Vincennes First Church

Kingdom Come Part II; March 19, 2023 “Invest in People by Gathering and Reaching”     Fellowship is Worth the Sacrifice of Your Time   Hebrews 10:23-25, Let us hold strong to the confession of our hope, never wavering, since the One who promised it to us is faithful. Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches. (Voice)   1 Peter 5:8-9, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (ESV)   Investing in People Takes Commitment and Mercy   Romans 16:17-18, I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. (ESV)   Romans 12:18, If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (ESV)   Romans 2:1, Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. (ESV)   “Anyone who has been horrified by the dreadfulness of his own sin that nailed Jesus to the cross will no longer be horrified by even the rankest sins of a brother.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer   Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (ESV)   Invite People to Be A Part of the Family   Ephesians 1:5, God predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. (ESV)   Luke 15:4-5, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” (ESV)

Kingdom Come Part I; March 12, 2023 “Transform… With God’s Word” What Does God’s Word Transform? Our Head Our Heart Our Hands Mark 12:30, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (ESV) Transformation Happens When You Seek and Surrender Jeremiah 29:13, You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (ESV) Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (ESV) Have I been persecuting Jesus by a zealous determination to serve him in my own way? -Oswald Chambers Love is the Foundation of Transformation Psalm 139:23-24, Explore me, O God, and know the real me. Dig deeply and discover who I am. Put me to the test and watch how I handle the strain. Examine me to see if there is an evil bone in me, and guide me down Your path forever. (Voice) 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, If I speak with human eloquence and angelic beauty but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. (MSG) John 14:21, He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. (NKJV) Build a Boat in the Desert Matthew 13:4-8, As he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.(ESV)

WHY MISSIONS? Rev. Dennis Huebner March 5, 2023 1. Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30 “Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret” 2. The Biblical Mandate The Great Commandment Matthew 22:36-39 The Great ­­Commission Matthew 28:19-20 The Great Judgment Matthew 25:35-40

Chuppah  February 26, 2023 “Legacy” Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Address Their Attitude with Your Consistency James 4:13-15, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (ESV) Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (NIV) Speak Words That Comfort and Encourage Proverbs 13:24, Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. (ESV) Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (ESV) Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (ESV) Teach Your Children with Your Walk NOT Your Talk 1 Peter 2:21, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (ESV) 1 Peter 5:2-3, Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care but lead them by your own good example. (NLT)

Chuppah Part II; February 19, 2023 “Honor” Ephesians 6:1-3, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (ESV) By Listening to Experience, We Embrace Wisdom Proverbs 3:13-18, Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. (NLT) Philippians 2:3-4, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (ESV) Respect Cultivates Unity and Unity Generates Strength Ecclesiastes 4:12, A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (NLT) A house divided against itself cannot stand (Abraham Lincoln) Romans 14:13-19, Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother… For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died… So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (ESV) The Best Way to Honor Our Parents is to Honor God Ephesians 6:1-3, Children, obey your parents in the Lord (ESV) 1 Peter 2:18-25, You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason…This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived… He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. (MSG)

Chuppah February 12, 2023 “Love and Respect” Ephesians 5:22-33, Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Pursue Jesus Together Matthew 6:33, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (NLT) James 5:16, Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (NLT) Ecclesiastes 4:12, And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, “A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Voice) Give Love and Respect Even When it’s NOT Deserved Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (ESV) Colossians 4:6, Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (ESV) Your Marriage is Worth Fighting For Matthew 19:6, “Therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (ESV) Romans 5:3-4, Celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness. (Voice)

“THE CLOCK IS TICKING” Luke 10:25-37 Dr. David Reames  Luke 10:25-37, from The Message: Just then, a religious scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?” He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?” He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it, and you’ll live.” Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?” Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him, he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up and avoided the injured man. “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He got off his donkey and gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an Inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” “The one who treated him kindly,” the religious scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”  Anyone who is serving others is reflecting the heart of God.  Maybe we can’t change the world, but just maybe we can change our neighborhood.  It is not too late to become the person you were made to be!  God is not just inviting us to a life of service, rather, He is saying we will GET a life through service.  Jesus is the only hope for you and I, and for the world.  Me? I just go to church, the preacher preaches and I go home. That’s what Christians do these days.  Seeing the need is a big part of sensing the call of Jesus…to GO!”  The primary purpose of God’s church is for those who don’t yet knowHim.  Compassion. “Com-passion” means, “With Passion.”  “I know what I can stands, and I can stands it no more” - Popeye.  Servant Heart.  Jesus challenges us not to be comfortable but to be moreChrist-like.  Our compassion must be as wide as the love of God.  Who is my neighbor, after all?  The clock is ticking………..

