Evergreen Christian Community

TENSION Non-essential: Definition: Not absolutely necessary. Big Idea: The desire of the enemy is for you to see yourself as non-essential. But Christ has made us into Conquerors and Co-Heirs of the Kingdom. TRUTH Who we are: Co-Heirs and Conquerors Co-Heirs Romans 8:14-17 We have inheritance rights with Jesus. We share in his glory AND suffering. Conquerors: Romans 8:31-32, 37-39 There is not ONE THING that can stand against the church.

/In the Chat: Vote between: Home Improvement, Friends, Modern Family, This Is Us./ When a life is well lived with and for Jesus, it is a life that most people will not understand. Matthew 11:16-19 The Big Idea: We are God’s People, living in God’s Power, demonstrating God’s Love. 2 Peter 1:3-4 And do not forget that God LOVES using unqualified and disqualified people! Joel 2:28-32 gets FULFILLED in Acts 2: Acts 2:17-18, 29-32 The Tribal Call: ● 1 Peter 2:9-12 ● John 3:5-8 ● John 7:37-39 ● Revelation 22:1-5 THE MOSES SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP FOR THE CLEARLY UNQUALIFIED: Exodus 33:12-17 We are HIS PEOPLE, living in HIS POWER, demonstrating HIS LOVE. RESPONSE: ● Practice DAILY ALTAR and STEWARDSHIP ● Practice LISTENING throughout the day. ● Practice IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE. ● Pray for your OIKOS.

Walking With Jesus Week 4 - Our Identity: Joyful Exiles May 21, 2017 Jim Ladd The Big Idea: Following Jesus means living as resident aliens in this world, looking forward to being home in the future. 1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9-12 What is this theme of how to live? We are EXILES and are to live as FOREIGNERS. We are RESIDENT ALIENS Two Implications: 1. We are PILGRIMS 2. We are DIFFERENT but ENGAGED The Test To Know How You’re Doing (vs. 11-12) 1. Are you winning over your SINFUL DESIRES? 2. Are you living a GOOD LIFE? 3. Are you misunderstood and OFFENSIVE? 4. Are you irresistibly ATTRACTIVE? What is a good life? SUBMISSIVE to authority Living in FREEDOM RESPECTING everyone Skilled at experiencing UNJUST SUFFERING How Do I Get The Power To Do This? 1. Know WHO I am: 2. Know the power of WHOSE I am. Exodus 24

Luke 3:7-9 Do not confuse GOD’S PATIENCE with TOLERANCE. Genesis 15:12-16 God will let His people SUFFER to EXTEND GRACE TO PAGANS. We are HIS BODY. Burning Question: For America, is “the ax already at the root of the trees”? Leviticus 18:24-28 Luke 3:10-14 If it is, “what should we do then?” ● Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none. ● Anyone who has food should do the same. ● Don’t use your power for personal gain. ● Be content with your pay. RESPONSE: ● PRAY for America and for God’s patience on our land. ● BELIEVE God for salvation and revival. ● PRACTICE irrational generosity. ● REFUSE to abuse power. ● LEARN the secret of contentment.

BIG IDEA: A life of meaning and purpose is more important than a life of comfort. /In the Chat: What was your dream job when you were growing up?/ Matthew 11:1-6 Matthew 3:4-8 Matthew 11:2-3 Matthew 11:4-5 Matthew 11:6 We’re not called to a position, we’re called to GOD’S VOICE. God doesn’t call us FROM SOMEWHERE, He calls us TO SOMEWHERE. “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” - Edward Abbey

The Big Idea: God’s Word illuminates our path of life. Psalm 119: 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. His WORD lights up our path. 2 Samuel 22:29 You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. Jesus is the LIGHT. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice (word) behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Jesus illuminates our path on a “NEED-TO-KNOW” basis.

/Chat: What is your favorite Rocky Film?/ Series Big Idea: Christianity has been neutered by becoming civilized. We have lost our identity, our mission, and our way. “Civilized” - polite; well-bred; refined; of or relating to civilized people: easy to manage or control. “But then the worst thing happened that could happen to any fighter, you got civilized.” - Mick to Rocky in Rocky III Matthew 11:7-15 Luke 16:16 BIASTAI - violent person The Big Idea: The Kingdom of God belongs to those who storm their way into it. Mark 7:26-27 Luke 8:43-46 Jesus is LOOKING FOR BIASTAI. BIASTAI HAVE: ● Desperation ● Humility ● Hope ● Gratitude /Chat: What characteristics do you lack in becoming a biastai?/ MY RESPONSE: ● Do an honest assessment: Am I a Biastai? ● Do I have desperation, humility, hope and gratitude? (If not, why?) ● Talk to God about the results and the next steps forward for you. ● Pray for Oikos ministry this week.

