Journey from Victim to Victor

Finding Your Spiritual Journey

“Journey from Victim to Victor”

by Pastor Jerry

March 22, 2020

(Selections from) Daniel 2, 3 & 6

———————–Sermon Synopsis————————-

It was May 1940. The allied French and British forces had been badly defeated by Germany in the Battle of France. Around 350,000 men, including the entire British army, were backed up against the sea at the port of Dunkirk, on the coast of France. And the Germans were certain to bomb the troops from the sky. The British commander at Dunkirk issued a message to the people of England: “But if not.” It was a reference to the three Hebrews in the book of Daniel, who refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image, saying, “The God we serve is able to save us … but if not, we will not bow.” It was a message of courage and defiance against impossible odds. However, the weather changed, grounding the German planes, and the soldiers fled to safety. To this day, it is called the “Miracle at Dunkirk.”

It is a story that still defines and inspires the British nation, as many of the stories of the Bible define and inspire us. They explain where we’ve come from. They shed light on who we are.

They guide our steps as we move forward in life. The story we will learn from today is the story of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar.

God had a plan for them. His plan was to work their salvation, in such a way that turned them from victims to victors; the same plan God has for you and me.

I can be victorious because “there is a God in heaven” (Daniel 2)

Daniel became an advisor to the king who would make victims of him and his people. One day, the king had a dream that no one in his court could explain. So he issued an order to kill them all! But Daniel and his friends asked God for help, and God answered their prayers in a vision he gave to Daniel. So Daniel told the king’s assassin, that he could interpret the dream.

There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. And because of that truth, you do not need to be a victim. You may see no way but God will show you a way!

I can be victorious because my God “is able to deliver” (Daniel 3).

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were brought before the king and told because you do not serve my gods or worship my image of gold I have set up you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. They said the God we serve is able to deliver us, but even if he does not, we will not serve your gods.

You and I are sometimes in the same position as they were. We, too, have to decide between compromise and conviction. And we, too, can be victorious because, as they told the king, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” I suggest to you that it was not when they walked out of the fiery furnace that they became victorious, but the moment was when they put their trust in God and their obedience to him that brought victory.

I can be victorious because “my God sent His angel” (Daniel 6).

The court officials resented Daniel and they plotted against him, and convinced king Darius, to proclaim a thirty-day period in which no one could pray to anyone but the king. Daniel did not. As punishment, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions … overnight. Daniel proclaimed that God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They did not hurt him. No wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” (NIV).

In our case, God did not send an angel, but someone even greater than an angel; he sent His Son. The most familiar verse in the Bible puts it this way: 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 (John 3:16, NIV). I can be victorious over death and the devil because “my God sent Christ.” And you can be victorious, too. We are “more than conquerors” because of Jesus, because our journey is from victim to victory!

Journey From Slavery to Freedom

Finding Your Spiritual Journey

“Journey from Slavery to Freedom”

Pastor Jerry

March 15, 2020

Joshua 2:1-21, 6:20-25

——————-Sermon Synopsis—————–

Nearly every family has a set of beloved stories they tell over and over. It may be how Grandpa came to this country with five dollars in his pocket. Or of an ancestor who fought in a famous battle. It may be the story of a romance, or a child’s rescue, or a moment of accomplishment. We all have stories.

I have a story. I live in a place called Naff’s Community (born and raised here). It’s in Franklin Co. VA. It’s the same place that my ancestor Jacob Naff, Sr. settled in 1782 when Franklin Co. was considered frontier wilderness – (just 6 years after this country declared its independence from England). My great, great, great, great grandfather Jacob Naff, Sr. came to this country from Switzerland near Germany in 1749 by selling himself into servitude for 7 years to pay his passage on the ship. He worked in Franklin Co, PA near Lancaster to pay off his debt. After becoming a pioneer in Franklin Co., he became a preacher in the Dunker church (church of the brethren); and many of his descendants have become ministers. The land that my grandfather settled on and built his house has never been owned by anyone other than descendants of the family.

In some ways, the stories we remember—and tell—shape us. They explain where we’ve come from. They shed light on who we are. They guide our steps as we move forward in life.

That is one of the reasons the Bible is so important, because it is the story of all of us. The story we focus on today is the story of Rahab from the book of Joshua. But in many ways, it is also my story—and yours.

