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This series is answering your submitted questions. We don't think we know all the answers but we believe scripture contains what we need. God is cool with your questions, so let's ask Him!Explain the difference between Calvinism and Arminian. Which one do you agree with & why?What do I do when I feel my church/leadership isn't investing in my spiritual growth, despite my best efforts to participate?What are your thoughts on the me-centered "worship" songs? Some start off great in worship to God and then shift, seemingly putting the focus on our own abilities and what we can do or have done.How can I help a friend that's having suicidal thoughtsIs Catholicism a cult?Is it ever justifiable to take a person's life, and, if so, when?Why are some people healed but others are not?

This series is answering your submitted questions. I don't think I know all the answers but I think scripture contains what we need. God is cool with your questions, so let's ask Him! What are your thoughts on the Word of Faith movement? When, if ever, does it take on an unhealthy, damaging view of faith?Why do so many Christians get hurt by the Church?If you are a pastor, should you counsel on all matters?What are practical things you can do to feel productive in a season of prolonged waiting?What does the Bible say about praying in tongues? I've had a few people tell me that it's not biblical. What are your thoughts?Is it a sin to love your child too much? More than anyone else on the planet. To the point that you would do almost anything for them to be spiritually, physically & mentally ok?What is the difference between patriotism and Christian nationalism?If someone dies believing in God but not necessarily having accepted Jesus do they get another opportunity?How do you ever learn to deal with bad things happening to good people but "bad" people seem to always get by without consequences

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Who is in charge of the church? Continuing this series about the church, Pastor Jamie shares about church authority. What is a church?Ekklesia - a church is an intentional gathering of people who follow Jesus. It's not a building, it's a spiritual family. Who is in charge of the church? Jesus is in charge of the church.Colossians 1:8 NLT "Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body."Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT Jesus is in charge, but He uses leaders to care for His body.Ephesians 4:11-13Jesus gave us some going-away gifts. He left us with the Holy Spirit, His written word, and He left us with leaders who have been gifted and commissioned to help us all grow spiritually.In the church, everyone is a minister, but not everyone is a leader. Things you need to know about church leadership:1. Leaders are stewards.       Matthew 28:18-19aLeaders of the church are simply stewards of Jesus' authority.James 3:1 NLT "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly."2. Leaders are servants.       Mark 10:42-45Don't wait to get your life together before you serve others. Serving others is how you get your life together. 3. Leaders are imperfect and incomplete.1 Timothy 1:16 Don't ever try to get from a leader what you can only get from the Lord. We don't follow people, we follow Jesus.4. Some church leaders are bad leaders.Jeremiah 23:1-2Leaders who have unquestioned authority, exert control over you, require you to get permission from them, practice elitism and utilize shunning are engaging in spiritual abuse. RUN. 5. Leaders are necessary.    Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit."Acts 20:28-30We need shepherds because there are wolves out there, and shepherds lay their lives down for the sake of the sheep.    It's time for you to get healed from church hurt.The Lord told me years ago that he was going to send people to VFC that had been wounded.Proverbs 14:4The church is plan A for bringing the Kingdom to earth and there is no backup plan. Church is a spiritual hospital – you will find sick people. Church is a spiritual gym – you will find out-of-shape people.God lives among the mess. We should as well. Are you embracing church authority?

What are churches supposed to be doing? Do we help our city or help our church members? Do we reach the lost or disciple existing believers? In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares about what activity a church should be doing. Ekklesia - a church is an intentional gathering of people who follow Jesus. What is a church supposed to be doing?Acts 2:42-47 Based on this passage, there are several activities a church should be engaged in. Not all activities happen at once, and different size gatherings are better for different things. 1. They engaged in Bible study. (v42).2 Timothy 3:16-17Romans 15:4The Bible is bread for daily meals, not cake for special occasions. 2. They fellowshipped with one another (v42).Hebrews 10:24 ESV "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works."You'll ask someone to watch your stuff, but are you asking others to watch your soul? 3. They ate meals together. (v42).Acts 20:7 NIV "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."Sharing a meal with someone is a quick way to reveal the real you. 4. They prayed together (v42).Matthew 18:19-20Your prayer life reveals what you think about God. If you think He's listening, you'll talk to Him. 5. They practiced supernatural ministry (v43).Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." 6. They helped others in need. (v44-45).Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."Hebrews 13:16 "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."Wanna make God happy? Help someone out! 7. They met in large gatherings, and in a small gatherings (v46).Acts 5:42 "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah."If you only meet in small groups, or you only meet in large groups, you're missing out on the full benefit of being a part of a church. 8. They praised God (v47)Psalm 150:1-6We worship because we want to give back to God the love He first gave us. 9. They received new believers (v47).Churches are not only called to disciple existing believers, but we receive new believers too.1 Peter 2:2Are you engaging in church activity?

