Author: Nathaniel Colt

Join us today as Pastor CJ shares a message about why God designed life to be Better Together Part 2.

•  Genuinely known
•  Lovingly supported
•  And honestly challenged.

Join us today as Pastor CJ shares a message about why God designed life to be Better together.

1. We need others to walk with us
   • Colossians 2:6
     • We can get further together
   • Genesis 2:18
     • God hates loneliness
     • He created 2 groups for us: physical family and spiritual family
   • Hebrews 10:25
     • notice it says habit
     • it takes 21-30 days of doing things to create habits
   • 2 greatest things we can learn from the Bible
     • Growing to love God
     • Growing to love others

Join us next week for the next part of the message.

Join us today as Pastor Vincent share a message about the 2 Greatest Gifts from God: Salvation and the Holy Spirit.

Key Text: Acts 1:1-8

1. He wants to live in us
   • Romans 8:11
2. He wants to sanctify us
   • Romans 15:16
3. He opens our spiritual eyes
   • 1 Corinthians 2:10
4. He teaches us
   • John 14:26
5. He will guide us
   • John 15:13
6. He empowers us
   • Acts 1:8

Join us today as Pastor CJ share a message entitled When the Crowd Becomes a Church Part 3.

We Need to Be Lovingly Supported

Christianity is not a solo  sport.

In a culture where we so quickly say “I’m fine” we are carrying things we were never meant to carry alone.

Galatians 6:2-5 (ESV)

² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.

⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

Difference between load and burden?

Burden – Better translated from the original Greek “Heavy Load”

Load – Better translated from the original Greek “Light Load”

Don’t be a burden/leech to other; carry your own load.

BUT when it is too much for you, we are in a relationship together and we need to lean on each other

We Need To Be Honestly Challenged

Confession isn’t just for Catholic

We have to confess to God and to others.

James 5:16 (ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Today it’s easier to fake it than be honestly challenged

Shame is one one satin’s greatest tools in our lives

Satin is the accuser of the brethren.

Jesus is our advocate.

God is going to continue to put you in  Challenging Relationships because you need it.

Will you be genuinely known, lovingly supported, and honestly challenged?

Join us today as Pastor CJ share a message entitled When the Crowd Becomes a Church Part 2.

• The problem with the Church becoming a crowd:
  • It becomes something we go to instead of something we are
  • your walk with Christ becomes a private one (vs a personal one)
• To become a community, we need to be
  • Genuinely known
    • being anonymous breeds sin
    • who is helping hold you accountable?
    • who is your community?
  • Join us next week to wrap it up with
    • Being lovingly supportive
    • Being honestly challenged

Join us today as Pastor CJ share a message entitled When the Crowd Becomes a Church.

• The Church as changed since the advent of the automobile
• Used to be that Churches were small and close net because people would always go to the closest Church
• As automobiles became more popular, people stopped shopping at the Mom and Pop stores because they could more stuff, more verity, and cheaper prices at the big box store down the road a little ways
• The same thing has happened with Churches; people would no long go to a church because it was close but instead go to the one “they like”
• The problem this creates is that if they don’t like something they won’t stay to try and fix it instead they just move on to the next bigger better box
• It’s not JUST the Pastors responsibility to build the community; the whole church body is responsible
• What are you doing to combat the church crowd mentality and help build the church community mentality
• Who will you reach out to this week to genuinely get to know, who will be lovely supportive, and who will honestly challenge you in your relationship with God

Join us today as Pastor CJ shares with us his Back to Church Sunday message entitled 5 Reasons why the Church exists and why you should be part of it.

Key Scripture: Acts 2:41-47

Acts 2:41-47 New Living Translation (NLT)

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

1. Membership: Joining with like minded believers in fellowship
   Acts 2:42
2. Magnification: Magnifying the God who made us
   Acts 2:46-47
3. Maturity: Lead us to spiritual maturity
   Acts 2:42
4. Ministry: Prepare us for ministry both full time and lay ministry
   Acts 2:43-45
5. Missions
   Acts 2:47

Join us today as Pastor CJ shares with us a message entitled The Attitude of Ownership.

Key Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:13-16

1 Chronicles 29:13-16 English Standard Version (ESV)
13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.[a] 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.

The reasons we MUST believe that what we own actually belongs to God is because of…..

1. The “Golden Rule” –
   He who owns the gold makes the rules
2. The “Praise Factor” –
   He who owns the gold gets the praise

You can’t do ANYTHING without using something God has created.

This idea that God owns all our possessions is a critical measure of our spiritual maturity.

DAVID SAW HIS OFFERING AS A TEST OF THE HEART

Join us today as Pastor CJ shares with us a message entitled Mighty Mouse.

Key Scriptures:
Isaiah 53:5
Psalm 103:2-4

Bible says God is…

1) Mighty to save.

* Romans 1:16
* Salvation brings us power for…

– Peace (Philippians 4:7)
– Security (1 Peter 1:4-5)
– Service (Acts 1:8)

2) Mighty to deliver.

* 1 John 1:9
* 2 types of snares

– Ones that maim/kill
– Ones that capture

* 2nd type is the one used by Satan most often
* makes you feel like everything is ok and you get the “prize” until you realize that you can’t get out
* One of the keys is to recognize when Satan has setup a trap
* most of time we can trace temptation back to 4 things (remember HALT)

– Hungry – Are you hungry?
– Angry – Are you Angry about something?
– Lonely – Have you been spending too much time away from spouse/family?
– Tired – Have you take time to rest / Have you spent the time with the Lord that you should be?

3) Mighty to heal.

* Sickness is not part of God’s plan
* brought about by sin entering into the world
* God can use sickness to draw people to him
* How should we deal with sickness (Isaiah 53:5)

– Address the sin first (James 5: 14-15)
– Go to God first and pray for healing
– Go to the doctor
– Even if the doctor is the one who facilitates your healing…give GOD the praise
– Even if healing doesn’t come on earth…realize that healing will ultimately come in heaven

Listen in on this Wednesday message with a special guest speaker Missionary Derek Walker.  He has a word for where ever you are in your walk with the Lord.

Interested in connecting with them:
derek.walker@agmd.org
text “Walker” to 95577 to follow

To become part of the spear and support them, visit giving.ag.org (account#270699)