God’s people had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, led through the Red Sea. In the story of Rehab something like that is happening again, for Rahab and her family. And Rahab’s story is yours and mine, too, at least in several ways:

My story starts out sad (Joshua 2:1–3).

The two spies sent to Jericho to spy out the land entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab. She was a prostitute. How would you like to be known by your moral status? We kinda are known that way. Not publicly …but before the Lord. All of us are a sinner of one kind or another. The Bible says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, NIV). Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34, NIV). Your sin may seem more “respectable” than mine, but it’s still sin, and it’s still slavery … according to Jesus. That’s a sad story. But it’s not the whole story.

My story involves a choice (Joshua 2:4–14).

Rahab said to the spies, “I know that the Lord has given you this land… for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” “Now then …show kindness to my family … save us from death.” The spies said OK …“Our lives for your lives!”

Now realize Rahab faced a decision. She could have turned the spies in. She didn’t have to help them. The safe choice probably would have been to stay out of the line of fire. But given a choice between the side the Lord was on and the other side, she chose the Lord’s side. Like Rahab, each of us faces a decision, too. Sin or salvation? Slavery or freedom?

My story is marked by a scarlet cord (Joshua 2:15–21, 6:20–25).

The spies said the oath we made will not be binding on us unless you tie a scarlet cord in the window of your house. A scarlet cord, red, like blood, must be hanging outside the window. When the city fell, when the wall of Jericho collapsed and the army of Joshua charged in they spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family. (Joshua 6:20, 25, NIV).

Rahab the prostitute …the sinner was saved…by a scarlet cord, hung outside the wall. She not only found a place of acceptance among the people of God, but she became the great-grandmother of King David … from whose royal line Jesus the Messiah came. That’s quite a journey, from “Rahab the prostitute” to “Rahab the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

That is my story. And yours, too, if you’ll let it be. The Bible says: When the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage (Galatians 4:4–5, The Message). The choice, however, is yours. Freedom is in front of you.

The Bible says you have passed from slavery to freedom and have been set free.

Journey from Death Unto Life

Finding Your Spiritual Journey

“Journey from Death to Life”

Pastor Jerry

March 8, 2020

Genesis 22:1-13, 19

——————-Sermon Synopsis—————–

If you want to fascinate a child with a great story, one of the best ways to do that is to make the child a main character in a story.

Everyone has a story. I have a story. You have a story. Some read like tragedies, some like comedies. Some are mysteries, and others are romances. But everyone has a story. All of our stories, different as they are, are part of a bigger story: It is the story told in the pages of your Bible, from Genesis to the book of Revelation. During the remainder of Lent we are going to explore some of the stories from the Bible––stories that tell us something about ourselves, our lives, and God’s hopes and plans for us.

And the story today is an amazing incident sometimes called “The Binding of Isaac.” It is a story of great faith, the story of a father who was so obedient to God that he was willing to make the greatest sacrifice imaginable. It is not just Isaac’s story; it is the story of all of us in at least three very important ways.

My life is an uncertain journey (Genesis 22:1–8).

Put yourself in Isaac’s shoes. There was much Isaac didn’t understand. There was much that hadn’t been revealed to him. There was much that was a mystery. That is true of your life and mine. We are all on a journey–– an uncertain journey. We don’t know what lies ahead. (I don’t know about tomorrow; But I know who holds tomorrow … And I know who holds my hand.) Your life, like mine, is an uncertain journey. That’s one way in which Isaac’s story is my story, and yours, too.

My death appears certain (Genesis 22:9–10).

Did Abraham explain what had to happen to Isaac? Did Isaac resist? We don’t know for sure. But it seems likely that, at some point, Isaac understood what was happening. At some point, he realized that his death was certain. Talk about your life flashing before your eyes! Some of us have had such a moment. Maybe it was a cancer scare. Maybe it was a car accident or an operation. But Isaac’s story is your story, and mine, regardless.

Ever since the first human beings ignored God’s warning and did things their own way, we have all gone astray. We have all rejected God’s way and chosen our own way … repeatedly. And the awful consequence of the sin that touches us all is the death that awaits us all. Death is coming for us all, one way or another, sooner or later. Depressing, right? But stay with me, it gets better. Before we can truly appreciate the good news, though, we need to understand the bad news. Death is coming for us all. But, that is not the end of the story.

