Evergreen Christian Community

Romans 12:9-21 The Big Idea: You love God best by how you treat people. Love the fulfillment of God’s WHOLE law. Matthew 5:17-18 Galatians 5:13-15 Your engine: JOYFUL in HOPE, PATIENT in AFFLICTION, FAITHFUL in PRAYER. How do I avoid being overcome by evil? Overcome evil by good. 6 Laws of enemy love: 1. Don’t curse people – ever. 2. Make blessing your only response to cursing. 3. Harmonize with them. 4. Crucify your pride. 5. Provide tangible resources for needs. 6. Pursue peace with everything you’ve got. What does a person have to do to believe this way? ● Their whole life is a living sacrifice to God. (12:1-2) ● They are an essential part of the body of Jesus. ● They trust and anticipate God’s power and help. RESPONSE 1. Make your life a living sacrifice to God. ● Be dependent on Him always. ● Daily acknowledging his place and authority in your life. 2. Be his hands and feet to your Oikos. 3. Love well.

Romans 12:3-8 The problem with ME How Jesus sets me free from ME How the free me contributes to WE “People with high self-esteem pose a greater threat to those around them than people with low self-esteem and feeling bad about yourself is not the source of our country’s biggest, most expensive social problems.” - Lauren Slater, The Trouble With Self-Esteem, The New York Times magazine, Feb 3, 2002 “If Christians lived out what they believed about the teachings of Jesus, we would all be Christians.” Gandhi 1 Corinthians 4:6-7 Sinful pride is the illusion that we are competent to run our own lives, achieve our own sense of self-worth, and find a purpose big enough to give us meaning in life without God. “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

“God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them. He creates the universe, already foreseeing—or should we say “seeing”? there are no tenses in God—the buzzing cloud of flies about the cross, the flayed back pressed against the uneven stake, the nails driven through the mesial nerves, the repeated incipient suffocation as the body droops, the repeated torture of back and arms as it is time after time, for breath’s sake, hitched up. If I may dare the biological image, God is a “host” who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and “take advantage of” Him. Herein is love. This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves.” C.S. Lewis “Suppose there was a king who loved a humble maiden. The king was like no other king. Every statesman trembled before his power. No one dared breathe a word against him, for he had the strength to crush all opponents. And yet this mighty king was melted by love fo

The Big Idea: We can’t always know God’s ways, but we can absolutely know and trust His heart. Romans 11:25-36 Three Outlandish Claims: 1. All Israel will be saved (v26) Jeremiah 31:31-34 1 Peter 3:18-22 2. God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. (v29) ● Irrevocable: “without repentance” “no regrets from the giver.” ● Gifts: charismata- Grace Gifts Genesis 8:21 ● Calling: Invite to a task and a relationship. Romans 8:28 ● God designs and guides history irrevocably, without regret, and will never change His mind. 3. God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all. (v32) ● God has designed and guided history—both its disobedience and its obedience—so that in the end it will most fully display the reliability of his promises and the magnificence of his mercy—to prevent human pride and produce white-hot worship. “It is a gross error to interpret this as meaning that God has made sinners out of everybody so he can save the whole human race. “Mercy upon all” has refer

The Big Idea: Pay attention to the goodness and severity of God as He builds a people for Himself. Romans 11:1-24 The Goodness of God: “God’s mercy especially towards those who are singularly unworthy” The Severity of God: “The exercise of His goodness and holiness, which leads Him to sever from His mystical Body whatever would injure, corrupt, or destroy it” The Four Subjects: 1. The Jews 2. The Gentiles 3. God 4. The Olive Tree John 15:1-8 Continue in His kindness vs. persisting in unbelief: • We fall because of unbelief. • We stand because of the faith to continue in His Kindness. 1 Peter 2:4-10 Response: • Trust the Goodness and Severity of God. • Be The people of God together. • Tremble with gratitude.

