Pastor Frank

Mid Week Message 11-13-18


Message Title: God Hates Human Pride

Series: God Hates…….?

Key verses:

Proverbs 6:16-19, 1 Peter 5:5-7


Sermon Notes:

  1. God hates the haughty eyes of human pride.
  2. This type of pride keeps us from God.
  3. Pride is detrimental to the human soul.
  4. Pride destroys
  5. The opposite of pride is humility. (1 Peter 5:5-7)
  6. Humility is a choice.
  7. Humility allows God to work in my life. (1 Peter 5:6)


Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:
How do you like to eat your eggs in the morning?

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

  1. Read Proverbs 6:16-19. God makes a list of some things that He hates that humans do and He lists pride as the first on His list.  Why do you think that is? If you were to write a list, what would you put as number 1?
  2. Who was the most prideful (arrogant, self-centered) person you have ever met in your life and how did this person make you and others feel around them?
  3. When would you say was the season that you were the most prideful in your life? What events or people did God use to change that? How did your pride keep you from God?
  4. Read 1 Peter 5:5-7. Peter seems to contrast pride with humility.  How would you define humility and who do you think is the best example of humility that you know?
  5. Read Matthew 11:28-29. What examples do you see in Jesus’ life of Him being a humble person. For some hints, read Philippians 2:3-8, John 13:3-17.
  6. How would you rate yourself as a humble person today? Would you say you are more prideful or humble as a person?  How has Jesus been working in your life in these areas?

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Mid Week Message 11-7-18


Message Title: Follow Jesus and Join the Movement

Key verses:

Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 4:18-19, Matthew 28:18-20, John 21:15

 

Sermon Notes:

      1. I follow Jesus because He first loved (1 John 4:19)
      2. I follow Jesus in loving other people. (Mark 12:31, John 13:34-35)

 

Someone said, “People who hurt people are hurting people.

The Opposite is true for Christians… “People who love people are loved people.”

 

      1. I follow Jesus into the world because He loves the nations. (Matthew 28:18-20)
      2. Love Jesus and follow Him. (John 21:15)

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

 

Getting to Know You:

How many countries have you visited in your life?  Which one was your favorite and why?  What are the people like?

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

      1. What do you think are the differences between a movement and a social club?
      2. Read John 21:1-15. Who do you think are the “these” that Jesus was talking about?  Most commentaries believe that the “these” are the fish.  Peter had denied Jesus in Jerusalem and now he is back in Galilee doing what he did before meeting Jesus, fishing.  Have you ever seen people follow Jesus for a season, and then go back to their old lives?  Why do you think they do this and how do you think this makes Jesus feel?
      3. Has this ever happened in your faith Journey with Jesus? What are the “these” in your life before you met Jesus?
      4. Pastor Jonathan used the phrase on Sunday. “People who hurt people are hurting people, and people who love people are loved people”. Do you believe this is true?  How have you seen this played out in other people’s lives and in your own?
      5. How has Christ’s love changed you?
      6. When you reflect back on your life, how do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
      7. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. Generosity is connected in loving.  How has God been generous with you?  How do you love generously in your life?
      8. Read Matthew 28:18-20. In the Great Commission, Christ called us to disciple others.  How do you apply this in your life?  Are you thinking of mentoring someone for the Lord?  Who?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Mid Week Message 10-30-18


Message Title: Omnibenevolence: The God Who Is Love

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Jeremiah 31:3, Hosea 11:4, 1 John 4:7-11, Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. God is love. (1 John 4:8)

God had 4 choices in creation:

  1. God could have created nothing at all.
  2. God could have created a world where there was no such thing as good or evil.
  3. God could have created a world where beings could only choose good.
  4. God could have created a world like this one where beings would have the freedom to choose between good or evil. (Genesis 2)
  5. The supreme ethic that God has given to us on earth is (Deuteronomy 6:4, John 15:12,1 John 4:7-8)
  6. Freedom is indispensable to love. (Mark 12:28-31, John 21:15-17)
  7. God’s ultimate proof of His love to you is centered in His Son Jesus. (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10, Romans 8:38-39)

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:

What was one of your favorite love songs growing up?