Why do Christians gather on Sunday mornings? Does it matter where we gather? Who is welcomed at these meetings? What should we be doing when we gather? In this message, Pastor Jamie shares who we truly are as "the church".History of the word "church":Ekklesia: not a religious term. It means a gathering, a congregation, or an assembly of people.In the first English translations, ekklesia was correctly translated as "congregation." But in 1611 the King James Version unfortunately opted for "church" instead, based on the German word "kirche".The church is not a building, but a gathering of believers. Its not somewhere you go, its something you are.  Samaritan woman at the well who asks where to worship- The temple or the mountain?John 4:20-21;24The location of worship is not as important as the way you worship.The question isn't "WHERE do I worship God? but HOW should I worship God?"True worship is the result of knowing the one you worship, not where you worship Him. You are the location where Christianity takes place.1 Corinthians 3:16-17God is jealous for you like religious people are jealous for their holy sites. Act 7:48 There are no sacred places, only sacred people. What is a church?A church is an intentional gathering of people who follow Jesus. IntentionalJeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."If you're gathering with believers less and less these days, you're going the wrong way. If you're going everywhere but church, you're going the wrong way."Successful people do consistently what normal people do occasionally." Craig GroeschelGatheringChurch is a collective noun, meaning it describes a group.Hebrews 10:25 You can be a Christian by yourself, but you can't be church by yourself.Jesus never discipled individuals, he always discipled groups.Jesus had groups of 3, 12, 70 , 120 , & 500.Online viewing is good as an exception. But watching a church service online is like watching a video of a fire—you can see the light but you can't feel the warmth. You're getting teaching, but you're missing out on gathering. People who follow Jesus:Church is not where you meet with friends; its where you meet with family. You don't choose your family—God gives them to you, and your family often aren't people you're naturally drawn to.Colossians 3:11 It doesn't matter who someone has been, it only matters who they are now."Christ is all and in all" - Jesus is the point of everything, so find the Jesus in people when they annoy you.The biggest threat to the church is not from outside of the church, but from within. Its disunity.John 17:21 Galatians 3:26-28 Put on Christ. Wear your Jesus jersey. Prioritize Jesus over all other labels.Are you embracing your church family?

Do you realize that Jesus came to rescue you?In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares the hope-filled, awesome message that was lived out on this earth through Jesus Christ. The cross is Jesus' death for me, but the empty grave is Jesus' life for me.The cross gets me into heaven, but the empty grave gets heaven into me.The cross reveals Jesus as savior, but the empty grave reveals Jesus as king.The cross paid for my sin, the empty grave means that the payment was accepted. Resurrection changes our whole outlook on life.1 Corinthians 15:54-55 NLTWe don't have to be afraid of death anymore. Jesus' resurrection marked the death of death. What is an Easter Egg?An "easter egg" is a hidden message, image or feature in a video game, movie, or TV show.  The Old Testament has around 300 prophetic easter eggs about Jesus before Jesus was born. These are things like: Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, He will be preceded by a Messenger, He will enter Jerusalem on a donkey, He will be betrayed by a friend, He will be sold for 30 pieces of silver, He will be silent before His accusers, He will be executed by crucifixion.Peter Stoner, a science and mathematics professor, wrote a book called "Science Speaks" where he and his students used the science of probability to calculate the likelihood that someone would fulfill these Messianic prophecies. Stoner found that the chance that any man might have fulfilled eight Messianic prophecies is 1 in 100 quadrillion.The odds of fulfilling 16 messianic prophecies are 1 in 10 to the 45th power.  What about 48 prophecies? Those odds are 1 in 10 to the 157th power. (The number of atoms in the entire universe is somewhere between 10 to the78th power and 10 to the 82nd power.)The Father sent Jesus to rescue you.1 John 4:14. "We have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world."The resurrection of Jesus forces humanity confront the fact that we are the object of God's affection.Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)" Romans 6:7-10 (MSG) – "What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us." Sin has a price tag, but Jesus paid the bill.Have you been rescued by Jesus?