The Big Idea: Trust in Jesus is the only essential and it is impossible to fake. Romans 9:33, 10:1-15 People approach God in one of two ways: 1. Establishing a righteousness of your own 2. Submitting to the righteousness of God ● Christ is the culmination of the Law, so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 The essential good news: “The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” Taking Personal Responsibility: Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. ● Believe in your heart: Make trust in Jesus the foundation of all of your thinking processes. ● Confess with your mouth Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Response: Romans 10:14-15 ● Confess the goodness of God continually. ● Believe in your deepest soul that God raised Him from the dead. ● Preach Jesus - and when necessary, use words.

The Big Idea: God exercises His sovereignty to redeem all who trust Him. Romans 9:19-33 1. Paul’s summary of the matter: (v30-32) Gentiles vs. Jews and obtaining righteousness: THEIR PURSUIT is the point. “Pursue” or “strive” = follow with urgency and intensity of effort. God’s process of hardening some and having mercy on others is not arbitrary. Romans 11:22-23 2. The Potter and the Clay Jeremiah 18:1-12 The point of the pottery analogy is not God’s unilateral control, but His willingness to change His plans in response to changing hearts. 3. The Wisdom and Power of God Romans 9:22-27 Romans 11:33-36 (the Doxology) Response: ● Stop striving to earn God’s mercy. ● Trust completely in the person and work of Jesus. ● Pray for and participate in God’s redemptive plan.

Romans 9:1-18 Big Idea: God has sovereignly decided that all who relate to Him by faith shall be saved. A Deterministic View: All things, including human action, are decided by and determined by God, with nothing to do with our own will. 1. EVERYTHING points to Jesus and the ABSOLUTE POWER of GOD’S LOVE. What is the heart of Jesus? That all would come to faith in Christ Jesus, and be saved! John 3:16 If what we are reading does not fit the character of Jesus or the heart of God, then we must not be understanding it yet. 2. God’s covenant reached BEYOND the nation of ISRAEL. Jews of the day understood God’s faithfulness to them in two ways: I. Their nationality II. Their obedience to the law 3. God’s choices are SOVEREIGN, and AGAINST the GRAIN. “Love” and “Hate” are hyperbolic terms to describe placing favor on one particular thing, over another. God has no consideration for the common order of things. He has His own plan. Romans 9:30-32 We (the Gentiles) are now adopted into the kingdom, sitting

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit can transform our suffering through the certainty of our hope. Romans 8:18-30 “One of the really interesting aspects of this incredible capacity for making up missing information is that it usually comes with a great subjective sense of certainty, and when we act on that certainty we can get ourselves into trouble—by sideswiping a cyclist we just didn’t see but were quite certain we had checked all the mirrors and blind spots, or by accusing a lover, spouse, friend, or child and reacting without first inquiring and getting all the relevant details.”  - Dr. Sara Rosenquist, Our mind tries to understand and fill the gap when we suffer: • Life is supposed to be a glorious playground. • I don’t deserve this. • God promised me no suffering. • Life is supposed to be fair. • God is punishing me. We live in a world of suffering for two reasons (v. 20-21): 1. We are subjected to FRUSTRATION. 2. Held in BONDAGE to decay. This suffering causes a collective groan: • The whole

Big Idea: Through the Spirit of Life, we are free from death and condemnation. Romans 8:1-16 FLESH VS SPIRIT Death is not simply a physical occurrence, but an all-encompassing state of being. The Spirit of Life brings us into the kingdom of God as true adopted children. Roman law of adoption: Rejection of old life - new identity Entire debt has been wiped out - forgiven There is no condemnation for you. Why? In Jesus you live in a new realm: The Spirit of Life. FREEDOM FROM DEATH 1. Freedom from Condemnation Ephesians 2:13 2. Freedom from the old nature: You live in new life. 3. Freedom from the fear of physical death: Our eternity is set in Jesus Christ. We have an eternal future and hope How do we live in the Spirit of Life? Set your minds on Jesus Romans 8:5 We don’t put our focus on “not sinning” ; We put our mind to the Spirit and what he desires. Colossians 3:1-4 AVOID THINKING TRAPS 2 Corinthians 10:5 Ask yourself: Is this thought true? Is this thought helpful? RESPONSE: 1. Accept your

