Note: This is from a sermon delivered by Drew Nitchoff to the Sacramento Church on June 14, 2009:
I. The Call to Follow Jesus
-Mark 1:16-20-Jesus call us to follow Him (relationship is we are His students [disciples]).
-Hebrews 12:12-We must fix our eyes on Him.
-Luke 9:18-27-Do we really deny ourselves and carry the cross as He expects us to do?
-Matthew 16:21-28-Revival cannot happen unless we're willing to follow Jesus. (Question: Do you follow Jesus?)
II. The Call to Radical Change
-Matthew 6:24-34-Which Master do you love? Hate?
-What do you run after (vv.32)? Happiness? Comfort? Status? Material gain?
-Do you continue to seek the Kingdom (vv. 33-34)?
-James 4:1-4- Worldliness makes us enemies of God!
-James 1:22-2:11-Do you (as believers) have genuine faith in Christ?
-Matthew 18:1-4; It takes humility, faith and action for radical change.
-Isaiah 58:8- We all need revival in our lives.
Comment: This is tough to swallow, but it is Sculptural . In order for me to change, I must make radical decisions based on the Word.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Training is the key
"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine." -Titus 2:1 NIV
The Pastoral Letters in the New Testament gives us practiclas on how to be an effective leader in the Lord's church. Titus, a protege of the Apostle Paul and a partner in the gospel, was instructed how tro train and raise up new leaders. The foundation of such training is teaching the correct doctrine, which is to say to not distort the Truth about Christ.
In verses 2 through 11, Paul instructs Titus to teach believers about specific areas in their character. Verses 3 through 5 are especially eye-opening, because Titus is instructed to not only work with the womwn of the church, but in teurn train them to teach other women about specific needs of the home (specifically, how these women can be better wives and mothers). In the past it is interpreted to men that the men in the church lead the women lead the women. However, if you look closely, this passage has nothing to do with leadership, but training and meeting specific needs. While each individual Christian has different area of their character to deal with, the Point to Paul's instruction to titus is to train other believers and facilitate spirtual growth.
Training is the key to growth. It all starts with proper teaching of the Word and our knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Pastoral Letters in the New Testament gives us practiclas on how to be an effective leader in the Lord's church. Titus, a protege of the Apostle Paul and a partner in the gospel, was instructed how tro train and raise up new leaders. The foundation of such training is teaching the correct doctrine, which is to say to not distort the Truth about Christ.
In verses 2 through 11, Paul instructs Titus to teach believers about specific areas in their character. Verses 3 through 5 are especially eye-opening, because Titus is instructed to not only work with the womwn of the church, but in teurn train them to teach other women about specific needs of the home (specifically, how these women can be better wives and mothers). In the past it is interpreted to men that the men in the church lead the women lead the women. However, if you look closely, this passage has nothing to do with leadership, but training and meeting specific needs. While each individual Christian has different area of their character to deal with, the Point to Paul's instruction to titus is to train other believers and facilitate spirtual growth.
Training is the key to growth. It all starts with proper teaching of the Word and our knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Glory Days
Note: this is an outline of a sermon delivered by Don Split of the San Diego church of Christ to the Sacramento Church on May 3, 2009:
Nehemiah 4: 1-5
-Is the church where you want it to be?
-Are your glory days ahead of you or behind you?
-Are you weeping or rejoicing?
There is NO deadness in God; it is time to build a new wall! It is time to thrive and not merely exist!
John 12:23-34
-Do you want to be one seed or many?
-Are you "sold out" for God?
II Peter 1:5-11
-Progress, NOT perfection! (it is all about spiritual growth).
-Examples: digging deeper in the Word, intimate prayer, sharing the gospel with new people, etc.
-Time to move on from the hurts of the past and make progress!
II Corinthians 4:16
-Focus on the unseen.
-Believe God has a lot in store for you and His church.
Personal thoughts: In the wake of the continual recovery from the hurts of the past, we as believers need to move forward. It is not only for the sake of our own salvation, but to touch people's lives through Jesus Christ. It all starts from reading the Scriptures daily, prayer, and devotion to one another (Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25). Growth starts NOW!
Nehemiah 4: 1-5
-Is the church where you want it to be?
-Are your glory days ahead of you or behind you?
-Are you weeping or rejoicing?
There is NO deadness in God; it is time to build a new wall! It is time to thrive and not merely exist!