How should a believer manage money? In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson shares about a topic that Jesus taught about a lot. Jesus and MoneyThe focus of his teaching on money was not to create a path to financial stability, or not to invest in a Kingdom Ponzi scheme. The focus of Jesus was to ensure that you were in control of your money and that money was not in control of you.Jesus makes a direct connection between our hearts and our wallets.Matthew 6:21NLT: "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."Managing Money God's WayManaging money God's way is not easy, but it is simple.Live, Give, SaveLive SimplyGod's goal for your life is to live a life of shalom. Shalom is a Hebrew word that means peace, wholeness, prosperity, full and restored.Our access to excess has stolen our enjoyment of the necessities. We are applying biblical principles of generosity to chase after a type of prosperity that God never promised.Matthew 19: 21-22We should never be in a position where our possessions possess us.The answer to living on money is to live a life of biblical simplicity. Simplicity is getting rid of what we don't need to enjoy the things we do need.Richard Foster: "Simplicity sets possessions in their proper perspective. Simplicity is the only things that sufficiently [repositions] our lives so that possessions can be enjoyed without destroying us." Give GenerouslyThe biblical principle of generosity is as much about your heart as it is your wallet. When we treat generosity like a spiritual discipline, we reap spiritual benefits as well as financial ones.Matthew 6:22When your understanding or outlook of the world comes from a place of GENEROSITY, your whole life will be illuminated by God. If your understanding or outlook is STINGY, your life will be dark.Generosity is a symptom of spiritual health, while greed and stinginess are symptoms of spiritual sickness.2 Ways You Can Practice Generosity1.      Give ConsistentlyPercentage giving is not God's subscription service for financial stability, it's the process by which we pledge our allegiance to Kingdom of God and keep our hearts from greed.Start where you are and challenge yourself to be a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:72.      Give CompassionatelyWhat moves your heart? What brings you to tears? Give to that!1 Corinthians 16: 1-2Save DiligentlyIf generosity is an indication of spiritual health, then saving is an indication of financial health.According to recent surveys, the median American household has about $1200 in saving. Another survey indicates at 56% of Americans could not shoulder an unexpected $1000 expense.Saving is a form of self-control through delayed gratification.Start now, Be intentional, Be consistent.Proverbs 13:7Proverbs 21: 20Proverbs 13:22Proverbs 21: 5Are you willing to submit EVERYTHING, including your money, to God's way?

Married? Want to be married some day? Wish you weren't married? In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how marriage is "simple". Marriage is simple: love your spouse the way Christ loves you. Ephesians 5:31-23Your marriage is only as good as your maturity. The quickest way to improve your marriage is to improve yourself, not to try to improve your spouse.Two mindsets that hurt marriage - roommates and soulmates.Roommates: when a couple is sharing life, but not sharing love. Soulmates: when a couple is forcing passion and imposing perfection.  The 4 C's of Marriage1. Commitment.Commitment is being dedicated and devoted, even if things aren't the way you wish they were.Matthew 19:3-6Marriage is meant to be a constant commitment, a declaration of devotion and a pledge of partnership that lasts for life.  2.    Communication.Ephesians 4:29Think of words like bricks: you can build a home or break a window – it depends on how you use them.The Golden Rule of Communication: Say what you mean. Say it clearly and say it kindly. But always say what you mean. Differences in the communication style of men and women:1. Men tend to communicate for information, women communicate for connection.2. Men tend want to solve problems efficiently, women want to solve problems together.3. Men think in straight lines and store information in boxes, women think in webs and network stored information. In the end, your goal is not for your spouse to become like you, but for you to learn to love your spouse for who they are.Communicate about your communication.  3. Companionship. Ephesians 4:32 "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."How to remain friends while married:1. Remove the pressure of performance and perfection. 2. Stop wounding each other with words. 3. Become problem solvers, not argument winners. 4. Remember to have fun together. 4.  Christ's love.Jesus defined love for us:John 15:134 types of love – I'll give you the Greek word, a one-word English definition and a break up line for when this type of love is missing from a relationship.Eros – infatuation. "I love you, I'm just not IN love with you"Philia – friendship. "We just don't have anything in common"Agape –sacrifice. "It's not you, its me"Storge – family. "We've just grown apart"Paul described agape for us:1 Corinthians 13:4-7You can only give what you've got, and God is how you get agape. Questions:Married: Are you protecting the marriage God has given you?Not yet married: Are you preparing for the marriage God will give you?Not interested in marriage: Are you promoting Godly marriages?