What Do You Say? January 29, 2023 “Do You Love Me?” John 21: 15-17, When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (ESV) What is this question about? Repetition: Find Passion from Your Proximity to Jesus 2 Peter 1:12-13, Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. (NLT) “If there is any focus that the Christian of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?” (Henri Nouwen) Psalm 46:10, Be Still and Know that I am God (ESV) Responsibility: Answer the Call Assigned to You Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV) Ephesians 4:1, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (ESV) Restoration: Let Your Failure Inspire Your Impact Amos 9:14, I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. (NLT) Isaiah 40:31, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)

What Do You Say?  January 22, 2023 “Will You Give Me A Drink?” John 4:5-7, So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (NIV) The Gospel is Good News for Everyone 2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (ESV) Luke 15:20-23, But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. (ESV) Expectations Fuel the Heart Behind Our Worship Mark 10:45, For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV) Hebrews 13:15-16, Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (ESV) Our Lives Speak Louder than Our Worship John 4:28, So the woman left her water jar and went away into town (ESV) Psalm 40:6-8, You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” (NLT)

What Do You Say? January 15, 2023 “Why Are You Afraid?” Mark 4:36-40, And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (ESV) Don’t AbandonFear; Fear the Right Things Psalm 111:10, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! (ESV) Proverbs 8:13, The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (ESV) Anchor Your Mind to The Promise of God Matthew 14:25-27, Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (ESV) Joshua 1:8-9, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV) Choose to Walk by Faith and NOT By Sight 10 of the 12 Israelite spies: “We checked out the land, just as you’d instructed us to do, and here’s what we discovered: It is rich, very rich. One could say that it flows with milk and honey; but the people who already live there are really strong. Their cities are enormous and fortified. No way. We can’t do it. The people who are already there are too strong for us. The people themselves are gigantic. We look like grasshoppers compared to them, and they know it.” So the report of these other scouts was quite disheartening; it made the people question God’s promise. Numbers 13:27-29, 31-33 (Voice) Caleb and Joshua: They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” Numbers 14:7-9 (Voice)

What Do You Say? January 8, 2023 “What Do You Seek?” John 1:35-38, The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” What is Your Appetite Saying About Your Heart? Luke 12:32-34, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (NLT) Mark 8:36, For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (ESV) Are You Desiring Wisdom or Permission? Matthew 7:21-25, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock.” (ESV) Are You Looking for the Miracle or the Man? Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (ESV) Matthew 22:34-40, But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)

What Do You Say? January 1, 2023 “Who Do You Say That I Am?” Matthew 16: 13-18, When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (NLT) Who is Jesus? – How you answer this question reveals: Whether or Not You Are a Mugwump Revelation 3:15-17, “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (ESV) How Loyal You Are to Jesus John 15:15, No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (ESV) The Trajectory of Your Life Joshua 24:14-15, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (ESV) Romans 6:12, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (ESV)

Make Believe Christmas 2022 “Real Love” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (NLT) We talk a lot about God’s Love, but what do I do if I cannot sense, feel, or see it? God’s Love is Experienced Through Truth, NOT Feeling Matthew 4:3-4, And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (ESV) 2 Peter 1:3-4, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (ESV) God’s Love is Expressed Through Needs, NOT Wants 2 Peter 3:9, Now the Lord is not slow about enacting His promise—slow is how some people want to characterize it—no, He is not slow but patient and merciful to you, not wanting anyone to be destroyed, but wanting everyone to turn away from following his own path and to turn toward God’s. (Voice) Psalm 94:18, When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. (ESV) God’s Love is Established by Faith, NOT Good Standing Romans 5:6-8, For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV) John 3:16, For God so loved ­­­­Your Name, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

Make Believe December 18, 2022 “Real Change” Barriers to Change: Doubt (Matthew 13:54-58) Setbacks Environment Comfort Belief-Behavioral Gap (Romans 7:15-20) Romans 12:2, Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete. (Voice) Be Willing to Step into the Light 1 John 1:5-9, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV) Find Couragefrom Your Failure Mark 5:18-20, As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed at what he told them. (NLT) Let the Holy Spirit Fill the Gaps 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)

Make Believe December 11, 2022 “Real Joy” Philippians 4:11-13, Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV) Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (ESV) Look In– Find Joy in Righteous Living Jeremiah 5:25, Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. (NLT) Romans 15:13, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (NLT) Look Out– Find Joy in Serving Others Hebrews 12:2, Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV) Nehemiah 8:10, Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (ESV) Look Up– Find Joy in God’s Character Philippians 4:19, My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (ESV) Isaiah 35:10, Those whom the Eternal One has recalled from a punishing exile, they will go along so easily. They will walk this path, Come waltzing to Zion, singing their way to that place of right relation to God. An aura of joy never-ending will attend them; they will clasp gladness and joy to their hearts while sadness and despair evaporate into thin air. (Voice) Psalm 51:12, Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (ESV)