Hills Come and Die So that you can live

11 Years ago…

Hills we die on

Love: I will seek your best interest Even when you don't deserve it And it costs me greatly - Jesus

Love: Not an emotion

Lawyer: Inherit eternal life? Luke 10:25-37

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”

"Great…do it and you'll live"

"Who is my neighbor?"

"A priest, a Levite and a Samaritan go to Jericho…"

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?

The one who showed him mercy

You go, and do likewise

Jesus, "This is Love: Serve the needs of Those who hate you When it is dangerous Inconvenient and expensive"

Reflect Christ's love, right? Conditional or unconditional?

Reflect Christ's love, right? Conditional or unconditional? What kind of love Do you want shown to you?

Jesus says to Give what you want Love…your neighbor as yourself

What the conditions On your willingness to love? Not to feel emotion But to serve needs?

"Serve the needs of Those who hate you When it is dangerous Inconvenient and expensive" - Jesus

Hill worth dying on

Unity: Christ's people coming together Around Christ's Purposes While respecting each others' Differences

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace - Eph. 4:3

Churches= no competition People= respect convictions No clone-making No gossiping Bar for disfellowship= high

Enemy separates God unites Truth attempts restoration Before considering separation

Most harmful to the church In all of history?

Most helpful to the church In all of history… Encourage toward Jesus Unity mindset Unify around Jesus

You want this… Ever been in a church Where the tension is so thick You don't even need the knife?

It's hard to judge you unworthy While washing your feet

Hill worth dying on

Faith: Taking God at his Word And trusting him for the results

Without faith, it is impossible to please God - Hebrews 11

Largest checkbook speaks most? What's in the bank? What God says…

If we can do it in our own strength, it's not a miracle… It's a management issue

God is glorified When he uses what isn't To do what can't So that those who won't Are caused to say He is

Hill worth dying on

Commitment: A decision of the will Backed by the integrity To carry it out over time Sign of maturity

Committed to: God Scriptures One another Not-yets

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go”

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head”

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father”

And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God”

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home”

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” - Luke 9:57-62

You want people To follow through On their commitments And not leave you hanging

Maturity and discipleship

Hill worth dying on

Freedom: The ability to be exactly who God made you to be To follow your convictions Where the bible doesn't Specifically speak

…some false believers… infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves

We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you - Gal. 2:4-5

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery - Gal. 5:1

When it makes us Uncomfortable We baptize our discomfort in Scriptural support

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil - Hebrews 5:14

You want freedom And… You must give freedom

Party refreshments

Hill we die on

Change: The willingness to follow God Even when it means leaving The comfort of what I’m used to

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come - 2 Cor. 5:17

Holy Spirit= Spirit of change New song New nature New heart New kingdom and citizenship

Fruit of the Spirit = Growth

Living things grow and change Dead things don't The moment we enshrine our comfort, we die

You are here Because Layman changed And we'll continue (Small Groups, anyone?)

You are here Because Layman changed Hill we die on

Questions, Comments Disagreements

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Halloween

3 Services Plus: Nursery