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

  1. Read 1 John 4:7-8. What does this verse reveal to you about the nature and the heart of God?  When do you think you first discovered your capacity to receive and give love?  Where do you think love comes from and how important is it in your life?
  2. How would you define love?
  3. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. How does love as described in this chapter compare to love as typically defined in our culture?
  4. Who would you say is the top two or three persons that has loved you the most on this earth? How do you think their love for you has affected your life?
  5. Who are the people that you have loved the most and how do you think your love has had an impact on their lives?
  6. Have you ever loved someone that rejected you? Do you think that God knows how this feels?  Read Luke 22:47-48.  Can you think of any other examples in the bible?
  7. How has God’s love for you changed your life? How do you think his love for you is continuing to change your life?
  8. Why do you think God loves you? Why do you love God?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 10-24-18


Message Title: Omnipresence:  The God Who Is There

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Psalms 139:1-24

 

Sermon Notes:

    1. God is present everywhere at the same time vs.7-11
    2. God is timeless. v.16, Rev. 22:13
    3. God is accessible to you all the time because He cares for you. vs.1-6, 13-18
    4. Because God is present with you, He will guide you and help you do what’s right. vs. 7-10
    5. We struggle with God’s omnipresence when we can’t feel Him.
    6. Because God is holy and cannot stand evil, man’s relationship with God was severed.
    7. Even though God is omnipresent, man still tries to hide from Him. vs. 11-12
    8. Man not only hides but also hates one another. vs. 19-22
      It’s when we see God’s holiness and Omni-qualities in contrast to our brokenness, do we see our need for redemption
    9. Even if we can’t feel God, we can still trust Him. vs.23-24

     

    Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

    Getting to Know You:
    What was the biggest crisis that you have gone through in recent times? How did you handle it?

    Or – What was the biggest crisis someone had confided in you about? How did you advise and help that person?

    Quick Review:
    Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

     

    Digging Deeper: A study of Psalm 139

     

    1. What do you worry about the most? Why?
    2. Read vs. 1-6. If God knows your every thought, every action, every word, and If God is watching out for you (v.5), why do Christians still experience fear and anxiety? Where does it come from?
    3. When a Christian backslides, the common response is to hide from God, especially if there’s a sin that’s hard to give up. In what ways do Christians try to hide from God? Read vs. 7-12. Why is hiding pointless according to King David?
    4. Read vs. 13-16. King David saw God’s creative design and purpose upon his life, even when he was a fetus in his mother’s womb. How do these verses prove that life begins at conception?
    5. Read vs. 17-18. King David’s worship and meditations on God’s attributes left him in awe and wonder of God greatness. How has this message series on God’s attributes drawn you closer to God?
    6. Read vs. 19-22. King David had an emotional episode that made him vent his most hateful feelings on God, and he did not see that as inappropriate. Why? What happens when we vent on people? Why is God a safe place to vent?
    7. Our emotions can be our biggest enemy when our negative emotions overwhelm us. It can also be our best friend when our positive emotions dominate our lives. The challenge is how to remain positive when bad things happen to us. Read vs. 22-24. How did King David remain positive despite suffering from all the traumas he has experienced? What spiritual disciplines do you practice that helps you to let God into your deepest emotional traumas? How has emotional healing taken place in your life?


    Taking it Home:
    What is one thing you can apply to your life from last Sunday’s message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 10-10-18


Message Title: The God Who Is All Powerful

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Genesis 1:1, Psalms 33:6-9, Psalms 62:11, 1 Kings 19:9-13, Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:1-3

 

Sermon Notes:

  • God creates everything from nothing.
    (Genesis 1:1, Psalms 33:6-9)
  •  Real power belongs to the Lord God Almighty. (Psalm 62:11)
  • God is all-powerful, gentle and humble.  (1 Kings 19:12-13, Matthew 11:28-30)
  • If God wasn’t powerful we would be in trouble. (Ephesians 1:18-22)
  • Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

    Getting to Know You:

    Who is your favorite superhero and why?  What powers do they possess?

    Quick Review:
    Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

    Digging Deeper:

    Read Genesis 17:1, Psalms 24:10, 46:7, 91:1.  How do you define the word “almighty”?  What does this word mean to you?

