Church guide

Seeking God for the gifts of purity and wisdom will be vital to keep our hearts in check. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. Read - James 3 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006UCy Apply The Bible teaches often that a person reaps what they have sown. Today’s text reminds us to sew peace in our words, actions and attitudes so that we will reap a life that will be in right standing with the ways of God. What will you sew today? Yield Lord, I will give control of my tongue to You. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006UCy Revelation God’s Word teaches us to not just watch our tongues but to let them be transformed. This is the Morphing of the Holy Spirit and is a work of control and surrender. We must give away any power we think we have over our heart (where problems start before they ever get out of our mouth) and then carefully take every thought captive before we speak (for in the head is where we dwell upon the things bubbling out of our heart) so that we don’t get stuck putting out the flames of hell in our tongue (this being our physical actions, words and attitudes).

As a few good books by author Bob Goff testify…what makes a difference in the world? “Love Does”. Who and When should this love be given to? “Everybody, Always”. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word James 2:8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Read - James 2 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Tot Apply To love is to go beyond all our natural comforts and love those furthest from God and furthest from our own norms and expectations. This could be said as loving the unlovely. This love is a love-in-action. Not just flowery words that tickle ears and leave stomachs hungry but loving actions that create pathways from those words to hit home in hearts. Yield Lord, I will live with Your ‘Royal Law’ to “Love my neighbor as myself”. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Tot Revelation Faith without works is dead and useless. Works are another word for what we like to call ‘Ministry’. This is a natural outflow of a Mended follower of Christ who is being Morphed by the Holy Spirit. These works do not save us but they flow out of the saved person. This ‘Ministry’ is outward evidence of our inward faith and they are often the means by which the Lord Jesus brings His Gospel to this world. You and your ministry/works are vital to the Kingdom of Jesus today.

This week we read the book of James. We insert it in this timeframe because of James martyrdom at this stage in the book of Acts (which we are reading through). Thanks to Tyler Martin for preaching a great message out of James yesterday. You and I can grow as we experience trouble…it doesn’t have to wreck us but could instead help redeem us. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word James 1:2-3 - Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. Read - James 1 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006TRD Apply James encourages us to know that trials will come and we can endure them with the power of God’s Word and God’s Spirit. Rather than shrink from difficulties, let’s strengthen our resolve and make ourselves available to be stretched and matured by God so we can be used in greater ways by God. Yield Lord, I will listen to You and follow You. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006TRD Revelation God desires us to Know Him (Spiritual), Love Him (Relational) and Obediently Serve Him (Physical). The book of James teaches us to Hear God’s Word (Spiritual), find Happiness in Him (Relational) and then Heed His call (Physical). To do that we must let our faith be a faith of action.

God sends you and I out into a world that needs Him and needs the benefits that come with following Christ. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 13:2 - One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them." 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Read - Acts 13-14 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006QqN Apply Paul has been converted to Christ and is now a leader in the church that is being sent out on a journey to share Jesus with the world. This, his first missionary journey, was much longer and more arduous than the two chapters of scripture make it sound. Could God be calling you into a new journey for Him? Yield Lord, I will go when and where You say to go. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006QqN Revelation We are Mended by the cross of Christ and Morphed by His Holy Spirit…this occurs in us so that our Minds are transformed, our heart Motives are transformed and ultimately we are given a Ministry. This isn’t just for clergy but each of us are called to Minister in this definition: to Obediently Serve God with our lives out of the power given to us by His Holy Spirit. Paul, on his first journey, went many scary places and saw God deliver many amazing results. This only happened because he was willing to take on a ministry that he sensed he was called to…how might God be calling you?

Pray until something happens and then pay attention. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 12: 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Read - Acts 12 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006QLY Apply Praise the Lord, He is with us even when we find ourselves in a bad spot. Peter got stuck in prison and God had him released. Does this mean that God will always get us out of a pickle? No, but it does mean that God will always be with us through the pickle. You can trust Him today. Yield Lord, I will walk expectantly in faith today. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006QLY Revelation To Know, Love and Serve God is to walk in faith. This means being expectant that He will prevail. The disciples sat and prayed for Peter. God answered their prayers and released Him from prison. Peter shows up and they seem shocked (so much so that they don’t think it’s really him). If we strive to Know, Love and Serve God we should not be surprised when God shows up in our daily lives. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stand in awe of His displayed grace in these situations but it does mean that we should expect to see evidence of His grace in our lives.

The Gospel tears down walls in the world. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 11:18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life." Read - Acts 11 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Pu6 Apply Peter is asked to explain why he was preaching to those outside of the jewish faith. After he explains what he has seen God do, all celebrate that God is so gracious. Do you find yourself being gracious when God does something beyond your understanding or can you be bothered by others receiving something great from God? The answer may give you great insight to the status of your heart. Yield Lord, I will not be a wall-builder with your Gospel. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Pu6 Revelation When we Know God through Jesus, Love God and Others we will get the chance to Obediently Serve Him and His Mission. His Mission may look countercultural to what we think would be ok. Remember, we aren’t in this for us but for God and His Kingdom. Just because it’s different doesn’t mean God isn’t in it. If God’s Word and God’s Spirit agree then trust God.

God extends His call to salvation to the least and the lost. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 10: 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all--the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name." Read - Acts 10 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Mlu Apply Peter had only seen Jewish people come to faith. God gave him a wonderful vision showing him that ‘his expectations’ would need to change so that he could accept what God was going to do next. God was extending salvation to the gentiles and through Christ anyone that repented of sin and put their faith towards God could be cleansed and saved. Has God ever done a work on your expectations? Might He be doing so now? Is there a people group or type that He would have you soften towards? Yield Lord, I will go where You show me no matter the cultural ramifications. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Mlu Revelation Cornelius was drawn towards God by His own general revelation. Once drawn, He heard the gospel and responded to it in repentance and faith. He was then Mended by Christ and set free from the wages of sin. What did God use to draw you to Himself? Consider your story then consider sharing it with someone else? If you don’t have a story, maybe God is using todays Bible text to draw you to salvation.

