"Church Community"

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
- Acts 2:40-47 (ESV)

Five characteristics of a disciple:

1. A disciple is added to then functions in a local church

We are living stones that God chooses to build the church.

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:4-6 (ESV)

We are all God’s family through adoption. Whether you were born again here, or you transferred here, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re called here. If God has placed you here then you are now family!

2. A disciple is Devoted to the apostles teaching

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
- Acts 2:42 (ESV)

Jesus is the living word. The word of God becomes central to the life of a disciple.

3. A disciple is devoted to fellowship with believers

Fellowship means that we value each other and our time together

4. A disciple is devoted to breaking bread

The essence of communion was to recognize the sacrifice and the broken body of Christ for us. His broken body gives us life which we affirm when we break bread with other believers.

5. A disciple is devoted to prayers

Real unity means that we care about the cares of others. If we really care then we will really pray.

“Mission draws us together, Relationship keeps us together, doctrine is worked out together, experience is judged together. #bettertogether”
- Pastor Steve Murrell, President Every Nation Ministries

"The Power of the Gospel"

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
- Acts 10:34

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
- 1 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

1. THE GOSPEL WORKS IN US

2. THE GOSPEL WORKS THROUGH US

6 Styles of Evangelism

1. Direct Approach

2. Intellectual Approach

3. Testimonial Approach

4. Interpersonal Approach

5. Invitational Approach

6. Service Approach

3. THE GOSPEL MANDATES THAT WE REACH, PREACH AND MAKE DISCIPLES

42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
- Acts 10:42

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

15 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.” 16 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.” 17 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.
- John 21:15-17 (ESV)

"Taking the Gospel Turn"

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look...
- 1 Peter 1:10-12

We can always grow in our understanding, appreciation, and awe of the Gospel.

17 ...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- Ephesians 3:17-19

The Gospel turns us toward God.

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:36-39

1. Jesus is Lord.

2. Jesus is Christ, the Chosen Savior.

The Gospel also turns us toward the lost.

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
- Acts 10:34-35

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
- Romans 10:14

"Life Change"

Everyone who is alive in Christ should experience life change.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you… 
- 1 Peter 1:3-4

Life change can be observed in three ways.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. 
- 1 Peter 1:13-15

1.  Mindset

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2.  Obedience

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance…

3.  Holiness

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

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. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
- 2 Peter 1:3-8
 

"Essential Doctrine"

Three 'F's

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 
- Matthew 4:18-20

• Follow Jesus

• Fish for people

• Fellowship with the church

Essential - Something you cannot do without

Doctrine - A teaching

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 

25 For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
- Acts 2:22-36 (ESV)

21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
- John 21:1-3

Statement of Faith:

We believe …
… In the Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy, and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
… In one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
… In our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, his virgin birth, his sinless human life, his divine miracles, his vicarious and atoning death, his bodily resurrection, his ascension, his mediatorial work, and his personal return in power and glory.
… In the salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
… In the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.
… In the baptism with the Holy Spirit that enables the church for mission and empowers them with spiritual gifts.… In the unity of the spirit of all true believers—the Church, the Body of Christ.
… In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation
 

"Got Milk?"

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
- 1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)

1. God created us with spiritual hunger

2. What are you feeding yourself?

3. Hunger for the right things is the driving force behind proper spiritual discipline.

“Looking Beyond Our Lives”

By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. 
- Hebrews 11:22

Our greatest contributions often come from investing in the lives of others.

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 
- Matthew 20:26-28

Our vision develops best when it includes the next generation.

And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 
- Genesis 50:24-25

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” 
- Hosea 2:2

Our legacy is best established when it includes the next generation.

But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 
- Exodus 13:18-19

As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. 
- Joshua 24:32-33

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 
- John 12:24-25

"Blessing Beyond Circumstances"

20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
- Hebrews 11:20-21 (ESV)

1. Blessing Beyond Generations

22  A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
- Proverbs 13:22 (ESV)

2. Our Legacy Includes Physical and Spiritual Sons and Daughters

3. Faith That Blesses Beyond any Circumstance

31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
- Genesis 11:31-32 (ESV)

4. Blessing are Passed to Generations Through Obedience

20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb…”
- Genesis 25:20-24 (ESV)

23 I only gave them this command: ‘Obey me and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do all that I command, and good things will happen to you.’
- Jeremiah 7:23 (ESV)

"Young Enough to Change the World"

1. God is a trans-generational God

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever,
    the name you shall call me
    from generation to generation.
- Exodus 3:14-15

2. Recognize the Harvest of Young People

13/30 Window - Most open to the gospel

3. Identify the strengths of our young people

4. Cultivate their growth

5. Don’t discount God’s purpose and destiny for the young people 

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams;
- Acts 2:17 

39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.
- Deuteronomy 1:39

David (Goliath at age 12-15, King at age 30)

David was a teenager when he killed lions, bears, Goliath!

33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”
- 1 Samuel 17:33 (ESV) 

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, 
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
- Jeremiah 1:6-7 (ESV)

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.
- 2 Chronicles 34:3 (ESV)

"Triumph in Transition"

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
- Mark 4:35

In order to triumph in transition, we need:

1.     Persistence

26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
- Mark 4:26-27

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
- Galatians 6:9

2.     The Right People

36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 
- Mark 4:36

19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” 
- Luke 8:19-21

3.     The Right Perspective

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 
- Mark 4:37-38

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. 
- Hebrews 12:2