My salvation has been provided (Genesis 22:11–14).

The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham saying “Do not harm the boy …for now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” And Isaac was saved. But your story doesn’t end there, any more than Isaac’s story ended on Mt. Moriah. Because just as he did for Isaac, God provided salvation for you … a substitute.

Do you imagine that Isaac dropped to his knees in tearful gratitude for the salvation God provided? Do you think that’s the kind of response that would be appropriate for you, today? The Bible says you have passed from death into life, and will live forever in the love of God in Christ.

Impossible to Please God without Faith

Impossible to Please God without Faith

Pastor Jerry

February 23, 2020

Hebrews 11:1-6, 8-10, 17-19

—————————Sermon Synopsis—————————

Let me ask you a personal question: “How is your relationship with God?” Are you living a life of faith? A life filled with God?

Do you know how you get God’s approval in your life? Do you gain God’s approval by being religious? No! Do you gain God’s approval by going to church? No! Do you gain God’s approval by reading the Bible? No! There is only one way that we can please God. In Hebrew 11:6 we learn that it’s faith, “… without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

There are only two ways to live. One way, by far the most common, is to live by sight….to base everything on what you can see, what you can make happen. The other way, far less commonly taken, is to live by faith, to base your life primarily and ultimately on what you cannot see, what God is preparing. The way of faith is the Christian way, the Bible way, which is the way that the people of God have always lived. Today I want us to see three specific ingredients necessary for a life of faith, drawn from the life of Abraham as recorded in the 11th chapter of Hebrews.

(1) Faith Involves a Willingness to Obey

The life of faith begins with the willingness to heed the call of God to leave sin behind and come follow God. In v8 we are told, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” The life of faith begins with a willingness to hear God calling you to a different kind of life. God calls for faith is a call for action. True faith always leads to decisive action.

(2) Faith Involves a Willingness to Wait

The life of faith did not end for Abraham when he obeyed God’s call and left his hometown behind, nor when he finally set foot on the territory to which God directed his steps. V9 continues the story, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

(3) Faith Involves a Willingness to Sacrifice

The final demonstration of faith, its ultimate proof, is the willingness to sacrifice. V17 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (18) of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” (19) concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Conclusion

One crucial question demands an answer. “ If faith is so great why do so few people live it?” An important reason is that most people would rather do anything than take a risk. “Taking risks, means being vulnerable. And that may affect our finances, our friends, our future, our feelings, our occupation, where we live, and a host of other considerations. Our tendency is to want to be safe and secure, to see the future, to insure ourselves against loss. Basically, we fail at faith because we fear to risk.”

Hebrew 11:6 “… without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

True Faith Involves a Willingness to (1) Obey …(2) to Wait …(3) to Sacrifice

Crumbs from the Table

This message was a Dramatic Monologue about a story of a gentile woman from the Bible and the way Jesus responded to her request to heal her daughter. (The message was given in costume from the period of the time of Jesus’ day).

The scripture story is taken from Matthew 15:21-28.

——————-Drama Synopsis———————

“Crumbs from the Table”

Matthew 15:21-28

Pastor Jerry

How often does it happen when you sit down to eat and you get interrupted? When I sit down to a meal, I want to eat in peace and quiet. I don’t want someone knocking on my door; especially not, if it is a stranger. Do you know what I mean?

Can I tell you what happened?

It’s all about that woman. She didn’t belong here. I knew it and the rest of us knew it. We were just sitting down to dinner when she knocked on the door. But she didn’t wait for someone to answer the door, she just barged right in. The dogs woke up immediately and from their place under the table they began barking.

One of the children started crying as the woman frantically ran around the room. I was startled and I stood up immediately. I could feel myself beginning to get angry as I looked at this ragged and strange dirty woman who was intruding on our mealtime.

James and John, who had been sitting near the door, jumped up at the same time and were already reaching out to stop the woman from coming closer to the table when she spotted JESUS sitting there.

Simon Peter moved in front of her and she cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is sick. She is suffering terribly from demon possession…”

Jesus must have heard her over the noise of the dogs barking and the child crying, but he never said a word. He didn’t even look up from his plate.

By this time it was not only James, John, me and Simon Peter, but the other disciples who had surrounded the woman and began to hustle her out the door. She was interrupting not only our meal, but the time that Jesus was specially setting aside for teaching us about the Kingdom he was going to establish. We had no intention of letting her get in the way of that.