Thanks to AJ LaPointe for a great Word from the Word yesterday. Dig deeper this week by reading the text he preached from and its surrounding context. God can call us to tasks that seem insurmountable…and they are without faith! Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 9:13 - "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name." Read - Acts 9 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Mlf Apply Saul believes he is honoring God with his persecution of the saints but he learns he is going opposite of God’s will. Have you ever found out you were very wrong when trying to be very right? Did you turn around easily or did you fight it? When God graciously re-directs our efforts our best response is a quick turn-a-round. Yield Lord, I will strive to follow You well the first time but when You re-direct me I will turn. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Mlf Revelation Saul thought he knew, loved and obediently served God but in today’s text he found out that the enemy had deceived, divided and destroyed so that all he thought was right and good was actually wrong and evil. God graciously offers Saul the chance to repent and serve Him rightly and he jumps at the chance. What a good word for us for when we are off-track.

Rarely easy, but always worth it…the life of a Christ-Follower is awesome because God is with us! Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 7:55-56 - But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. 56 And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" Read - Acts 7-8 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Gdv Apply God anoints Stephen to preach the Gospel to those who would soon take his life. If he called Stephen to preach to his would-be enemies, who might He be calling you to share with in word or action? Yield Lord, I will obey You in sharing Your life and love with all whom You charge me. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006Gdv Revelation We might assume that when God is blessing our Obedient Service in one area that we would be able to take that as a sign to always ‘stay put’. Yet, Philip was seeing great things happen in Samaria and God still called him away to serve ‘the one’ along a desert road! How could this make sense? How could Philip be ok with such a ‘demotion’ in his Kingdom work? When we Know God, we trust His judgements and plan even when they don’t make sense.

The power of generosity can be spoiled by pride, greed or deceit. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 5:2 - He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest. Read - Acts 5-6 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006GAb Apply Ananias and Sapphira were punished by God for their lying to the Holy Spirit not for how they handled their gift. We must always be careful in making sure that we are honest with ourselves, one-another and certainly with God. After this event, God continues His Holy Spirit’s infusion of faith and boldness into the disciples. Note that Stephen was a man of great integrity and it was others that lied about him because there was nothing in the truth that could accuse him. Satan will mislead from any angle he can find. Choose the path of truth. Yield Lord, I want to be a person of integrity…help me in this. Extra Discovery https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006GAb - Great stuff about Lying. Revelation The church population is exploding. In the chaos, some feel left out. God appoints special servants to lead a team (greek word diakoneo means to serve). One of the great blessings of being Mended by Christ is being called to Obediently Serve God. In this you will find purpose and joy. These first ‘deacons’ would serve by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that would Morph them to do a great work ‘as unto God and not man’.

With the Spirit’s help, we can see God do amazing and supernatural things to save, heal and deliver. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 3:6 - "I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!" Read - Acts 3-4 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=006FbQ Apply Boldness. This is a mark of a person who has surrendered to Jesus and been filled by His Holy Spirit. Peter and John exemplified boldness, not only in being used by God to heal this man but also by enduring persecution at the hands of the local leaders. Does your Christian life need an infusion of boldness? Yield Lord, I desire to be bold with my faith and my witness. Extra Discovery Read Deuteronomy 18:15-19 to see where the prophecy that Peter quotes. Revelation Jesus told the disciples that it would be ‘far better’ that He go away and told them that they would do ‘greater works than these’ when referring to His own miracles. I’m sure that seemed non-sensical but in Acts 3-4 we see the power of the Holy Spirit Morphing these young disciples into bold action. You too can be used by God in mighty ways.

Letting the Holy Spirit empower your life is where abundant life is found. Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 2:17 - God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Read - Acts 2 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=004I1n Apply The Holy Spirit’s powerful presence comes to Jesus’ followers and empowers a spiritual awakening. The gathering of these new followers was in homes and in the community. God spread His love through their faith-filled living and preaching and still desires to do so today. Yield Lord, I will seek to live in faith community as described in Acts 2:42-47. Extra Discovery Acts 2 quotes from Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, and Psalm 110:1. Revelation God’s Holy Spirit is given to a Christ-follower to Morph us by guiding us into all truth and empowering our service unto Him. That same Holy Spirit is given to all humanity to convict of sin, righteousness and judgement and to convince of God’s love and God’s plan.

God calls us into faith-filled action while we await Jesus’ return! Pray The Word and Prepare for The Word Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Read - Acts 1 https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/MultiVerse.cfm?s=0062th Apply How the disciples must have been glad when Jesus returned only to find out He was now ascending to heaven. They would once again learn the value of waiting. This waiting wouldn’t only be upon His return but also upon His Power to do the job He commissioned them to do. We must learn to wait on both Him and His power in order to be effective. Yield Lord, I will wait on You. Extra Discovery Read Psalm 69:25 to see how even Judas’ death was prophecied in the O.T. Revelation We can be Mended by Christ and not experience His power. How? We are taught in the Scriptures to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that we learn to give up control and surrender our will to God and as we do that He Morph’s us into a mighty warrior for His Kingdom. How is the battle of surrender and control going in your life?

Today’s Worship and Word. Hebrews 1:1-3 Ronnie Toon

Let’s worship together and grow from a good Word! You have time to join us!

May 5 2019 WindCity Church A.J. LaPointe

Join us as AJ A.j. LaPointe brings us the Word this morning!