John 12:23-34
-Do you want to be one seed or many?
-Are you "sold out" for God?
II Peter 1:5-11
-Progress, NOT perfection! (it is all about spiritual growth).
-Examples: digging deeper in the Word, intimate prayer, sharing the gospel with new people, etc.
-Time to move on from the hurts of the past and make progress!
II Corinthians 4:16
-Focus on the unseen.
-Believe God has a lot in store for you and His church.
Personal thoughts: In the wake of the continual recovery from the hurts of the past, we as believers need to move forward. It is not only for the sake of our own salvation, but to touch people's lives through Jesus Christ. It all starts from reading the Scriptures daily, prayer, and devotion to one another (Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25). Growth starts NOW!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Hearing what you need to hear (not what you want to hear).
This is an outline of a lesson I gave on March 27, 2009 to the Sacramento church's Campus Ministry:
1. 2 Timothy 4:1-5
-Many will rather hear a lie to make themselves feel good than the truth to make them feel uneasy (and eventually change for the better).
2. Jeremiah 27-28
-God warns His people about trouble ahead (and assures them that He will deliver them).
-There are dire consequences for lying to people in His Name. A distorted report on His truth will actually cause more harm in the long run.
3. John 8:31-32
-The truth will set us free for those who believe it. It may be hard at first, but it will draw us closer to God (and even save our soul).
Simply put it: listen to the truth!
1. 2 Timothy 4:1-5
-Many will rather hear a lie to make themselves feel good than the truth to make them feel uneasy (and eventually change for the better).
2. Jeremiah 27-28
-God warns His people about trouble ahead (and assures them that He will deliver them).
-There are dire consequences for lying to people in His Name. A distorted report on His truth will actually cause more harm in the long run.
3. John 8:31-32
-The truth will set us free for those who believe it. It may be hard at first, but it will draw us closer to God (and even save our soul).
Simply put it: listen to the truth!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Excuse Making
This is an outline from a sermon I preached to the Campus Ministry of the Sacramento Church on March 20, 2009:
I. Jeremiah 20:7-18, Ezekiel 33: 1ff
-Do not allow the lack of (positive) response from others be an excuse to challenge poeple to
obey God. Ultimately, if you fail to point out sin, it will be your responsibility as well as the
offenders.
II. Judges 6:1ff (Gideon)
-Do not allow status to be an excuse for not allowing God to work powerfully through you.
-Just as Gideon was called by God to deliver the Isrealites from Midian despite his low staus,
all of us are called to serve Him regardless of ou status (whether high or low).
III. John 5:1-8
-Do not make the excuse of circumstance to disobey God.
-The man at Bethesda was told by Jesus to simply get up!
-Jesus told all of us to get up and follow Him, but why allow ailments and tough
circumstances to prevent us from answering His call?
IV. Anectdotes
- My personal backgound and negative attitude (especially after being burned in a fire)
- Learned how to turn negativity to service to the Lord's Church (i.e. this blog).
Challenge: There is no excuse for all of us as believers to ignore the will of God.
I. Jeremiah 20:7-18, Ezekiel 33: 1ff
-Do not allow the lack of (positive) response from others be an excuse to challenge poeple to
obey God. Ultimately, if you fail to point out sin, it will be your responsibility as well as the
offenders.
II. Judges 6:1ff (Gideon)
-Do not allow status to be an excuse for not allowing God to work powerfully through you.
-Just as Gideon was called by God to deliver the Isrealites from Midian despite his low staus,
all of us are called to serve Him regardless of ou status (whether high or low).
III. John 5:1-8
-Do not make the excuse of circumstance to disobey God.
-The man at Bethesda was told by Jesus to simply get up!
-Jesus told all of us to get up and follow Him, but why allow ailments and tough
circumstances to prevent us from answering His call?
IV. Anectdotes
- My personal backgound and negative attitude (especially after being burned in a fire)
- Learned how to turn negativity to service to the Lord's Church (i.e. this blog).
Challenge: There is no excuse for all of us as believers to ignore the will of God.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Righteousness by Service
"This is what the LORD says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.' " -Isaiah 56:1-2 NIV
What does it mean to do what is right? Is it simply an act of obedience? The above passage tells us that righteousness comes from doing what is right in God's eyes.