Parenting is NOT easy, but its simple: train your children the way God trains you. Psalm 127:3a NLT "Children are a gift from God."Our goal is to raise the type of child we would want to be friends with as an adult.  Ephesians 6:1-4 NLT "Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.Children are provoked to anger when their core needs are not met. 1. Children need unconditional love. A child must know that they are valued, accepted and have a secure place in their family. 2. Children need a relationship with Jesus.YOU lead them to Christ – and at an early age. 3. Children need spiritual discipleship.Discipleship is intentional learning through practice. You are the mentor, they are the apprentice. (teacher/student) P.R.E.P. your children:Pray with them & for them.Read scripture with them and to them.Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit with them.Protect  them from negative influences. 4. Children need to have fun. 5. Children need discipline.Don't think of discipline as punishment for bad behavior, think of it as training in good behavior.  Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."Proverbs 22:15 "A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away."It's a child's job to test their boundaries. It's your job to determine and enforce the boundaries. Keys to loving, effective discipline:    1.      Pick your battles.   2.      Set clear expectations and consequences.   3.      Administer discipline with restraint.   4.      Be consistent! 6. Children need a safe place to talk. 7. Children need role models.Good parents don't just say it, they demonstrate it. Don't be like Jesse, who didn't even invite David to be considered for king.(1 Sam 16 ) ***Are you training your children in the way Jesus is training you?

In this series, we're talking about things that aren't easy, but they're simple.  Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares that it is not easy to walk in forgiveness, but it's simple. There are three types of forgiveness God is calling us to experience:1. Receiving God's forgiveness2. Forgiving ourselves3. Forgiving others We must receive God's forgiveness.1 John 1:9 God is more willing to forgive our sin than we are sometimes willing to admit our sin. God wants you to admit your sin because you can't be released from what you don't recognize.Ephesians 1:7 "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins." SO RICH!If someone isn't forgiven, its not because God won't forgive them, but because they won't receive it. Isaiah 43:25 "I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again."How often do you think about a bill you've already paid? You don't. That's how often God thinks about your forgiven sin: He doesn't. Feeling guilty doesn't make you a good person. We must forgive ourselves.We can only give what we have, so before we forgive others, we must forgive ourselves.2 Peter 1:8-9If you believe you're still a sinner, you will act like a sinner. If you believe you're forgiven, you will act like you're forgiven. Romans 8:1 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." We must forgive others.Matthew 6:14-15 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."Forgiveness is a two-sided coin. God can't redeem it until you release it.  Forgiving others is not:1. Denying what happened. The only people that won't like you having boundaries in your life are the people that have something to gain from you having none.2. Excusing sin. 3. Shielding someone from consequences. 4. A guarantee that someone will change. If you need someone else to change in order for you to be OK, you are their prisoner. Forgiveness is simply saying "I know a better judge than me and I am going to let Him handle this." Forgiveness is saying "I know unforgiveness is poison and I refuse to ingest it." How to forgive others: Make the choice & engage the process.You can't be married without a wedding but having a wedding doesn't mean you stay married.Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."Forgiveness is not just a point in time action; It's a life-long decision. Have you received God's forgiveness?Have you forgiven yourself?Are you forgiving others?

