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< Back Introduction to Life Groups Chase Radford Mar 7, 2024 Learn more and sign up here: https://www.bridgewaylive.us/lifegroups Pastor Nate or Chase will get back to you via email (give is about a week or so to give other people to sign up). Previous Next

< Back Love Matters: Love Your God Pastor Nate Brosher Feb 18, 2024 Exodus 20:2-4, 7-8, 12-17 ESV 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ... 7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ... 12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's; 1. Manual of Life The Bible is the inspired (breathed upon), inerrant, infallible word of God. Titus 1:1-3 NKJV 1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior. Mark 13:31 KJV Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. a. We must embrace its truth and live according to what he is asking of us to do. The first 5 commandments deal with God and our relationship with him. (Man’s relationship with God) The last 5 commandments deal with people. (Man’s relationship with man) “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER gods, BESIDES ME” “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN IMAGE . . .” “YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN” Matthew 7:21-23 ESV 21 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. 22 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?" 23 And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." “REMEMBER THE SABBATH, AND KEEP IT HOLY “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER” Craig Keener (American Theologian): “The first commandments in this list remind us to: - Obey God because God is our source in creation - Obey God because God is our savior - Obey God because He judges and blesses - Obey because God is the perfect Lover and Authority of which even the best parents are only faint reminders.” Previous Next

< Back House of Prayer Pt. 2: Constancy in Prayer Pastor Nate Brosher Jul 13, 2025 1Thessalonians 5:14-22 CSB - 14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle (lazy), comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don't stifle the Spirit. 20 Don't despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. Basic Instructions - Lazy/Idle - Discouraged - Weak • Be Patient with Everyone! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CSB - 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. • Cultivating a Spirit of Thankfulness. - Rejoice Always! Why is it important to rejoice always? ■ Rejoicing/Praise is a key component to prayer. Psalm 107:1 NKJV - 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for [He is] good! For His mercy [endures] forever. Continuous Awareness of God’s Presence - “Pray without Ceasing” – KJV Psalm 34:1 ESV - 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 150:6 ESV - 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! • A Mindset of Dependence. - How is your posture? James 5:16-17 NKJV - 16 Confess [your] trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. What are we putting our energy into? Previous Next

< Back Romans 12: Use Your Gifts Pastor Nate Brosher Jan 25, 2024 Romans 12: Use Your Gifts Romans 12:4-11 NLT 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 1. We are many parts of one body. Each part has a special function. Function - an activity or purpose natural to or intended for a person or thing. Functionality - the quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality. (Practical, useful, plain, simple, serviceable, effective, operative.) Dysfunctional - not operating normally or properly. (Broken, debilitated, decayed, defective, deteriorated, inhibited, maladjusted, malfunctioned, sick, undermined, unfit, wounded.) Romans 12:6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. You must define the gift that God has given to you for the body of Christ. Nobody is gift-less. Romans 12:7-8 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 2. Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading, Kindness. Serving – (diakonia) which means attendance as a servant, minister, assistant/administrator, which is where we get the word deacon. Teaching – (didasko) To impart instruction, to explain or expound, to hold discourse with others to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses. Encouraging – (parakaleō) Comfort, exhort, pray, to encourage, strengthen. Giving – (metadidōmi) to give over, share: —give, impart. (Generously – bountiful with liberty) Leading – (proistēmi) to stand before, (in rank) to preside, or (by implication) to practice: —maintain, be over, rule, to care for. Kindness/Showing Mercy – (eleeō) to help one afflicted or seeking aid to help the afflicted, to bring help to the wretched. Romans 12:9-11 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 3. Don’t be a Pretender. Pretend – unfeigned, undisguised, sincere-without dissimulation. (Hypocrisy) Being a person of character and integrity means you are what you proclaim to be, this is why Paul says, never be lazy but work hard! Serve the Lord enthusiastically! Another word is fervently – (zeō) Zeal for what is good. Previous Next