This past weekend, some gentlemen from the Greater Philadelphia church of Christ visited us. They were itinerant preachers of sort, simply going around the country strengthening churches and doing community service projects. Over dinner at the Sacramento Church, they shared about how they encountered a group of men recovering from substance abuse answered the call to service. Those men's task were to serve a women's shelter and to help the poor. That group and the trio from Philadelphia all understood that the call to service is an act of righteousness. They also realized that only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ that they are able to perform such vital service.
Earlier, before the Philadelphia Trio arrived, a group of people from the Sacramento Church performed similar projects in downtown Sacramento by serving the homeless and cleaning up our building. After meeting them, both groups were inspired to do more top serve our communities and to continuously spread the gospel.
(For more info about this group, log onto http://www.immanuelbymile.com to see their blog of this journey).
Acts of service is an act of righteousness. Serve someone today so you can continue to share the love of Christ and draw people to Him.
What does it mean to do what is right? Is it simply an act of obedience? The above passage tells us that righteousness comes from doing what is right in God's eyes.
This past weekend, some gentlemen from the Greater Philadelphia church of Christ visited us. They were itinerant preachers of sort, simply going around the country strengthening churches and doing community service projects. Over dinner at the Sacramento Church, they shared about how they encountered a group of men recovering from substance abuse answered the call to service. Those men's task were to serve a women's shelter and to help the poor. That group and the trio from Philadelphia all understood that the call to service is an act of righteousness. They also realized that only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ that they are able to perform such vital service.
Earlier, before the Philadelphia Trio arrived, a group of people from the Sacramento Church performed similar projects in downtown Sacramento by serving the homeless and cleaning up our building. After meeting them, both groups were inspired to do more top serve our communities and to continuously spread the gospel.
(For more info about this group, log onto http://www.immanuelbymile.com to see their blog of this journey).
Acts of service is an act of righteousness. Serve someone today so you can continue to share the love of Christ and draw people to Him.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Faith of a mustard seed in spite of what people see
"[Jesus] replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'"- Matthew 17:20 NIV
Do you lack faith? I certainly fall under this trap, especially when it comes to doing my part to advance the gospel. However, in the last few weeks, I discovered that my lack of faith is due to the lack of trust in my Savior, Jesus Christ.
At a recent devotional, I shared my difficulty moving around in the fellowship. After a decade of being in a saving relationship with Christ, I still find it difficult to take initiative with others in my congregation. Even while serving as an usher, I blew a golden opportunity to share with a seeker who came to my church for the first time. I was so afraid o pouring my heart out and answering awkward theological questions that i was stand offish. ( I pray thbat this lady can come back and visit the church again).
The real issue is that I have difficult time believing thta God can and will use me to bring others to Him. In case you do not know, I suffered severe burns all over my body twenty years ago, and I was teased and often asked annoying questions about my injuries. It has gotten to a p[ont that it would be best for me to shy away. However, if God can send His Son to the cross to die for me, and raise Him from the dead, why should I lack the faith that I can turn a personal tragedy into an evangelistic opportunity? Should I care if the seeker take me seriously as His messenger?
The point to this anecdote is that If a small amount of faith can move mountains, people who believe in Christ in spite of personal tragedies and deformities (such as myself) should have faith that someone will accept the saving grace of Christ fthrough his or her testomony.
Do you lack faith? I certainly fall under this trap, especially when it comes to doing my part to advance the gospel. However, in the last few weeks, I discovered that my lack of faith is due to the lack of trust in my Savior, Jesus Christ.
At a recent devotional, I shared my difficulty moving around in the fellowship. After a decade of being in a saving relationship with Christ, I still find it difficult to take initiative with others in my congregation. Even while serving as an usher, I blew a golden opportunity to share with a seeker who came to my church for the first time. I was so afraid o pouring my heart out and answering awkward theological questions that i was stand offish. ( I pray thbat this lady can come back and visit the church again).
The real issue is that I have difficult time believing thta God can and will use me to bring others to Him. In case you do not know, I suffered severe burns all over my body twenty years ago, and I was teased and often asked annoying questions about my injuries. It has gotten to a p[ont that it would be best for me to shy away. However, if God can send His Son to the cross to die for me, and raise Him from the dead, why should I lack the faith that I can turn a personal tragedy into an evangelistic opportunity? Should I care if the seeker take me seriously as His messenger?
The point to this anecdote is that If a small amount of faith can move mountains, people who believe in Christ in spite of personal tragedies and deformities (such as myself) should have faith that someone will accept the saving grace of Christ fthrough his or her testomony.
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