Do you sometimes feel stuck mourning a loss? In this message, Pastor Jamie will share how to deal with grief.  Things I want you to know about grief:Grief is a normal, healthy response to loss, pain, and death.John 16:20aWater washes – in the natural we have to clean a wound. Think of crying as cleaning an emotional wound.    There are two wrong ways to grieve: distraction and despair.1) Distraction is when we try to numb ourselves to how we feel. The problem is, you can't distract yourself out of grief. Feelings are meant to be felt. Talk it out with someone close to you or you'll take it out on someone close you.Proverbs 13:14Don't try to run from grief, instead run to God in your grief. 2) Despair is when grief becomes our identity.Psalm 31:10Don't wallow in your grief; worship in your grief and fight off despair.    Christians follow Christ so we should grieve how Jesus grieved.Isaiah 53:3 John 11:35 "Jesus wept"How we grieve reveals what we believe.  The best thing you can do for someone grieving is to just be there with them.Proverbs 18:13Grieving people don't need your mouth, they need your ears. God doesn't take away our grief—He adds good things to it.Antivenom doesn't remove the venom from the body, but bonds with the venom and causes it to no longer be harmful. God will add things to your life like "anti-grief" so that the grief won't harm you. Four things God will add to your grief:1. Peace.Philippians 4:6-7Thankfulness requires that you don't lose perspective on what you already have in order to receive something else.You can grieve and have peace at the same time, if you invite the Lord into your grief. 2. Joy.John 16:20Don't ask why, ask who.  3. Comfort.Matthew 5:4When you are grieving, you are now in a unique position to experience God in a way you've never experienced Him before.2 Corinthians 1:3-4God's comfort is an inexhaustible resource. When you give it away, you still keep it.4. Hope.1 Thessalonians 4:13-14If Jesus were to come back tonight, you'd get a front row seat to your loved-ones' resurrection. While walking through grief, face East. Almost every grave in every cemetery in the US is facing east. Why? Because Jesus will come back in the East. People are buried facing and expecting their resurrection. As you walk through grief, face East—expect the promise of Jesus to come true for you and those you've lost. Don't give up hope. Don't give into despair. Face East. How are you dealing with grief?

Are you prepared to die? We tend to avoid thoughts of death, especially our own. In this message, Pastor Cynthia shares how thinking about death can lead to life.Thinking About DeathPsalm 90:12 “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” – NLT Tips for Dying Well - Not a bucket list, a way of life. Be an Apprentice of JesusThen [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 NLTAnd now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:28 NLT Maintain a Clear conscience: Repent, Forgive, Live in Peacea.     Repent “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”  Acts 3:19 NASBPsalm 139:23-24 NIVb.     Forgive Mark 11:25 NIV“Father, forgive them” – On the cross, Jesus released and forgave others.c.      Live in Peace“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18 ESV 3.     Resist Fear/Walk in love  1 John 4:16-21“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:18-19 ESVPsalm 23:4 God’s love drives fear from our lives. God is love. In His presence we know love.When you are in that position of accepting His great love, fear loses its power over you.  Prepare OthersJesus prepared his followers for his death.Jesus told his followers: “I am going to Him who sent me… and you will see me no longer… you will weep and lament… you have sorrow now, but I will see you again.” – John 16:5,16,20,23 ESVWe have the responsibility as apprentices of Jesus to help others in our family and in our community be prepared to die. Anticipate going home.Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” – Philippians 1:21 NLTPeople should die anticipating entering the presence of their loving Father.    Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints Psalm 116:15 `Into your hands I commit my spirit.' Jesus quotes Old Testament scripture, but he makes it personal and intimate by using the word “Father”. Even on a cross, Jesus died like a child falling asleep in his love." Question: Are you prepared to die? Are you ready?

Are you ready to die? You don't know the day or time that you will die, but you can prepare now. In this message, Larry Nunnally shares his testimony of being resuscitated after a massive heart attack. We also will learn about the eternal rewards available to followers of Jesus.  We are all building an eternal legacy and can receive eternal rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 What determines our eternal rewards?Loving Jesus and His Kingdom through prayer, study, and fellowship. Loving and serving other people. Making disciples of those around us.  God wants a BIG family, and we are privileged to help Him build it!2 Timothy 4:7-8 What increases Eternal Rewards?Be obedient to God's word and God's leading. Learn from your leaders and mentors. Don't Quit! What hinders Eternal Rewards?Sin and selfish living will burn up in the fire of judgement. Good ideas that aren't "God" ideas will burn up. Procrastination blocks eternal rewards. Eternity is like an endless road. Our life on earth is like One Step on the journey. Give your life to Jesus and make the journey with Him. What we do in this life determines where we spend eternity and how we spend eternity.

