Midweek Moment - May 9, 2011

Midweek Moment

May 8, 2011

Faith: Generation to Generation

Pastor R. Greene

Faith: Generation to Generation (Ephesians 3:20, 21)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (NIV)

· God wants us to pass on our faith to our children and grandchildren

· His power works in us to transform us into faithful followers.

Timothy: Three Generations of Faith ( I Timothy 1:5-7)

⁷That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich (sincere) faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (The Message)

· Paul believed in Timothy and thanked God for him

· Paul affirmed Timothy’s faith and his heritage of faith.

· Timothy was raised in the faith by his mother and grandmother.

· Timothy’s father was probably unbelieving as a Greek.

· God wants to fan the Flame of Faith in our lives!

· God has given us a spirit of power, love and of self-discipline.

Holding Fast to the Foundation of Faith (II Timothy 3:14-17)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

· Paul urges Timothy to hold onto what he was taught about the scriptures.

· Spiritual growth comes ONLY from meditation, memorization and reflection on His Word……..we are transformed by the Word!

· Some people are “auditing” their faith…listening but not taking responsibility for their own spiritual growth.

· The key to spiritual growth is discipleship…..(Christina and Rachel Rapp)

· Discipleship is about pouring into others, fanning their flames of faith.

Pass on the faith to the next generation, be the oxygen to their faith flames…..!

Spring is HERE!

By Lisa Catania

Spring is here at last!

Spring is finally here! After a very long, cold winter, the warm air has arrived! I love how God paints His world this time of year! The flowers are in bloom in an array of colors. The trees are budding in bright greens. The sky glows in beautiful blues. Then I watch the birds that are nesting in the bushes in my front yard and there is hope, joy and new life. The winter doldrums and worries seem to wash away as I admire God’s handiwork. Then I meditate on Matthew 6:25 – 27, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Enjoy the beauty of God’s world, all that is in it, relax, and give thanks to God for a new season!

Midweek Moment - May 9, 2011

Midweek Moment
Living the Christian Life: Our New Identity
Colossians 3:10-14
The Well -Dressed Christian Woman
May 9, 2010
Pastor R. Greene

We have a new identity when we become believers in Jesus Christ, everything is different and new. We have a new self.

Our New Identity: (Colossians 3:10-12)
· Therefore as God's chosen people….we are chosen.
§ Chosen: He chose you before you were born.
§ Holy: You are set apart for God's use.
§ Dearly Loved: He loves you unconditionally.
Our New Clothes (Colossians 3:12-14) Virtues that Flow from our new identity.
· Compassion: bowels of mercy, deep empathy, we are called to extend compassion
that takes action.
· Kindness: loving care of others and their feelings; extends itself for the benefit
of others.
· Humility: thinking of ourselves less; the opposite of pride.
· Gentleness: strength under God's control; soothing; not weakness.
· Patience: an eternal perspective; faith that God is at work; longsuffering in the
face of suffering.

Will you clothe yourself with these qualities? God will help you to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient.
Col. 3:13-14 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
· We are called to forgive from the heart as God forgave us.
· What are holding against someone else?
· Will you forgive them?
Put on Love: binds the clothes together; they all stem from Love which comes only from God.

Midweek Moment - April 3, 2011

Contemplations of the Cross: Love, Obedience and Abiding

Pastor R. Greene

Text: John 15: 1-15

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater Love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

God’s will is that we bear “much fruit” , the fruit of sincere love of others.

What is love? Agape love (not Eros) is the highest level of love; (I Cor. 13: 4-8)

ü Unconditional

ü Genuine

ü Unending

ü Sacrificial

Am I bearing the fruit if love? (John 15:8)

· Love is the evidence of being His disciple (v 8)

· Love abides, perseveres, persists

How does the Father love? (John 15:9)

· Perfectly

· Patiently

· Consistently, deeply

· Warmly w/ deep affection

· Not like human fathers

Love and Obedience: (John 15:10)

· Loves leads to obedience

· Jesus obeyed His Father out of love

· Fruit: comes from the combination of Love and Obedience

Love + Obedience = Joy (John 15:11)

· Love and obedience completes our Joy

· We are commanded to love others as He has loved us (v. 11).

· God showed His love by sending Christ to die (John 3:16)

· “If you hang around Christ you will smell like love”. (R.)

Love Multiplied (John 15: 12, 13)

· Love like you have been loved

· Love those you don’t like or don’t like you.

· Love sacrificially….

How is God’s love flowing in and out of me? (2 Corinthians5:14, 15)

· Are you loving others with agape love?

· Are you loving out of God’s love for you?

· Do you live like God’s servant or God’s friend?