction).”

    It is active, outgoing concern. Not a feeling per se. Gary Smalley – “Love is a Decision.”

    (Karen and my need to learn her love language, acts of kindness.)

  3. Love must be  by choice as well.  John 3:16c & John 1:11.
    Note: We know that many will reject God’s love and offer of eternal life. What about you?

CALL & Prayer: To do more than just quote John 3:16, but to love unconditionally, actively, and without expectation.

PERSONAL NOTES

God’s Joy…Our Strength!
Nehemiah 8:1-2, 9-12 |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: Nehemiah 8:1-2, 8-12

BIG IDEA: As we choose to celebrate what God celebrates, we grow stronger.

  1. Come together with  !  Nehemiah 8:1
  2. Seek and  in the ! Let your pastors explain and help you apply it.  Nehemiah 8:1a-2, 8.
  3. Especially at this season, let the  of the Lord produce , not sadness.  Nehemiah 8:9 & 12
  4. As Israel did for Festivals like Rosh , use this season to enjoy and .  Nehemiah 8:10a; Luke 2:8-11
  5. Remember,  in the Lord is your source of strength!  Nehemiah 8:10b, 11

Personal Notes

Prerequisites For Peace
Philippians 4:2-9 |  Pastor Joel Rissinger

READING: Philippians 4:2-9 NLT

BIG IDEA: On this Advent Peace Sunday, we can achieve peace in a crazy world by implementing Paul’s five prerequisites…

  1. your !  Philippians 4:2-3
  2. and be full of joy!  Philippians 4:4
  3. Become known as  in everything.  Philippians 4:5
  4. with .  Philippians 4:6-7  If you struggle, use the list in Philippians 4:8
    · True, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy.
  5. Apply the  and follow  example of living.  Philippians 4:9

THE RESULT = PEACE!

CALL & PRAYER: To kill worry and anxiety then applying Paul’s Prerequisites for Peace!

PERSONAL NOTES

What’s Your Answer?
I Peter 3:15 |  Pastor Terry Wilcox

 

Our faith is reasonable.
Hebrews 11:6
“Faith” is from Greek word “pistis,” translated as faith 245 times in the KJV and 287 times in the NIV.

Ephesians 2:8-10
Romans 4:2-5
Faith without a promise is presumption.

Five Most Consequential Questions

  1. Where did we come from?
  2. Who are we?
  3. Why are we here?
  4. How should we live?
  5. Where are we going?

Matthew 22:37-40

Book recommendation: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist by Dr. Norman Geisler & Frank Turek

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”  -Albert Einstein

Religious World Views

  1. Theism – Christianity, Judaism, & Islam
  2. Pantheism – Zen Buddhism, Hindu, & New Age
  3. Atheism – humanists

Our Faith Is Reasonable

  1. Someone created something out of nothing, or nothing created something out of nothing.
  2. Did non-intelligent natural forces produce the enormous data found in the simplest forms of life?
  3. How do we account for ancient predictions fulfilled by Jesus and witnesses who died rather than change their testimonies?
  4. What of your story? Before Jesus, how you encountered Jesus, and how Jesus is changing you.

Personal Notes

You’re Not Working Alone
Philippians 2:12-16 |  Pastor Terry Wilcox

Name two people who inspire you:

Few things are harder to put up with, than the annoyance of a  .” -Mark Twain

Admiration for a great person can inspire us, but it cannot enable us. Unless the person can enter into our own lives and share his skills, we cannot attain to his heights of accomplishment. It takes more than an example on the outside; it takes on the inside. – Dr Warren Wiersbe

Philippians 2:13
Galatians 2:20

  1. God in us.  Philippians 2:13 – His , mind, and attitudes.
    The Greek behind “work out” was used to describe  and .
    On a church sign:  “God is love,   you?”
    Romans 8:29
    Genesis 1:28
  2. ”…to will and to act…”  Philippians 2:13
    Greek word translated “works in you” is where we get our English word .

How Do We Engage?

  1. His .
    I Thessalonians 2:13
  2. Talk and  to God.
    Acts 1:14
    Acts 4:31
  3. Go and .

Personal Notes

Consider the “Good” Son
Luke 15:25-32 |  Pastor Terry Wilcox

The Older Son of the Prodigal Father

  1. He became .  Luke 15:28  Why?
    a. He had a spirit.
        A belief that we are made righteous and accepted by God through obeying rules and laws, rather than  
        through faith in Jesus.
    b. He was .  Luke 15:29
    c. He did not see the younger one as his .  Luke 15:30

Three Lessons From This Parable

  1. It is possible to assume the place and privilege of a son while refusing the  of a .
  2. It is possible to stay home and serve the Father without actually  him.
  3. It is possible to be heir of all that the Father possesses but to have less  than those possessing .
    Luke 15:31 “My son, the father said you are always with me and everything I have is yours.”

If you don’t share the Father’s love for His  sons and daughters, you won’t enjoy the .

Personal Notes

The Commission Continued
Acts 1:1-11 |  Pastor Karl Moore

Acts 1:1-11

  1. We are living in very exceptional times that provide the church with some very exceptional opportunities.
  2. Esther 4:14
  3. Matthew 28:19-20  “…making disciples.”
    , , .
  4. Acts 1:6 – easily distracted.
    , , .
  5. Jesus redirects the disciples’ thinking and in Acts 1:8 provides a four-point plan to take advantage of such a time as this.

The Prerequisite

  1. Acts 1:7-8  “It’s not for you to know, but…”
  2. Surrender of .
  3. Surrender to  will.
  4. What we want must become what He wants.

The Priority

  1. Acts 1:8
  2. Matthew 9:12
  3. Luke 19:10
  4. Should need to be saved.
  5. Church must grow.
  6. The Process.
  7. Acts 1:8
  8. Saints are sent.
  9. Saints are not spectators.
  10. Acts 1:1-10

 

  1. The Power.
  2. Joel 2:28-29
  3. John 14:26
  4. Acts 1:4
  5. Spirit is the Source.
    Saints make a select ten.

As with Esther, “…for such a time as this.” Our Savior provided the Great Commission.

Knowing that men would be easily distracted, He then continues the commission.

Personal Notes