The woman struggled a bit, but she didn’t have a chance. She was outnumbered.

She kept on saying to us that she had to see the miracle worker, that her daughter was in terrible shape, that she needed help. She must have clutched at and grabbed on to each and every one of us disciples as she pleaded. I tell you, she was a real pain. But I didn’t have time for this. I just wanted to get back inside for dinner. Simon Peter tried to reason with her.

“Look”, he said, “You have no right to be here. You’ve got no right to bother the teacher. Please go away.”

“I’ve got to see Jesus”, she said, “I know he can help me. He has done so much for others.” “That may be”, James said, “but he’s not going to do anything for you. You are not only a wretched woman, you are a Canaanite,…

You are not invited to the Lord’s table… Listen! Please! Go away! You are not going to get help here.” Don’t you understand …you are not welcome here!

Do you know what she did? That wretched woman just shook her head and said: “I know he will help me, he’s got to help me!” John butted in, “Look”, he said, “Go away.

I tell you she was a crazy woman. She didn’t know her place, that’s for sure. The more we said to her, the louder and more persistent she was. She cried, she begged, she screamed. There was no reasoning with her.

After a few minutes of this I got the idea of asking Jesus to tell her to go away.

As soon as I opened the door to go in the dogs began barking again. I went over to Jesus.

Our host looked a little embarrassed. He was trying to pretend that nothing was going on – but the woman was standing just outside the open door waiting for some word on what to do. “Excuse me”, I said to Jesus, “could you please tell that woman to go away. She is really pestering us with all her crying and carrying on.”

Jesus looked at his host, then at me, and looking at the woman HE said — “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

I turned to tell this wretched woman that the master wanted her to go away. But, just as I was turning around, she ran by the disciples at the door and ran right over beside Jesus, and fell down on her knees at his feet.

“Lord, help me”, she cried.

Jesus looked at her at his feet. She bowed her head and looked down. Then he looked around the room for a moment. It became very quiet.

The child beside him was busy eating a piece of bread as if nothing unusual had happened. The dogs were nuzzling around under the table. Our host was staring at him, no doubt wondering what Jesus was going to do to get rid of this problem.

The silence in the room became un-nerving as the master looked around.

Then Jesus looked down at the woman and said to her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and to toss it to their dogs” — A couple of the disciples smiled. I must confess that I grinned too. It was such a well placed phrase. The kind that only Jesus seemed to be able to come up with. It made the point well.

As I did so the woman looked up at Jesus and stared him in the eyes. “Yes Lord”, she said to him in this incredibly calm and clear voice, and I swear to you she had this little smile on her face, “Yes Lord”, she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

I was stunned. The woman really was too much. Anyway – do you know what Jesus did? He smiled at her…with a look of such compassion … and he said to her, “Woman, you have great faith, for your belief in what I can do, because of your faith in me, your request is granted. Go home, you daughter is healed.”

I just could not understand it. I mean why in the world did Jesus do that? Why did Jesus help this kind of woman? Why did Jesus heal her daughter? She did not belong here. She was not one of us. She was nothing but a sinner. Jesus knew it, I knew it, and the rest of us knew it.

I just don’t understand Jesus sometimes. Why her? Why did Jesus love her? Why did Jesus forgive her? What kind of faith did she have?

I want to understand …. I want to believe like her about Jesus …I want to have her kind of faith…

Romance?

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matter’s Most!”- Part 4

Sermon: “Romance?”

Scripture Lesson: Mark 10:6-8

——————-Sermon Note Page——————-

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Romance?”

Pastor Jerry

February 9, 2020

We continue the series “What Matters Most” and today we’ll talk about “Romance.”

To give love …and to be loved …are the most precious ____________ life has to offer.

“ ⁷…a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.” Mark 10

How do you get oneness?

_______________________ is how you act toward each other.

You know how we are to act toward each other by ______________________________. The Bible is God’s love letter to us!

The Bible says, _____________________ is kindness, gentleness, patience, caring, compliments, and devotion.

A person needs to know they are __________________.

It is hard for some people to show _____________to their mates.

You would not have fallen in love if you hadn’t _____________ alone together.

You will not stay in love if you do not ________ ______________alone together.

Whatever you did to win a person to fall in love with you …you will have to do ___________________as much to keep them.