Jesus never said, “If anyone wants to become my disciple, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and lead a balanced life.” Proverbs 4:20-23 Augustine said that a well-ordered heart is to love: ● The right thing ● To the right degree ● In the right way ● With the right kind of love The Big Idea: Life Transformation is an inside job and flows from a whole heart. We need “VIM” -Dallas Willard: ● Vision ● Intention ● Means Finding a strategy by asking questions like: ● How and when will I pray? ● How will I handle money in a way that draws me closer to God? ● How can I approach work in a way that will help Christ be formed in me? ● How can I participate in my relationships in a way that demonstrates Christ? ● How will I be involved in Christian community? ● How can I fill my daily tasks with a sense of the Presence of God? Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Classic test cases from our liv

Psalm 91 What is the bulletproof life? (v.1-2) How protection actually works: (v.3-13) Conquering Confusion: when bad things happen to good people. (v.14-15)

/Chat: “Tell us what your biggest food addiction is!”/ Matthew 6:1-4 The Big Idea: Real transformation will always include the death of an addiction to approval. Approval Addiction Symptoms: ● Getting hurt by what others say about us. ● Habitually comparing ourselves to others. ● A nagging sense that we are not important enough or special enough. ● Envy of others’ success. ● Trying to impress important people. /Chat: Which ‘approval addiction’ symptom do you most suffer from?/ “At issue here is the question: ‘To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?' Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me… Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves.” Henri Nouwen The alternative: A life of FREEDOM. “One of the fine arts of gracious living is the art of living freely with our critics. When we

Psalm 81 V1-5 - We sing to our God!! V6-7 - I delivered you and included testing. V8-10 - This is what I ask (no other gods) - Trust me and my deliverance. V11-12 - A refusal to listen leads to a giving over to your own stubborn heart. V13-16 - The rewards of absolute trust and submission to God. Psalm 82 V1 - God renders judgement of the gods. V2-3 Why do you get this so backwards and focus so poorly? V4-5 Be aggressive for the disadvantaged. V6 - The gods of this world know nothing and God shakes the earth! Mark 12:28-34 God’s Simple Strategy for Humans: Trust - Light burden and easy yoke Submission - I was bought at a price Co-mission - Love like Jesus loves

The Big Idea: To have a shot at transformation, I must shatter my delusional sense of self. Luke 18:9-14 This is a universal human struggle: a DELUSIONAL SENSE OF SELF. Symptoms of a Problem: ● Vanity ● Defensiveness ● Exclusiveness ● Pride Self-absorbed = How to be NOXIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. “…to some who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else.” (v.9) PRIDE keeps us from recognizing that we are the BIGGEST SINNER in the room. The antidote is HUMILITY. Luke 14:11 The fallen self is occupied with two things: COMPARING and BOASTING. “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about.” C. S. Lewis Luke 18:17 “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not r

Exodus 6:1-9 TONIGHT’S OBJECTIVES: ● A greater grasp on the SIZE OF OUR GOD. ● Clean out our ears so that we might LISTEN BETTER. “God Almighty” - El Shaddai - The Self-Sufficient and Almighty One The Lord = “I AM who I AM” Exodus 3:14 ● THEREFORE - because of who I AM: ○ I will bring you out from under the YOKE OF SLAVERY. ○ I will REDEEM YOU with mighty acts of judgement. ○ I will take you as MY OWN PEOPLE. ○ I will be YOUR GOD. ○ Then you will KNOW ○ I will bring you to the PROMISED LAND as your possession. ● I AM THE LORD. “Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” Silence our discouragement. Pause from our harsh labor. Let’s stare at the LORD - the Sovereign and Almighty One. ● He will bring you out from under. ● He will redeem you. ● He will take you as His own. ● He will be your God. ● You will KNOW Him and His goodness. ● He will bring you to the promised place of provision

Mark 2:1-12 Mark 10:45 The significance of a name. The power of friends What does your faith look like? Faith must be seen. What is your faith doing? Sin diminishes, torments, destroys, and kills. The real human issue: sin. The key idea: That you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. How will you respond to truth?

/Chat: What team were you hoping to make it to the Superbowl this year?/ The Big Idea: : It’s time to identify our giant, run to the battle line, and engage in our victory. 1 Samuel 17:20-24 David HEARD the giant’s defiance and it caused him to rise to COURAGE. The Israelite army were AFRAID and FLED in FEAR. No one believed that David was EQUIPPED to fight the giant. There will be voices (sometimes your own) telling you, “YOU CANT.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 REFLECT on the VICTORIES God has given you. THREE WAYS DAVID FACED HIS GIANT: 1. In the NAME of the Lord. V45 2. With the weapons/tools He was SKILLED in using. 3. He faced his giant with CONFIDENCE. All will know that the LORD SAVES. YOUR GIANT comes to the BATTLE LINE. It’s time for some of us to IDENTIFY our GIANT.

“Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy...He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone.” - Dietrich Bonhoefer The Big Idea: Confession is the antidote to shame. James 5:13-20 The healthy soul is the source of powerful prayer. Shame is the universal sense of self for humans and it is the birthplace of all of our fears. We all want desperately to hide and yet we also desperately want to be fully known and loved. When we practice confession, two things happen: 1. We are liberated from guilt. 2. We are more empowered for victory over sin. The Four Steps of Confession: 1. Self-examination ● Perception - see our sin through the eyes of the one we sinned against. Why did I do what I did? What happened as a result of my sin? 2. Governing our Sorrow James 4:8-10 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 3. A New Promise 4. Receive Healing Grace

Genesis 40:23 Genesis 41:1 Delay does not mean denial. God can change your prison sentence into a powerful deliverance in a single night. Genesis 41:41-43 Luke 15:20-24 The Ring - The signet ring of the family reputation and fortune fully entrusted to him. The Robe - The best robe. The Royal Treatment - Killed the fattened calf and had a massive celebration. The greatest news of all time: Your heavenly Father treats you with the reward of Joseph even though you earned your prison sentence. Response: ● Make the confession of the prodigal. ● Receive the embrace of the Father. ● Envision your own inauguration into the Royal Family. ● Worship God with profound gratitude.