        1. Read Genesis 1:1, Psalms 33:6-9. When you read these verses, how do they make you feel?  When you look at creation itself, what two things stand out to you as displaying God’s awesome power?
        2. When you ponder the creation of God, you will see that He uses His power to create, bless, and give life to others. How do you think this compares to mankind’s pursuit of power and how we approach or use it?  Can you think of some examples?  Please share.
        3. 1 Kings 19:9-13, Matthew 11:28-30. How do you define a bully?  What do these verses tell us about the nature of God?
        4. Can you think of a time when God gently pulled you aside to remind you of His Power and Presence in your life so as to encourage you? Please share.
        5. Can you think of a time in your life when God chose not to demonstrate His power the way you asked and wanted Him to? How did that make you feel?  Why do you think He did that and what did He teach you in the process?
        6. Read Ephesians 1:18-22. What word or phrase jumps out to you in these scriptures?  What do you think Paul is trying to tell us in his prayer?



    Taking it Home:

    What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 10-2-18


Message Title: The Unchanging God In A Changing World

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13: 8; James 1:17; Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. . His {person} and {essence} never changes
    1. i) his {holiness} never changes
    2. ii) his {love, mercy and compassion} never changes

    iii) his {justice) never changes

    1. His {purposes} never change
    2. His {promises} never change
    3. The God who {never changes} is always {effecting change}

     

    Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

    Getting to Know You:

    When did you have the most dirt or mud on you and how did it happen?  If you were a kid what did your parents have you do?

     

    Quick Review:
    Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

     

    Digging Deeper:
    1. Have you ever been in a relationship when the person changed from better to worse? How did you cope with that? Would you trust them again?

    1. How do you feel being in a relationship with a God Who does not change?
    2. Have you ever experienced a time when it appeared that God had changed His mind? How did you explain that?
    3. In what ways has God been changing you to be more like Jesus? Is there any evidence of that in your life?
    4. Do you believe that God keeps His promises? Has God ever failed you? If so, when?
    5. What is your favorite promise in the Bible? Why?
    6. In John 16:33 God makes a promise. What does that mean to you?
    7. What does the promises in Joshua 1:5 and Romans 8:38 really mean to you? How does that make you feel?

    Taking it Home:
    What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 9-25-18


Message Title: Holiness

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Exodus 3:5, Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 4:8

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. Before Moses, God’s people had very limited knowledge of Him. (Exodus 3:4-14)What does the tabernacle communicate about God?
  2. God is holy and set apart from mankind.
  3. God’s holiness is absolute purity unstained even by the shadow of sin. (1 John 1:5, Habakkuk 1:13)
  4. God’s holiness is the sum of all moral
  5. God’s holiness is the most celebrated attribute of His nature. (Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 4:8, Psalms 89:35)
  6. Jesus makes you holy.  (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 1:22)

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:

When did you have the most dirt or mud on you and how did it happen?  If you were a kid what did your parents have you do?

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Exodus 3:1-5. What do you think it takes to make something holy?
  2. How do you think God’s people felt when He set up the tabernacle and they began to understand what they had to do to enter Gods presence? When did you first begin to understand the holiness of God?  How did it affect you?
  3. Read Ephesians 1:4, Colossians 1:22, Hebrews 3:1. What do these scriptures say about you?
  4. What happened in your life that made you holy in God’s sight? Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9.
  5. Do you see yourself as holy and blameless in God’s sight? Why or why not?
  6. If you don’t see yourself this way and God says you are, who do you think is right? Why do you think it is hard for us to see ourselves as holy?

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 9-18-18


Message Title: Knowing God

Series Title: Knowing God

Key verses:

Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3

 

Sermon Notes:

    1. God wants you to know (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
    2. Knowing God is eternal (John 17:3)
    3. Knowing God is a matter of personal (Psalms 34:8)
    4. The more complex the object, the more complex is the journey of knowing that object.
    5. God is one in essence and yet there is a plurality of the Godhead in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Gen 1:26-27, Matthew 28:18-20)
    6. They are in perfect harmony and unity of relationship.  (John 14:8-21)

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:

Are you more of a dog or cat person and why?