Romance says you’re _________________ on my list of priorities and that you matter more than anything else (or anyone else).

“Romance (Love) is that which causes one person to desire the ______________________ to come to another person and that they will do whatever it takes to make it so.”

God designed us to grow into ______________________ so that we would enjoy being with one another.

You can’t enjoy one another when you’re too _______________.

We could attribute about ___________________percent of our disconnectedness to the fact that we’re overly busy.

Romance is how you act toward each other. Act with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

——————-Sermon Synopsis——————-

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Romance?”

For the last three weeks we have been talking about what matters most in healthy relationships. We’ve talked about “true love, understanding each other, and communication.” Today …we want to conclude this series by talking about “Romance.”

To give love …and to be loved are the most precious gifts life has to offer.

Why? …because God created us with the ability to love one another. Mark 10, “ ⁷…a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.” That’s a great, graphic picture of what it means to have a God designed marriage. You become one!

I think connectedness is synonymous with oneness, which is what the Bible says God intended for relationships. How do you get connected? How do you get oneness

That’s where romance comes in! Romance is how you act toward each other.

How do you know how are we to act toward each other? You have to read God’s love letter. The Bible! In God’s love letter to us it talks about how we love one another, how we should relate to one another and care for one another. If you want to know how to love, you’ve got to be into His love letter.

So what does His Love letter say? It says, romance is kindness, gentleness, patience, caring, compliments, devotion. Romance for a person is telling them that they are special, appreciated, loved. A person needs to know they are important.

If you pay more attention to other people than you do to your own partner, if you give more compliments to others than you do to your own spouse …(such as a waitress, friend, or neighbor) …you are indicating that others are more important to you than they are.

It is hard for some people to show affection to their mates. WHY? Because some never see their parents show affection …never see them kiss …never see them hold hands… (there is no model of romance). But one can learn …so, why don’t they. Because they take others for granted. They are selfish. With this attitude …the relationship becomes a serious problem.

One of the problems couples experience …is that they become strangers. The love that brought them together is ignored. Whatever you did to win a person to fall in love with you …you will have to do three times as much to keep them.

Romance is sending out a message …how special, desirable, how wonderful a person is. Romance says you’re number one on my list of priorities and that you matter more than anything else (or anyone else).

“Romance (Love) is that which causes one person to desire the most good to come to another person and that they will do whatever it takes to make it so.”Kindness, devotions, gentleness, commitment, patience, caring, attention, …makes one feel cared for, cherished, and loved.

If you want a deep relationship, intimacy and connectedness you have to have those shared experiences that comes from times like dating. Dating enriches lives. It gives us something to look forward to. It models marriage to our kids. It creates positive memories.

You can’t enjoy one another when you’re too busy, so cut back. We could probably attribute about fifty percent of our disconnectedness to the fact that we’re busy. And when we don’t have the time or the energy, you can’t connect.

Romance is how you act toward each other. Act with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

Communicate?

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matter’s Most!”- Part 3

Sermon: “Communicate?”

Scripture Lesson: James 3:1-12

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Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Communicate?”

Pastor Jerry

February 2, 2020

We continue the series “What Matters Most” and today we’ll talk about “communication.”

“All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect.” James 3:2

________ % of communication is verbal;

________% body language &facial expression;

________% tone of the voice.

It’s not so much __________you say but __________you say it.

James explains how important our words are. He indicates that “my mouth, my words, they direct where I go.”

Before you can communicate with words:

(1) A person needs to know that you _____________________ and _____________________.

Rather than trying to “fix the problem” just “listen.”

James explains how important our words are. He indicates that “my mouth, my words, they can destroy what I have.”

(2) A person needs to know that you _____________________ and ______________________.

We often want to make a person feel better .

In a time of crisis you need to realize that you don’t have to ______________________ …just __________________.

A woman wants your ________________not your ____________.

James explains how important our words are. He indicates that “my mouth, my words, displays who I really am.”

(3) A person needs to know that you ________________________________________________________.

Communication problems are not caused by the differences between men/women, but caused by the lack of understanding of the differences.

A woman gets her sense of worth from ____________________.

A man gets his sense of worth from _______________________.

A man is happy when he is ______________________________.

A woman is productive when she is _______________________.

A typical couple spend _______ minutes a week talking together.

Nobody cares about how much you ___________________ until they know how much you ______________________.