< Back Distractions: The Decision Chase Radford Feb 1, 2024 John 4:1-26 4 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” Definitions Faith can be defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. It can also be in reference to the doctrines (set of beliefs) of a religion. It is because of our faith (trust) in something or someone that we are faithful to a thing or person — defined as to remain loyal; true to the facts; to give our full attention . To be faithful to someone or something is to be focused on or give full attention to that person or thing. To distract is to prevent someone from giving their full attention to something or someone. A distraction is a thing that prevents someone from giving their full attention to something or someone else. Who were the Samaritans? The Samaritans were a group of people who believed they were the true descendants of Israel and keepers of the Torah. During the time of the New Testament, their chief religious site was Mount Gerizim. The Samaritans believed that the Jerusalem temple and priesthood were illegitimate. They were unfaithful to the Scriptures and as a result, unfaithful to God. This is why in v 23-24 Jesus says to the woman, who believed that she, as a Samaritan, was from the lineage of Jacob, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Truth must always be at the core of what we believe because what we believe is what ultimately determines how we live. Our worship, our lives, everything must be tethered (connected) to truth. Unfaithful This woman not only carried the baggage of being Samaritan, and as a result, unfaithfulness to God and His word. She was also unfaithful in her personal relationships with men. In v 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” But why was she unfaithful? Because of her false beliefs about God, who she was and how she was to live. It’s here where I consider the text and I consider the landscape of the church at large — and when I think about the woman at the well I can’t help but see a reflection of so many people in the Church, the Bride of Christ today. Far too many people who claim to be Christians seem to be having a very hard time making up their mind with what they believe — e.g. the Bible. Jesus said in v 22, ”You worship what you do not know;” Distracted From Truth: State of the Church There were theological surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023. The data is from people who claim to be Christian. Survey Data: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CRC_AWVI2023_Release_03.pdf https://thestateoftheology.com 56% believe attending and belonging to a local church doesn’t matter 56% believe God accepts the worship of all religions — Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc. Only 46% believe God has a purpose for their life Only 65% believe the purpose of life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul. And only 50% believe success can best be described as consistent obedience to God Only 44% believe Jesus lived a perfect life 67% admit to not reading or studying the Bible at least once a week 52% admit they are not committed to living out their faith Every aspect of our life and how we live it ties back to the essential truths of the Bible — and whether or not we believe them. Ps. 145:18 says the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth. Too many have gotten distracted and have lost their focus on the truth of who He is to them. The Decision Jesus loves us so much that He comes to us. This is what we see in the story of the woman at the well. We see an example of Christ meeting us where we are — not that we will stay where we are, but that we will respond. That we will make the decision to truly follow Him. How did the woman at the well respond? What was her decision when she was approached by Christ? John 4:28-30; 39-42 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him. […] 39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” What are you going to believe? What you believe determines how you respond to Christ’s call and how you live. It’s a decision we must make every moment of our lives. Extended Sermon Notes : https://parrots-notice-iuv.craft.me/GOMud8YqNJc8uu Previous Next

< Back Romans 12: Evaluation Pastor Nate Brosher Jan 18, 2024 Romans 12:3-10 NLT 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. 1. Don’t think you are better than you really are. Evaluate yourselves often. Paul says, “Evaluate yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Faith – (Pistis) – belief system that Jesus is the Messiah, conviction that God exists. Assurance (Confidence or certainty). Everyone has a different level of faith. Galatians 5:7-9 NLT 7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! We must deal with the leaven that is in our life. James 4:7-10 NLT 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil , and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God , and God will come close to you. Wash your hands , you sinners; purify your hearts , for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief . Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 5 powerful keynotes James tells us: Resist the devil. Come close to God. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts. REPENTANCE!! Previous Next

< Back Letters from Paul Series Pt. 5: Freedom in Christ Pastor Nate Brosher Jul 24, 2024 Galatians 5:1-4 NLT - 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. 1. Regulations of the law ■ The Torah contains a total of 613 laws/commandments or what is called mitzvah. Galatians 5:5 NLT - 5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. 7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. 2. False Teachings 1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV - 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, Galatians 3:10-11, 13-14 NLT - 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." ... 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 4:4-5 NLT - 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Galatians 3:21-25 NLT - 21 Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. 23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 NLT - 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. ■ We must recognize there is no good thing in us and that we need a covering to be “right with God” Isaiah 64:6 KJV - 6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. ■ This is the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, we are no longer bound by the law, but are freed through the blood of the lamb! Previous Next

