Living Stones Church - South Bend

Sermon Point #1 – “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy.” - Gary Thomas 1 John 5:21 - Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Leviticus 19:4 - “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. Isaiah 44:9 - All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. Genesis 2:18 - The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:19-22 - Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping

Sermon Point #1 – Marriage should be about “we” not “me” Genesis 2:24 – That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh Matthew 19:5-6 – and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Sermon Point #2 – Marriage is a covenant, not a contract Sermon Point #3 – A contract is based on mutual distrust Sermon Point #4 – A covenant is based on mutual commitment Ephesians 5:21 – Submit to one another out of a reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:22-24 – Wives, submit to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ lov

Proverbs 27:15 - A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; 2 Pat 4:2 – It is better to have severe hemorrhoids than to live with a man who is a jerk. Sermon Point #1 – Marriage is God’s idea Sermon Point #2 – Marriage does not complete you – only God completes you Sermon Point #3 – Love is a choice 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Colossians 3:14 - And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 2 Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Sermon Point #4 – Have F

Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV - In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Sermon Point #1 - CONNECT WITH GOD RELATIONALLY “Our Father in heaven” Sermon Point #2 – WORSHIP HIS NAME “Hallowed be Your name” Sermon Point #3 – PRAY HIS AGENDA FIRST “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” Sermon Point #4 – DEPEND ON HIM FOR EVERYTHING “Give us this day our daily bread” Sermon Point #5 – FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” Sermon Point #6 – ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Ephesians 6:18 - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Sermon Point #1 – Prayer should be our first response not our last resort John 15:4-5 - Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Sermon Point #2 – The Priority of Prayer Daniel 6:10 - Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towardJerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Sermon Point #3 – The Place of Prayer Mark 1:35 - Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,

Psalm 23:1-6 – NKJV - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Sermon Point #1 – God is our shepherd Psalm 23:1 – NKJV – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Sermon Point #2 – God is our provider Psalm 23:1 – NKJV – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Sermon Point #3 – God is our p

Sermon Point #1 – Listening is an act of love James 1:19 – My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Sermon Point #2 – Skills for Heart Listening - Patience Proverbs 14:29 – Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. Ephesians 4:2 – Be completely humble and gentle; be patiend, bearing with one antoher in love. Sermon Point #3 – Skills for Heart Listening - Patience - Silence Proverbs 17:28 – Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent and discerning if they hold their tongues. Ecclesiastes 9:17 – The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Sermon Point #4 – Skills for Heart Listening - Patience - Silence - Presence Job 2:11-13 - When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out

Sermon Point #1 – We seek the Lord’s presence Psalm 105:4 – ESV - Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Sermon Point #2 – We seek the Lord’s Wisdom James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Sermon Point #3 – We seek the Lord’s guidance Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Sermon Point #4 – How do we seek God? 1) Through Scripture Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Sermon Point #5 – How do we seek God? 1) Through Scripture 2) Through Prayer Sermon Point #6 – How do we seek God? 1) Through Scripture 2) Through Prayer 3) Through Fellowship With Other Colossians 3:16 - Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratit

Sermon Point #1 – We have a responsibility to pass our faith on to the next generation Judges 2:10 – After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done in Israel. Sermon Point #2 – God has walked with us through everything so far Isaiah 43:1-2 - But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Sermon Point #3 – God is not done with us yet Isaiah 43:16-21 - This is what the Lord says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snu

Sermon Point #1 – The story of God is one of transformation Luke 18:35-43 - As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you. ”Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Philippians 2:3-4 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Job 42:2 - “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Sermon Point #1 – God’s Kingdom expands during difficult times. Acts 8:1-4 - On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Sermon Point #2 – When the church pursues and/or achieves power, the power of the Gospel is diminished. 1 Timothy 6:3-10 - If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt

Joshua 4:1-9 - When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” So the Israelites did as Joshua co

Isaiah 2:2–4 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Joel 2:28–32 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. Th

John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Sermon Point #1 – Why would God love someone like me? Job 42:5-6 – My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in the dust and ashes.” 1 Corinthians 15:9 – For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Exodus 3:11 – But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go do Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Sermon Point #2 – God is love 1 John 4:8-10 – Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but the he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for ou

Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son in given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Sermon Point #1 – Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of Christ John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in my you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” Shalom – Hebrew word that means wholeness, completeness, soundless, health, safety and prosperity Luke 17:20-21 – MSG – Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.” Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Sermon Point #2 – Jesus came to give us peace with God, peace

Joy – “The settle assurance that God is in control of every detail of my life, the quite confidence that ultimately everything will be all right, and the determined choice to praise God I all things.” - Kay Warren SERMON POINT #1 - Destroyer of Joy – Anxiety SERMON POINT #2 – When Mary was afraid, she chose to trust God and accept his plan. Luke 1:26-30 - In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabrielto Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. Luke 1:31-33 - You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lor

Sermon Point #1 - We All Worship Something Romans 1:21-23 - For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Sermon Point #2 - Exchange : Substitution Deuteronomy 6:14-15 - Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Sermon Point #3 - Exchange : Pride John 12:42-43 - Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Sermon Point #4 - Exchange : Spectatorism James

Acts 20:35 – In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Sermon Point #1 – GIVING AND BEING GENEROUS ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS Sermon Point #2 – Scarcity: Consume – Lack – Fear Sermon Point #3 – Abundance: Give – Multiplies – Faith Sermon Point #4 – WE ARE GENEROUS BECAUSE GOD HAS BEEN SO GENEROUS TO US Sermon Point #5 – Abundant Givers: Give Spontaneously Luke 10:35 – The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ Sermon Point #6 – Abundant Givers: Give Strategically Isaiah 32:8 – NLT – But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. Sermon Point #7 – Abundant Givers: Give Sacrificially

Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Βαπτίζω – transliterated to baptize. Literally means to wash, plunge, soak or dip. Mark 7:4 – When they came from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. Luke 11:38 – But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not wash before the meal. Five Requirements - Circumcision - A Covenant Meal - Acknowledgment of the Law - A Sacrifice - A Ceremonial Washing Matthew 3:1-2, 5-6 – In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Sermon Point #1 – Baptism is a public declaration of a new associ

Matthew 7:24 – “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” SERMON POINT #1 – The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years, in over a dozen countries on three continents by people from all walks of life. SERMON POINT #2 – There were about 40 writers but only one author. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Overview of the Old Testament - Law – 5 books – Genesis through Deuteronomy - Historical – 12 books – Joshua through Esther - Poetical – 5 books – Job through Song of Solomon - Prophetic – 17 books o 5 Major Prophets – Isaiah through Daniel o 12 Minor Prophets – Hosea through Malachi Overview of the New Testament - Gospels – 4 books – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - Acts – historical record of t