_________________ expresses a connection/communication.

For communication to happen, one must first feel special, accepted, loved and appreciated.

——————-Sermon Synopsis——————-

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Communicate?”

Pastor Jerry

February 2, 2020

For the last two weeks we have been talking about what matters most in healthy relationships. The first week we talked about “true love.” Last week we talked about “understanding each other.”

Today …we want to continue this series and talk about “communication.” We’re going to be talking about how do you love with your words? James 3:2 says “All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect.”

Before you can communicate with words a person you speak to needs to know that:

You respect them as a person (valve their ideas and feelings)
That they have a right to express their ideas (and you want to hear them)
That they are worthy of being listened to (and you are interested in them)

James explains how important our words are. He says, “My mouth, my words, they direct where I go.” The picture James gave us is the picture of a rudder on a ship. You see a small ruder guides a big ship. Our mouth, our words, our conversation is like the rudder to our lives.

(1) Before you can communicate with words a person needs to know that you valve their ideas and feelings.

Often we feel that we know more what another person needs than they themselves. James talks about how important our words are. He says, “My mouth can destroy what I have.” Because they’re so powerful, words can also be destructive.

(2) Before you can communicate with words a person needs to know that you want to talk with them and to hear them.

We often want to make a person feel better when they share their stories with us. The problem is we want to make the pain go away. You need to realize that you don’t have to fix it or you don’t have to solve the problem. My mouth displays who I really am. The picture James gives of this is a picture of a mountain spring.

(3) Before you can communicate with words a person needs to know that you think they are worthy of being listening to.

Communication problems are not caused by the differences between men/women…but caused by lack of understanding of the differences …or lack of appreciation for the differences. Women seem to enjoy conversation for its own sake. Men use conversation as a means to an end. A man is happy when he is productive. A woman is productive when she is happy.

Nobody cares about how much you know until they know how much you care. Touch expresses a connection/communication.

Before you can communicate with words a person you speak to needs to know that:

– You respect them as a person (valve their ideas and feelings)

– That they have a right to express their ideas (and you want to hear them)

– That they are worthy of being listened to (and you are interested in them)

For communication to happen, one must first feel accepted, loved and appreciated.

Understand Me?

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matter’s Most!”- Part 2

Sermon: “Understand Me?”

Scripture Lesson: Matthew 5:43-48

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Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Understand Me?”

Pastor Jerry

January 26, 2020

We continue the series “What Matters Most” and today we’ll talk about “understanding each other.”

Women are different from Men …duh!

Men (most notably) are ___________ brain

Women (most notably) are __________ brain.

A man decides because ______________________________.

A woman decides because ____________________________.

One is not right or wrong —better or worse — just __________.

These difference can enhance your relationship …or it can cause severe conflict. It all depends on how much you understand this difference.

The Bible says conflict is caused by ____________.

“Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from selfish desires that war within you.” James 4:1

Ways to Deal with Differences or Conflict

(1) _________________ means I fight till I win and you give in.

(2) ________________ means you’re not getting me into a fight.

(3) _________________ means I always give in to you.

(4) _________________ means I give in sometimes.

(5) _________________ means we work together for a solution.

God tells us how to work out our differences: “Let love be your greatest aim.” 1 Corinthians 14:1

To learn how to love the Bible teaches us that love is a ____________ and a ________________.

If I choose to love I will not just look at my own _____________, my own ___________; but I have to look at your _____________.

Love has to be demonstrated in some small way ______________.

Did you know that a woman needs to be held and embraced (non-sexual way) ____________times a day to feel close to her partner.

A woman needs romantic ________________ to prove ones love.

The secret of overcoming conflict is understanding where people are __________________.

Understanding male/female differences is learning how to love them. How do you learn to understand them: by ___________________.

Love is more than ______________. Love is an _____________.

“Let us love not with words or tongue but with action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Acting in ________when not feeling it is the highest form of love.

——————-Sermon Synopsis——————-

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“Understand Me?”

Pastor Jerry

January 26, 2020

Two weeks ago we talked about what matters most in healthy relationships. We talked about “true love.” Talked about how to develop a kind of love that just gets better and better and that can last for a lifetime. God who is Love, He tells us how to have “true love.” I Corinthians 13 is the definition of “True Love”: “Love is kind, patient, isn’t jealous, doesn’t brag, is not arrogant, doesn’t act unbecomingly and is not provoked.”