The Big Idea: Moral rules can tell you you're sick, but they cannot cure you. Romans 7:1-25 Psalm 119:165 Psalms‬ 19:7 But… Acts 15:10 Freedom from sin and freedom from the Law go closely together. The Point of the Matter: Romans 7:4-6 ● We die to the Law so we can belong to another - to Him who was raised from the dead. ● SO THAT we might bear fruit for God. ● In the realm of the flesh, we bore the fruit of death. ● By dying to what bound us, we serve in the new way of the Spirit, not the old way of the written code. Romans 7:21-25 The Law diagnoses my disease, but it cannot treat it. Colossians 2:20-23 Galatians 5:16-18 We trade the law of sin and death for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Our Answer: Romans 8:1-4 Response: ● Stop staring at the Law of sin and death, and keep in step with the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. ● Focus on the inside of the cup and not the outside.

The Big Idea: Freedom from sin is a birthright for Christians Romans 6:1-23 Two Logic Questions: 1. Since grace abounds, can’t we just go on sinning? LEGALISM is not the answer to LIBERTINISM. PAUL TEACHES A BETTER WAY: Radical TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST, through THE SPIRIT. 2. Can those who DIED TO SIN, continue to live in it? Clarity for the Confusion Comes From 3 Ideas: 1. Baptism 2. Crucifixion 3. Slavery Baptism: ● We are BAPTIZED into HIS DEATH. ● We are buried with Him into death SO THAT body ruled by sin would be done away with. ○ (Life IN SIN cannot coexist with death TO SIN.) ● We too, along with Him, can be raised to LIVE A NEW LIFE. 1 Corinthians 10:1-3 Colossians 2:9-15 Crucifixion: Galatians 2:20 Galatians 6:14 Jesus’ death to sin is the FINAL VICTORY. There is NO SECOND FIGHT and there is NO SECOND FOE. Slavery: There are two ways to leave a slave master: death or being sold to a new master. We are not only justified from our sin, but are also LIBERATED from the tyranny of sin. Obedi

The Big Idea: Knowing the whole story changes how you understand the current chapter.Romans 5:12-21The Origin Story:● Humans are the PINNACLE AND PURPOSE of everything God made.Genesis 1:26-28; 2:72:7● We wanted MORE and LOST IT ALL.Genesis 2:15-17● God REFUSED to accept the reign of death. (Romans 5:14; 17)Romans 5:14-15The Current Chapter:● Two kingdoms REIGN SIMULTANEOUSLY.Romans 5:12-21Romans 5:20-21The Heroes’ DilemmaEither sin and death EXERCISE CONTROL in an absolute manner over usOR we EXERCISE CONTROL in an absolute manner through Jesus and His grace gifts.Restoration of the origin story - eating the TREE OF LIFE and RULING OVER CREATIONWITH GOD.The End of the Story That Begins a Better Story:Revelation 21:1-4THE MORAL OF THE STORY: There is power in the BLOODResponse:● Embrace your ORIGIN story.● Conquer your HERO’S DILEMMA.● Start your ETERNAL LIFE today.

Romans 5:1-11 Romans 4:23-25 The Big Idea: Whether you know it or not, the Hero of your life is Jesus. Through faith we have: ● PEACE with God Through faith we have access to: ● The GOOD FAVOR of God ● The ability to KISS OUR CROSSES Why Suffering is my Servant: ● Suffering produces PERSEVERANCE > Produces CHARACTER (knowing the genuineness of something by examination or testing) > Produces HOPE (high confidence) > Which DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME. Your Worst Time is Just the Right Time: ● We were POWERLESS. (completely helpless) ● Christ died for the UNGODLY. (those with no regard for God) ● This is how God DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE for us. Since we have now been JUSTIFIED (definitive, one-time action) BY HIS BLOOD, how much more shall we be SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH through Him! IF-THEN: IF, while we were God’s ENEMIES (in opposition to God), we were RECONCILED (restored to right relationship) to Him through the death of His Son - THEN how much more shall we be SAVED (restored) through His life! Response: ●