Since we are all going to die, we should start practicing for it. In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how to practice for eternity. Philippians 4:9 "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."Practice brings peace. Do you want peace when you think about the end of your life? Practice for eternity now. What does the bible say about practicing for eternity?1. This life is not all that there is.After this life. We have one of two possible destinations: heaven or hell. This means heaven and hell are not the "afterlife," earth is the "beforelife." And eternity is not in the future, its already begun.Matthew 25:31-34; 41; 46 John 14:1-3God is a good father and heaven is a good gift. Trust Him.For the Christian, the worst case scenario is eternal bliss. 2. God's judgement is real, and God's decisions are just.Hebrew 9:27 CEV "We die only once, and then we are judged."Heaven and hell are a result of your relationship—you will go where your family is.Hell was not made for people and it is not God's desire for anyone to go there.1 Timothy 2:4There is more than enough room – God is not looking for ways to keep people out.No one who should be in heaven will be hell, and no one who should be in hell will be in heaven. God is a righteous judge.God is not being mean when he sends someone to hell. He is simply granting them their wish. 3. Salvation—including eternity in heaven—is by grace through faith, not works.One of the biggest lies out there is that good people go to heaven.Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."The salvation equation: Grace + Faith = Salvation + WorksWe don't work to get saved, but once we're saved we get to work. 4. Those who think the most of the next life will do the most in this life.Psalm 39:4Everyone is trying to get into heaven, but God is trying to get heaven into you.Ephesians 5:16-17 "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."How you live today determines how you're remembered tomorrow. Are you practicing for eternity?

People tend to visualize of Jesus based on who they are, not who He is.Hebrews 13:8-9a  Terminator Jesus is adopted by Christians who are mad at the world and frustrated with the church. They want to leverage Jesus as judge to wipe out those they don't like. Remember the story of Jonah? Why did he run from God's call?Jonah 4:1-2 The Ninevites were Jonah's enemies and he wanted God to destroy them, but he knew that God wanted to save them. Jonah 4:11 Terminator Jesus, who hates the people you hate, is not the real Jesus. Three signs that you're following Terminator Jesus:1. You weaponize God's word against other people.God's word is for people, not against people.Hebrews 4:12 The word exposes OUR thoughts and desires, not THEIRS. We read the word, so that the word can read us.God's word is designed to be mirror for seeing your own issues clearly, not a pair of binoculars to see others' issues clearly. 2. You root for other people's destruction.1 John 2:2 "He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."Now that Jesus has come, there is no longer a "them" for "us" to rally around. The enemy's plan is to divide and conquer, God's plan is to unite and conquer.Unbelievers aren't your enemy.When you don't think heaven is for everyone, you're OK with people going to hell.Christians don't fight AGAINST unbelievers, we fight FOR unbelievers.Ever wondered why Christians don't go to heaven as soon as they get saved? Because you are here on earth to become a part of Jesus' rescue mission. You were not just saved from the world, but for the world. What do we do instead of rooting for people's destruction?1 Peter 3:9 Don't get even, get blessed. Why would you want to be "even" with someone that hurts others, anyway? Jesus said love your enemies. Why? So you would be like him—because you were His enemy! 3. Judgement triumphs over mercy.James 2:13NLT – "There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you."  James 1:20 You can't bully someone into the kingdom of God.We should judge actions, but we should not judge people. What about the wrath of God?Romans 2:4-5 Judgement is coming, but is not yet. And when judgement does come, it won't be you doing it because you don't qualify as someone else's judge. 2 Corinthians 10:6 Jesus' obedience is complete, so He gets to punish other people's disobedience. Your obededience is not complete, so you don't get to punish anyone. Who do you say that He is?Do you worship Terminator Jesus?