Today …we want to continue this series and talk about “Understanding Each Other.”

Women are different from men …duh! Men make decisions because in his head it makes sense (he think it is right). Women decide because in her heart it feels right (she senses it right). One is not right or wrong – better or worse, just different.

This difference can enhance your relationship …or it can cause severe conflict. It all depends on how much you understand this difference. The Bible says conflict is caused by selfishness. James 4:1 “Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from selfish desires that war within you.” I want what I want. I am basically a selfish person.

Every relationship has differences. Growing up, you learned one of five ways to deal with differences or conflict.

Some of you are “My way” resolvers. “My way” means I fight till I win and you give in. I’m going to get my way. I am totally right. You are totally wrong.

Others of you are “No way” people. That is “There’s No Way you’re getting me into a fight.” I back away from all conflict. I withdraw, pull back, ignore the problem.

The third way is “Your way”. That means I always give in. I always give in to you, I want your approval so badly that I roll over and play dead, I become a doormat.

Fourth is “Half Way”. That’s where we compromise. We win some and we lose some. I give in sometimes, you give in sometimes. It’s certainly better than the previous ones.

Better way is “Our Way”. Our way is when we work out mutual goals together, where we care about the relationship more than any single issue.

In 1 Corinthians 14:1 God says this, “Let love be your greatest aim.” Because God is love. And God wants you to be like him. So he created you to learn how to love. To learn how to love the Bible teaches us is that love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love. It is a choice. It takes God to help us do that. It is a mental shift that we do not do naturally. But it’s the secret of understanding differences and resolving conflict.

Women want you to prove your love in some tangible way. Love has to be demonstrated in some small way EVERYDAY. People need to be touched to survive …to live. A woman needs gifts to prove your love… A gift says you are worthwhile …no gifts say you are worthless.

The secret of overcoming conflict is understanding where people are coming from. How do you learn to understand them? Listen. Listen more than you talk. Love is more than attraction. Love is an action. It’s something you do. Love is a behavior.

The Bible says this in 1 John 3:18 “Let us love not with words or tongue [in other words, just talk about it] but with action and in truth.” You have to make a conscious decision to love someone that makes that person feel good. I don’t know about you but I want to be more loving. I personally want to be more loving toward others.

True Love

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matter’s Most!”- Part 1

Sermon: “True Love”

Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 13:3-7

——————-Sermon Note Page——————-

Series: “Love Gifts: What Matters Most!”

“True Love”

Pastor Jerry

January 12, 2020

(Complete this sentence): My number one goal in life is ___________________________________________________________?

What Matters Most?

Make ________ the highest aim of your life. Why?

Because ____________________________________________

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind and all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. There are no commands more important than these.” (Mark 12)

“Everything you do must be done with ________.” 1 Cor. 6:14

What is True Love?

Your Definition of Love _____________________________

Love is kind, patient, isn’t jealous, doesn’t brag, is not arrogant, doesn’t act unbecomingly and is not provoked. (1 Cor. 13)

Love is … ______________________

“Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Eph. 4:2

Love is … ______________________

“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you.” Eph. 4:32

Love is … ______________________

What difference might it make for you to say to somebody today, “No matter what happens, no matter what we have to go through in life, no matter what the struggles or difficulties, no matter what happens, I love you.”

Love is … ______________________

A person falls in love because of the way they feel about themselves when they’re with a person who makes them feels needed, capable, important and loved because of who they are.

Love is … ______________________

“”Love always protects, love always trusts, love always hopes and love always perseveres.” 1 Cor. 13:7

“Let _________ be your greatest aim.” 1 Cor. 14:1

————————– Sermon Synopsis —————————–

Series: Love Gifts: What Matters Most! (Part 1)

True Love

1 Corinthians 13:3-7

Pastor Jerry

January 12, 2020

I want to begin this new series of messages today about “What Matters Most” by asking you a question. How would you complete this sentence? My number one goal in life is _______!

What word, what phrase would you use?

However you answer that question is what I call your dominant life principle. It’s the most important value in your life. It’s what matters most!

Now, what does God have to say about this? He has a lot to say about it. In the Bible in 1 Corinthians 14:1 he says this, “Let love be your greatest aim.” He says you should make as the number one goal … love.

