Meet the Jesus who wants you fully ALIVE! Series – Jesus called Backwards day – message first, close with worship. Meet the Jesus who wants you fully ALIVE! Jesus said this: CLICK NEXT SLIDE

Being ALIVE The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV2011) Being ALIVE The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Steals our joy, steals our hope, steals our future, steals our time Kills and destroys. Relationships, Look around – lots of destruction But look at what Jesus does, and what he offers. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV2011) “To the full” =Extraordinary, profuse, abundant. Many people don’t really seem to have that kind of life. Jesus is calling …. He’s calling us to that kind of life. Three ways he’s calling us to a full… and extraordinary, and abundant … LIFE. Here’s the first one,. CLICK next slide

1. You are better off “young”. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (NIV2011) Trust Innocence Joy The have a life that is fully alive – Jesus knows that you are better off young. Read Text Everybody say their age (if you are comfortable doing so) How many people are really happy they are the age they are? Not many. Kids want to be teenagers. Teenagers want to graduate. College age people are looking forward to their careers. Married people want kids. Pretty soon you get to a certain age, and you want to be young again. But Jesus is not actually talking about a physical age. He doesn’t say to become children again, he says to become LIKE children again. What is he talking about? Have you ever noticed how a small child trusts? CLICK – “TRUST” You can toss them up in the air, and usually they will not be afraid unless you’ve dropped them once or twice. But they trust you. When a little baby cries, she trusts that someone will help her out. One thing Jesus is saying is that you can have complete confidence and trust in God like a child does with a good parent. Kids are so innocent too. Sure, they are by nature sinners, but just the innocent nature obvious. CLICK – “INNOCENCE” They are optimistic and unjaded by the world. And they are also joyful CLICK – “JOY” ENTER BOBBY & BRAD – BEACH BALL STUFF CLICK next slide

Fully Alive!! It’s about devotion, Not emotion Being fully alive is more than a good time and chocolate. That is awesome once in awhile. It’s about devotion, not emotion Basing our sense of well being on emotion is a very bad idea. When we feel good, we believe that our life is good, that God is present with us. But life isn’t always beach balls and chocolate. Some people walk away from the Lord when things get tough. When the job or school becomes dull When money gets tight When someone fails you When health concerns pop up. These can rob, kill and destroy our passion. But being alive is about devotion, not emotion. If you are feeling less than spiritually alive, remember that it is about devotion, not emotion When we are devoted to Jesus, we remain in him. CLICK next slide

2. You are better off “connected”. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4(b) (NIV2011) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4(b) (NIV2011) Fruit is an indication of life. We want to bear fruit. We do not want to go through this life with no purpose. When you take your last breath on this earth, what will you leave behind? Sometimes we may feel like the monotony of life is deafening and deadening. We get up, go to school, or go to work, then have dinner, do something in the evening, then go to bed. Maybe you live for the weekend. And then you do it all over again. But then summer comes, and you get to have a vacation. There is someone in my life who has a much different day to day experience than that. CLICK – “AMY ROBINSON” Interview with Amy. CLICK next slide Amy Robinson

3. You are better off “dependent”. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. John 15:4a (NIV2011) WORSHIP TEAM COMES FORWARD Amy spoke of what it means to be connected to the Lord, to remain in HIm. Sometimes we are trying so hard to remain in the Lord. It feels like it is all up to us. We have the delusion that if we are going to bear fruit, and if we are going to be truly alive, we have to make it happen all on our own. But just remaining in him is not all there is. We are dependent on his remaining in us. “as I also remain in you” - He remains. This is what it means to be dependent. We can fully depend on the fact that He remains in us. Even when our strength fails, we can depend on his strength. When our devotion to him fails or is challenged, we can depend on his devotion to us, his faithfulness to us. We sing the song your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me. “I also remain in you.” Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? Romans 8:33-35 (NLT) WORSHIP TEAM BEGINS PLAYING UNDERNEATH: “HOLY SPIRIT” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (NLT) During this time of worship, let the Lord love you. Remember that he remains in you. Worship team begins song: “Holy Spirit”