How does one achieve a proper relationship with God? And having become right with God, how do I stay right? The Big Idea: You can work very hard to try and make something real with God or you can live trusting that it is already real and live your life in the power of it. Romans 3:21-24 Romans 4:1-13 Why do we struggle to accept this? What does Abraham teach us? How should we view our path going forward? Why is this so hard to accept? 3 Issues: 1. It is a PRIDE issue. 2. It is a CONTROL issue. 3. It is a FEAR issue. What does Abraham teach us about being right with God? 1. You do not want a wage-based relationship with God. 2. The glory of God is that He justifies the wicked. 3. The quickest way to lose your way with God is religion. Hebrews 11:6 How should we view our path going forward? Hebrews 11:8-10 We are living with the hope of Abraham – a promised future we cannot see. The bottom line: You can work very hard to try and make something real with God or you can live trusting that it is already re

Into the Wild, 3 - Escaping the Rabbit Hole of Depravity Jim Ladd, Jan 16, 2022 Romans 1:24-32 The Big Idea: The universal pathway of depravity must be intercepted, interrupted, and overcome. People who want no god “enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.”  - C. S. Lewis This depravity spiral is a universal problem! Romans 3:9-20 "The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."  - Mere Christianit

21 Days of Extraordinary Prayer SCRIPTURE FED, SPIRIT LED, WORSHIP BASED Psalm 73:25-26 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. (v.2) Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. (vv. 13-14) Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. (v.17) Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. (v.21) Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. (v.22-23) Prayer – Inviting Jesus into the conversation you’re already having with yourself Prayerlessness – declaration of independence of God Proverbs 24:10 If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small. (NIV) If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. (The Message) Response What does that passage say? What does it say to me? Wh

The Big Idea: Following Jesus into the wild requires us to reject lies and embrace the obvious Romans 1:18-25 Today: What is the PURPOSE of the Wrath of God Why there is NO LEGITIMATE EXCUSE A SIMPLE PROCESS to change your life God’s heart is ALWAYS seeking to drive us back to Him through repentance. It is ALWAYS for our good and not for destruction. Why there is no excuse: Because the only way to miss the TRUTH is to suppress it V20 - God’s invisible qualities have been clearly seen since creation, being understood from what has been made” A simple process to change your life: Option A and Option B OPTION A GLORIFY GOD as God GIVE THANKS to God. EMBRACE GOD’S WISDOM over your own. WORSHIP and SERVE the Creator rather than the creation. OPTION B REFUSE to glorify God as God. Center your thinking around VANITY, FOOLISHNESS, and NO REGARD FOR GOD This will cause (passively) your heart to become darkened WORSHIP CREATION (people or nature) rather than the Creator. Consider every IMPULSE OF THE FLESH to

Romans 1:1-6; 16-17 The Big Idea: The adventure of a lifetime begins with knowing “why.” The Apostle Paul’s “Why”: ● I know WHO I am. ● I know WHOSE I am. ● I know MY CALLING. ● I know what REALLY MATTERS. The life of adventure is BY FAITH from start to finish. Galatians 2:20 Response: ● Find my WHY in Christ alone. ● Embrace MY CALLING. ● GIVE MY LIFE TO the person and work of Jesus.

Matthew 18:1-5The Big Idea: Becoming great is the hardest simple thing you will ever do.Overview:● God’s idea of greatness● The doorway to greatness● How to live a great lifeRomans 8:14-17Abba (Aramaic)- Typically the first word spoken by a child. (Like “dada.”)Adoption to sonship - Full legal standing of an adopted male in Roman culture.The Doorway to Greatness - Matthew 18:3This childlike faith is not an ideal, it is a requirement.How to Live a Great Life:Matthew 18:4-5Response:● Change to a childlike faith in the Father.● Take the lowly position every single time.● Welcome all of daddy’s children.