Why does he say that? Because God is love and he wants you to be like him. Life is all about learning how to love. In fact, one day Jesus was asked this question, “Lord what is the most important command in the Bible.” Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind and all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. There are no commands more important than these.” (Mark 12). That’s pretty clear.

Jesus said nothing in the Bible, nothing at all, is more important than these two things. Learn to love God with all your heart and, learn to love everybody else. He said if you get those two things, you’ve got it. Make love your highest aim. In fact, the Bible says this, 1 Corinthians 16:14 “Everything you do must be done with love.” Today we’re going to begin the journey of how you do everything with love.

The first message about What Matters Most is about “True Love.” A lot of people have questions about love. What is true Love? It’s sort of mysterious. A lot of times we don’t know why love acts like it acts.

What is true Love? Fortunately, the God who thought all of this up in the first place, Who made us to be loving people, the God who is Love, He tells us what love is. 1 Corinthians 13 is the definition of how love acts: “Love is kind, patient, isn’t jealous, doesn’t brag, is not arrogant, doesn’t act unbecomingly and is not provoked.” It gives us this list of how love acts.

I want us to take this list and let it help us evaluate how healthy are our relationships.Why do you love the way you do?

“Love is patient…” It’s hard to change old habits. That means it has to take time

“Love is kind…” We are confused about life. Love should always be unconditional.

“Love is secure…” You love a person because they are who they are …PERIOD!

“Love is giving…” Each person has value …worth …because they are wonderfully made.

“Love is action…” Appreciate a person for what they …not what you want them to be.

I deeply believe that in order to love, I have to be loved. It all starts with God loving me, God loving you. When I realize that God loves me no matter what…then it changes the way I love, it changes my life.

Today, some of us need to begin to discover that kind of love that God has for us. Trust Christ in your life. The most important value in your life–what matters most– is this, “Let love be your greatest aim.”

Decide …to follow Jesus… His way of True Love.

What Time Is It?

Sermon: “What Time Is It?”

The First Sunday of the New Year 2020

Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 5:15-20

————————– Sermon Synopsis ————————-

“What Time is It?”

Pastor Jerry

January 5, 2020

Happy New Year! We are now five days into the New Year 2020. Are you happy with your life as we begin the New Year? This year could be the time of your life … if only you use the time wisely …if only you make some good choices with your time.

One of the things that have impressed me since coming to the Boones Mill Church is what I experience when I walk outside the front entrance of the church building. The traffic on 220 is zooming by at great speeds. Thousands of cars and trucks pass by every day in what seems as if they are in a very big hurry.

There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to 2020. The passage is from Ephesians 5 and says, ¹⁵So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. I think that in this passage of scripture the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider about time for our life this coming year.

I. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited.

The Psalmist wrote, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end & the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life” (Ps. 39:4). And again he says, “The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength…they quickly pass, & we fly away” (Ps. 90:10).

Now the Word of God tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom. What time is it for you?

II. A second important lesson the Apostle Paul tells us that we need to consider about time for our life this coming year is that we must make “the most of every opportunity.” And he gives a reason, “because the days are evil.”

Jesus said that Satan is a liar & a robber & a thief, & one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession. Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major causes of illness of our time is anxiety & stress. He calls it “overload,” & says that people are just plain overloaded. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’re overloaded with possessions. Finally, there is also an information overload. And technology is changing the way we learn, the way we work, and even the way we play; we now have smart phones, self-driving cars, robots, artificial intelligence.

III. A third and final important lesson the Apostle Paul tells us from this scripture that we need to consider about time for our life this coming year is that we must understand what the Lord’s Will is. How do you come to understand what the Lord wants you to do?

Well, to answer that, Paul tells us, “…do not be foolish …be wise …be filled with the Holy Spirit …sing spiritual songs …and make music to the Lord in your hearts …and give thanks for everything to God in the name of Jesus.”

When God comes first in your life, you’ll worship the Lord in faith and in truth & come to church and let the church help you with your worship. You’ll schedule some definite time each day to pray & to read God’s Word. You’ll pray for yourself and your family. You’ll pray for the church, & for the people around you. You’ll spend time with your family with no TV, no phones, no interruptions, & just listen and talk and spend some quality time engaging together. Those will become precious moments. Don’t dream about the good old days, instead, make the days good with the use of your time. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

What time is it for you?

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