You will be tempted to embrace 3 different understandings of Jesus: American Jesus, Hippie Jesus, and Terminator Jesus.The Gospels are How We Know and How We Grow.Hebrews 1: 1-3Jesus is what God has to say about Himself. If you want to know who someone is, listen to THEM when they tell you who they are. When we have a distorted vision of Jesus, we will have a distorted vision of God.You learn about the real Jesus by spending time with Him, not studying the counterfeits.Hippie Jesus is cool with everything except not being cool.Hippie Jesus can be best defined by looking at the actual hippie movement that occurred in the United States in the 1960's.Hippie Jesus wants you to be the best you, even if it kills you.Hippie Jesus doesn't ever want you to be inconvenienced by his demands, so he has very few.Three Signs That You May Be Following Hippie Jesus 1) You mistake freedom FROM sin as freedom TO sin.Hippe Jesus promises you freedom to do whatever makes you feel good. People who follow Hippie Jesus will think things like "he knows my heart and that's what matters right?" or "Jesus freed me from all of those rules, I can do whatever as long as I don't feel bad about it."Hippie Jesus embraces our sinfulness and calls it "being spiritual". The real Jesus bore our sinfulness and empowers us to live a life of holiness.Romans 6: 20-22Hippie Jesus teaches poor impulse control, the real Jesus teaches self-control. 2) You have traded the "God life" for the "good life".Our habits reinforce our ideas. We are either being formed into the image of God, or we are being deformed. Hippie Jesus promises us the "good life" by telling us to follow our hearts and never challenges us to form ourselves around the teachings of Jesus. This leads to a life that completely misses out on the "God kind of life" that Jesus promises us.Hippie Jesus promises you a life that is okay, the real Jesus promises you abundant life."The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."─John 10:10Zoe perissos translated "abundant life" means more than life, eternal life, the God kind of life.Hippie Jesus is ripping you off. Jesus doesn't just help you "make the cut" when you die, he gives you access to His life now.Hippie Jesus is a bad "Hope Dealer." 3) Your "counterculture" looks more like the world than the Kingdom of God.Christianity is the most countercultural movement to ever exist. Christians in the early church period were known for doing the exact opposite of what the culture of that time was known for.Romans 12:2 (NIV) Are you following Hippie Jesus?

Jesus is the most popular figure in the world. People tend to visualize of Jesus based on who they are, not who He is.Hebrews 13:8-9a Three images of Jesus you will be tempted to embrace:American JesusHippie JesusTerminator Jesus Today, American Jesus.I'm using the term American Jesus in a negative way because as Amercians, we tend to view Jesus through the lens of our being American. Christian nationalism.Christianity Today defines it as "the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and the government should take active steps to keep it that way."Patriotism is good, but God doesn't love America more than Bolivia.Mark 12:17 ESV God does not see your responsibility to your country to be the same thing as your allegiance to His Kingdom. You are not Christian American, you are an American Christian. American Jesus is Jesus made in the image of American: materialism, self-reliance, achievement, excess. Four signs that you might worship American Jesus:1. Jesus is your savior, but not your Lord.The word Lord in the New Testament means "master."Matthew 28:19-20 NLT The main marker of a disciple of Jesus is obedience. You do what He says to do because He is in charge—not you.James 1:22-24 Jesus becomes your savior as He becomes your Lord. God doesn't want to only be your crisis manager, but He wants to be your daily planner. 2. Jesus wants to make you comfortable and happy. God is the God of comfort but there is a difference between being comforted and being comfortable. You need comfort because you won't always be comfortable!Acts 14:22 NLTGod's goal for your life is not a life of luxury, but a life of maturity.Your happiness is not as important as your holiness because holiness is what makes you truly happy.God will do things for you. But God is not as interested in what He can do FOR you, as He is in what He can do IN you and THROUGH you. 3. Jesus helps you achieve your dreams, even though you don't help Him achieve His.You exist to make God's dreams come trueEphesians 1:5 NLT2 Peter 3:9 NLT  4. Your approach to Jesus is transactional, not           relational.Christian gold diggers are just after the streets of gold. They want to go heaven, but they don't want a King. Psalm 91:1 NLT Everyone wants God for their protection, but not every one wants to make God their priority.Too many Christians are "shacking up" with Jesus. They want benefits from him, without commitment to him. When we do this we are using God for what He can do, not loving Him for who He is. There are too many green card Christians who are using Jesus to gain citizenship in Heaven.American Jesus is transactional, the real Jesus is relational.  Who do you say that He is? Do you worship American Jesus?