3. There are lots of storms in people’s live right now that
leave people without
power and what they need
Stigma / Shame – cold – nothing wrong with you / depressed – what’s wrong with your faith
It okay not to be okay

4. Last night – local leader of our country sent me this text – when I told them what I was talking about today

5. Storms of Depression 1 in 4 women (1 in 8 men)
3 out 4 will not seek help
Stigma / Shame – cold – nothing wrong with you / depressed – what’s wrong with your faith
It okay not to be okay
50 of us in the room battling this in some way right now

6. Storms of Mental Illness
Anxiety Disorder
1 in 6 (age 18+)
Only 1 in 18 will get help
33 of us dealing with this right now

7. Storms Alcoholism: 1 in 4 Eating Disorders: 1 in 13 PTSD: 1in 50
Could be as many as 50 of us in this storm
15 eating disorder

8. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.”
(2 Cor 1:18)

9. In God’s family . . .
It’s okay not to be okay

10. God designed us to get BETTER TOGETHER . . . to answer our needs
through His family
That’s not just a hallmark card / or Disney musical
Its actually a Biblical truth that
Most of us think we’ve grown out of
(Been betrayed so much)
But here is the biblical truth

11. THIS SERIES: BETTER TOGETHER Four Purposes Of Any Family
Know Jesus
Find Freedom
Discover Purpose
Make A Difference
Any family
Especially God’s family

12. “Say therefore TO THE PEOPLE of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them . . .”

13. “. . . and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people”
(Exodus 6:6-7)

14. In world with His purpose
Exodus 6
Know Jesus
I’m out of Egypt
Find Freedom
Egypt is out of me
Discover Purpose
God’s purpose is in me
Make A Difference
In world with His purpose
Get free but want to go back
We expect God’s freedom to come differently than it does
Exodus 6
Salvation from Evil
Freedom from Slavery
Redemption to Purpose
Achievement of Victory

15. Family Purpose #2 To Help Each Other Find Freedom In Jesus
4 purposes –here is the first

16. Learning His Way To Freedom
is full of surprises

17. Surprise #1
To be saved
isn’t to be free

18. “Say therefore TO THE PEOPLE of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them . . .” (Ex 6:6)
Christian who is not okay
Not going to stay there
Jesus said – storms will come
So wonderful to come to Jesus – some victories are really quick
Some take time – espiecally when involve relationships
Season for everything -

19. of my own freedom process
Surprise #2
I cannot be in charge
of my own freedom process
God said – “I will deliver you”
You can’t perform surgery on yourself
Self can’t help you with self pity or self centeredness
You’ve got to follow someone else to find freedom
You are the last person you should

20. “Then Jesus said to them all:
‘If anyone would [1] come after Me, [2] he must deny himself and
[3] take up his cross daily and
[4] follow me.’”
(Luke 9:23)
You are the last person you should trust when you are not feeling well
Actually pick up what’s painful and let someone else crucify it in you

21. God for forgiveness and to God’s people for freedom
Surprise #3
You go to
God for forgiveness and to
God’s people for freedom

22. “Make this your common practice: confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.”
(James 5:16, MSG)

23. “God is light if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
(1 John 1:5-8)

24. is only a part of God’s freedom process
Surprise #4
Your pastor
is only a part of God’s freedom process
for you!

25. “It was God who gave some to be
. . . pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people [family]
for works of service . . .
(Eph 4:11)

26. “From Jesus the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows & builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
(Eph 4:12)
Coach of the process not the counselor of the process – that’s in the body
My job to keep the one another in a Jesus centered / biblically based pattern
If I don’t do my job – one another’s don’t work well – we don’t build ourslevs up
The mechanic not the race car driver
I’m the coach – not the guy running the play (Little kid soccer – running in a pile – while the defenders picking flowers and goal picking his nose and wiping it at the goal post – back to the play)
Run the Jesus play not the assemblies of God play, Pentecostal play, we love worship play, republican play, the apologetics play, religious play, the from the south bible belt play – the jesus play – john 13:34 – love one another as I have loved you.
So last week – laurel felt like God would have her dance up front – going to spiritual and cultural gifts explain that more next week
Left all of our visitors with questions – and our youngest generation – I should have gotten up and explained it – I dodn’t all those people disengaged – why I didn’t coach that moment
You may want others to do unto others as you have them to do you –
But that doesn’t mean do it your way

27. God’s grace never replaces your courage.
Surprise #5
God’s grace never replaces your courage.

28. “Take off the Mask” “Reverse Your Thinking” “Put on His Hope”
Your small group is where
we help each other experience the true freedom of Jesus
“Take off the Mask”
“Reverse Your Thinking”
“Put on His Hope”
READ PRAYER SHEETS

29. That’s on everything else we’re communicating
That’s on everything else we’re communicating. If the image doesn’t work, I’d just do two black screens of
a)         Online Directory is Open
            cornerstone.ag/small groups
b)         Fall Semester
Sept 16- Dec 1

30. God designed life to get BETTER TOGETHER
Someone needs our light

31. until you learn to ride a bike
Remember
You can’t ride a bike
until you learn to ride a bike
Someone has to start