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

  1. Read Jeremiah 9:23-24. What relationships in your life are you most proud of?  What type of effort did you put into these relationships to make this happen?  How do you think the Lord God Almighty would answer this question?
  2. Read John 17:1-3. What do you think it is about knowing God that brings eternal life?  What do you think Jesus meant by His words?
  3. Have you ever let someone in to your confidence or your “circle of family trust” and was later wounded by that person? If so what happened and how did that make you feel?
  4. Do you think God can relate to your feelings? Can you think of a time in the Scriptures when this happened to God? After some discussion on this read Isaiah 65:1-3, Luke 22:47-48.
  5. If God is the expert of getting betrayed by people, why do you think He still opens Himself up to others?
  6. Trinity Quiz: Read Revelation 1:8. Who is the Alpha and Omega?  Read Revelation 22:12-16.  Who is the Alpha and Omega?  Compare this to Isaiah 48:12-16.  Who is speaking?  Can you identify the Trinity in these verses?  Welcome to the complexity of the mystery of the oneness of the Godhead. Refer back to sermon note 4 for an explanation.

 

Extra Credit Homework:

Read John 14:8-21.  Go through this passage carefully and try to see how the different persons of the Trinity relate to one another, both in who they are and what they do.

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 9-11-18


Message Title: Fellowship

Key verses:

1 John 1:1-4

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. Fellowship refers to those who share in a deep common bond of experiential
  2. Christian fellowship flows from the Divine, washing over the human soul, that constitutes utterly unparalleled life.
  3. Christian fellowship happens in
  4. The Early Church worshipped in the temple
  5. The Early Church fellowshipped in their homes.

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:

Have you ever been in an earthquake?  Where were you and what did you do?  How did it make you feel?
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

  1. Read 1 John 1:1-4. What emotion do you sense from John the Apostle in these verses?  Why do you think that is?
  2. When was the last time you had the opportunity to explain Jesus to someone and how did that make you feel?
  3. If your child asked you to explain what “fellowship” means how would you explain it to them?
  4. Read Acts 2:41-42. Christian Fellowship has always been an important component of our spiritual experience in following Jesus. Why do you think so many Christians choose to live out their Christian faith without pursuing fellowship in their lives?
  5. When was the last time Christian fellowship really had an important impact on your life?
  6. Read 1 Timothy 3:15. Pastor Frank spoke about the importance of foundations especially during earthquakes.  What was the last personal earthquake you experienced in your life and how did God use your relationships in the Church to get you through it?
  7. Read John 13:34-35. How have you seen Christians fellowshipping together be a witness to unbelievers. Please share.

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

FollowUp 9-5-18


Message Title: The Power of Prayer

Key verses:

Acts 12:1-19

 

Sermon Notes:

 

  1. Regardless of the situation, nothing is impossible with God!

 

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?”  [Jer 32:27 NASB]

 

  1. Prayer should be our first response to tragedy and trials!

 

“The righteous cry and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.”  [Ps 34:17 NASB]

 

  1. Pray for others, and ask other believers to pray for you!

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you;”

[1 Sam 12:23 NASB]

 

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.’ ‘The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  [James 5:16 NASB]

 

  1. Prayer moves the hand of God!

 

”The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”   [Ps 34:7 NASB]

 

  1. Prayer should never be a substitute for work!

 

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;”        [Col 3:23 NASB]

 

  1. Pray expecting results; don’t doubt – not ever!

 

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”  [Matt 21:22 NASB]

 

20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. 21 On an

appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

 

  1. God’s answer to our prayers can surpass our expectations.

 

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”   [Eph 3:20 NASB]

 

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

 

Getting to Know You:

Who was the most surprising person to ever show up at your door?

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

 

  1. Read Acts 12:1-19. When you read these verses what do they teach you about prayer?  When did you first discover the power of prayer in your spiritual journey with Jesus?
  2. Read Acts 12:5,11-15. Do you find anything amusing in these verses?  When Rhonda announced who was at the door, what do you think you would have said if you had been there?
  3. If you had been present at this prayer meeting, what do you think this miracle would have done for you?
  4. If someone was to ask you to define prayer and the purpose of prayer, what would you say?
  5. What do you think is the greatest mystery of prayer?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?