A Deliberate Blessing
Foothills Church is called to deliberately bless the Ahwatukee community, especially in the face of opposition.
Scripture: Romans 12:14-21 & Luke 6:20-36
Foothills Church is called to deliberately bless the Ahwatukee community, especially in the face of opposition.
Scripture: Romans 12:14-21 & Luke 6:20-36
We at Foothills Baptist Church are to have a humble service that is characterized by love. We can do this by being a deliberate community that puts Jesus first for the sake of others.
Scripture: Romans 12:3-13
Christians deliberately seek to have their minds renewed as they offer up their redeemed bodies as living, holy, acceptable sacrifices for the worship and service of God and for the good of others, which results in a supernatural transformation of their affections and actions.
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
Jesus calls His people to love one another with a supernatural love, so much so as to joyfully participate in one another’s pursuit of holiness.
Scripture: John 1:1-17
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Christians ought to love one another because God is love. God’s love is eternal; He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Scripture: 1 John 4:7-11
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The early followers of Jesus devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teachings, the fellowship and breaking of bread, and to the prayers. Acts 2:42. They devoted themselves to hearing from God through the scriptures, speaking with God in prayer, and belonging to the church. These habits of grace positioned their hearts to keep receiving what God was continuously giving – grace to be more and more like Jesus.
It makes no sense to try and live life as a Christian on your own because God’s grace has made us part of a family for a reason – without community there is no maturity. The Church is a means of grace for you and me. Apart from being devoted to the Church, you will not have the grace to grow up. Instead you’ll suffer from chronic inconsistency, along with everyone who knows you, and you’ll drift from one “truth” to another, subject to the deceitful scheming of the evil one. The Church is a grace in our lives when we have others who will “truth” us in word and deed, and for whom we can “truth” as well.
Scripture: Acts 2:42; Ephesians 4:1-16
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In this letter to his good friend Timothy, the Apostle Paul wants to instruct him, as well as the believers in the city of Ephesus how they are to live their lives in an honorable way as the church of the living God.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-2; Acts 20:17-38
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Jesus says the people who are eager to judge/condemn others should take a long look in the mirror and evaluate themselves before they consider going to someone else. No one gives mercy better than the individual who is convinced that they need grace/mercy.
Jesus isn’t saying put your head in the sand regarding people’s action but you/I need to become convinced of our own sin and our need for mercy/grace… when we do that we’ll be a great candidate to speak into someone else’s life.
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-12
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Seth Godin says that “all the promises & explanations in the world pale in comparison with what you do…words keep getting cheaper, which makes action more valuable than ever.” The actions I’m referring to this morning come from our values. Our values are intended to permeate everything we do as a church. Our values here at Foothills are:
Listen to the following sermon as Pastor Nate explains what this means.
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What brings people to a church? For almost every person it’s a place, program, personality or a pastor. What keeps a person at a church? Relationships—every time.
Paul’s words highlight:
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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