< Back Guardrails Pt. 5: Come to the Altar Pastor Nate Brosher Mar 30, 2025 Genesis 8:20-22 NLT - 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21 And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. 22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night." ■ Altar – mizbēaḥ - meaning altar, a place of slaughter. This specific word occurs in the bible 401 times in 338 verses. 1. The Purpose of the Altar. Sacrifice: A place where offerings are made to God. Worship: A place for expressing gratitude and reverence. Communion: A place where people can connect with God. Memorial: A reminder of God's presence and promises. Genesis 6:5-6 NLT - 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 1Kings 16:32-33 ESV - 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. A Babylonian-Canaanite goddess of fortune and happiness. Exodus 20:4-6 NLT - 4 "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. Malachi 2:13 ESV - 13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Our methods may change, but He never changes! Exodus 20:3 KJV - 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2. New Covenant, New Altar. Hebrews 13:8-14 NLT - 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. 10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. ■ Altar – thysiastērion – A place of sacrifice. Metaphorically: the cross on which Christ suffered an excruciating death. Jesus is calling you! Previous Next

< Back Pathways: The Gifts of the Spirit (Session 5) Pastor Nate Brosher and Chase Radford May 29, 2024 Link to study guide: https://estd.craft.me/gifts Previous Next

< Back Distractions: Are You Not Entertained?! Pastor Nate Brosher Jan 21, 2024 Distractions: Are You Not Entertained?! Philippians 2:1-5 NLT 1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 1. Don’t be selfish and don’t try to impress others. Distractions: We are distracted by what the world says is success. Luke 14:23 NLT 23 So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. Hebrews 12:1 ESV 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Romans 12:2 ESV 2 Do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 2. We must have the same attitude that Christ had. Phroneo – To be of the same mind, be harmonious, be wise, have understanding. Jesus said some things that are uncomfortable for many of us to follow. Mat 5:43-44 ESV 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:27-28 ESV 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Was the blood that I shed not enough? 3. Breaking off the Self-Centered mindset. Philippians 2:4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. It must be Christ centered at the forefront. Previous Next

< Back Summer Bods Series Pt. 6: Bad Habits Pastor Nate Brosher Jul 21, 2024 2Kings 5:20-27 NLT - 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, "My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the LORD lives, I will chase after him and get something from him." 21 So Gehazi set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. "Is everything all right?" Naaman asked. 22 "Yes," Gehazi said, "but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them." 23 "By all means, take twice as much silver," Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi. 24 But when they arrived at the citadel, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house. 25 When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" "I haven't been anywhere," he replied. 26 But Elisha asked him, "Don't you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? 27 Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman's leprosy forever." When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow. 1. Flesh Habits - Greed – an excessive, extreme desire for something, often more than one's proper share. 2Kings 7:1-11, 17-20 NLT - 1 Elisha replied, "Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver." 2 The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, "That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" But Elisha replied, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. "Why should we sit here waiting to die?" they asked each other. 4 "We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So, we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway." 5 So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. "The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!" they cried to one another. 7 So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives. 8 When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 9 Finally, they said to each other, "This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace." 10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. "We went out to the Aramean camp," they said, "and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered, and the tents were all in order, but there wasn't a single person around!" 11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace. ... 17 The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So, everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. 18 The man of God had said to the king, "By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost one piece of silver." 19 The king's officer had replied, "That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" And the man of God had said, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 20 And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate! 2. Learn from bad decisions. Lamentations 5:7 ESV - 7 Our fathers sinned and are no more; and we bear their iniquities. Leviticus 26:39-42 ESV - 39 And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them. 40 "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies--if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. ■ No Longer Bound! John 9:1-3 NLT 1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 "Rabbi," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" 3 "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. Matthew 5:17-18 CSB - 17 "Don't think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. Galatians 1:4 NLT - 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. Romans 7:4-6 NLT 4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. Romans 6:23 NLT 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Previous Next

< Back New Testament Church Pt. 2: Repent and Be Baptized Pastor Nate Brosher Apr 21, 2024 Act 2:38-41 ESV 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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." 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. 1. Repent and be baptized. Paradise – paradeisos – A part of Hades or some would say Sheol. 2. Baptism is a command not optional. Mark 16:15-16 ESV 15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” - Whoever believes and is baptized WILL be saved! - Baptism is a symbolization of his death and resurrection. 1Peter 3:18-22 NLT 18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison-- 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority. 3. The Order of Baptism. Act 8:26-38 NKJV 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Matthew 3:13-16 ESV - 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. Previous Next