Arden First Baptist Church

The Greatest Christmas Ever Part 2- The Wise Men's Journey Question to Ponder-Are you still seeking after Jesus daily? The Wise Men’s Journey. Seeking to forever be a seeker: A true seeker of Jesus… 1. Travels long distances to worship the true King (v. 1-2). 2. Doesn’t get hindered by the hypocrites along the way (v. 3-8). 3. Follows the light that leads towards the True Light (v. 9-10). 4. Worships Jesus by laying down their earthly treasures because they’ve found the greatest Treasure (v. 11). 5. Listens to God and obeys the promptings of the Holy Spirit (v. 12). Take Home Truth: A true seeker is willing to go the distance to discover and delight in Jesus as the true King. Action Steps: * Worship: Make worship a priority in your life. When you make Jesus the center of your life, worship becomes a priority. * Giving: The wise men gave their best gifts to Jesus for His birthday. Decide to give more of yourself to Jesus this year than ever before! * Seeking: Never

The Greatest Christmas Ever Part 1-Elizabeth’s Dream Come True: How to transform your doubt into destiny! Question to Ponder-How should I respond when it seems like God is not responding to my prayers? When God turns your misery into a miracle… 5 Truths that can transform your doubt into destiny! 1. Even godly people struggle with unanswered prayers (v. 5-7). 2. God has a message of hope even in the most hopeless situations (v. 8-17). 3. Never doubt God’s promises even when they seem too good to be true (v. 18-22). 4. God likes to resurrect dreams that died a long time ago (v. 23-25). 5. God can transform your test into a testimony (v. 57-58). Action Steps: 1. Look to God’s Word for God’s promises. 2. Don’t stop believing what God has promised to you. 3. Keep on praying even when you want to stop! Remember the best things in life often come much later than you desire! 4. Give more of yourself to Jesus this Christmas than ever before! Take Home Truth:

We welcome guest speaker Randy Shepherd from Crossfire Ministries for a powerful message!

The Power of Thanks Psalm 84 Part 2: Church is the Place to Be! Today’s Question: Do you treasure the house of God above everywhere else? Church is the Place to Be! Church is the place to be because it’s a place… Where you can’t wait to go (v. 1-2).  Make church a priority in my life.  I choose to give the best of myself to the work of God in the local church: My time (joining a Serve Team), my treasure (giving generously), and my gifts (using my gifts to build up the church).  Where you can find and experience true life (v. 3-4).  This church is a place where you can settle down and grow some roots! We are a place for all generations—from Babies to Boomers from Generation Z to the Greatest Generation and everything in between! So settle down and grow some roots here! You spend so much timing sowing, that you should stay long enough to enjoy some of the harvest that you helped sow!  Where you find new strength and renewed hope (v. 5-7)

The Power of Thanks Part 1: God’s Will For My Life Today’s Question: What happens when you have a thankful heart? Choose Joy Always. What is the difference between happiness and joy? The Power of Thanks: Joy is something that is much deeper than happiness. Happiness is there when all is going well for me, and then it disappears when life is not going so well. Joy, on the other hand, is consistent. As a Christian, you can never truly loose your joy. You can lose the experience of joy, but you can’t lose joy itself. Joy is deep down in your spirit; you just have to rediscover the joy of being found in Jesus! Did you know that joy is a daily choice you have to make? Quote: “There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste, and comforting to the heart. This blessed joy is very contagious. One dolorous spirit brings a kind of plague into the house; one person who is wretched seems to stop

Holy Habit #7: Fasting Fasting: Why do devoted disciples fast? Today’s Question: Why do devoted disciples fast? WHY should I fast? Isaiah 58:6-12 (NLT) If you don’t get your self under control, your life will become out of control. The practical aspect of fasting is that fasting helps you say “no” to yourself so that you can say “yes” to God! Fasting helps you gain control over your body and over your life. If you struggle with control issues, it’s time to look at the holy habit of fasting! Matthew 25:36-40 Fasting unleashes needed breakthroughs in your personal life (v. 8) Deliverance comes through fasting. Healing is promoted through fasting. Divine direction is released through fasting. Divine protection is activated through fasting. Long awaited answers to prayer happen through fasting. Daniel 10:12-14 (NLT) Help for others is motivated through fasting. Radiance is illuminated through fasting. Personal vitality is restored through fasting. Restoratio

Holy Habit: Ministry Ephesians 4:7-16 Are you playing your part in building up the Body of Christ? 1. When it comes to grace, you struck it rich (v. 7). Body Builder Tip: Jesus has given me at least one spiritual gift to use to build up the Body of Christ in the local church. If I am not using my spiritual gift, I am not in the sweet spot of God’s will for my life. I am blessed to be a blessing! If you are not serving, you are swerving! Take Action: Try serving in a least two different Serve Teams to find which team I can make most eternal good! 2. When it comes to purpose, you are gracefully gifted (v. 8-10). Body Builder Tip: As my character becomes more like Jesus, then I will discover my true calling, and as I commit to live out my purpose, then I am truly living a life of significance. 3. When it comes to ministry, you are called to do your part (v. 11-16). Apostle - the Visionary Pioneer: One who is sent on a mission. “Let’s go to a new horizon.” Prophet - the B

Holy Habit #5: Prayer The Power of Passionate Prayer: How to Pray Like Your Life Depends upon it! • Jesus prayed regularly. • Jesus prayed often. • Jesus prayed in the early mornings (Mark 1:35). • Jesus prayed late in the evenings (Matthew 14:23). • Jesus prayed all night at critical times in his life and ministry (Luke 6:12). • Jesus prayed in private places like on mountain tops and the wilderness (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 5:16). • Jesus prayed passionately (Hebrews 5:7). • Jesus prayed persistently (Matthew 26:44). • Jesus prayed in the Father’s will (Matthew 26:42). • Jesus prayed to give thanks for food (Matthew 14:19). • Jesus prayed to bless the little children (Matthew 19:13-15). • Jesus prayed to His disciples and for all future believers—and this includes you (John 17:1-25, Romans 8:34). • Jesus prayed for His disciples to receive the Holy Spirit Who would be with them forever (John 14:16).

Holy Habit #4: Community Are you fully connected to your church family? 3 Family Truths about Christianity Community 1. A thriving church family is engaging daily in the Holy Habits (v. 41-42, 46-47a). Community Principle: Great things happen when God’s people are praying, God’s Word is being proclaimed, and God’s Spirit falls upon the people! If we want to see God move in our midst, we need to be committed to praying with passion, preaching with purpose, and inviting the Holy Spirit to move mightily in our midst. Community Principle: True Christian community takes place not only on Sunday, but also throughout the week. Fellowship happens when believers meet together to pray for one another, share a meal together, prayer together and for one another, worship Jesus together, and remembering the Lord’s death in partaking communion. Fellowship is all about taking part in the “one another” principles found throughout the New Testament. As we grow closer to Jesus, we sh

The Genius of Generosity: 4 Generous Principles about New Testament Giving How is generous giving genius? 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 1. A genius giver understands the law of the harvest (v. 6, 10). Genius Giver Thought: I will practice generous giving because I know that God is the one who provides both the seed and the harvest. My job is to trust God’s goodness and sow the seed generously and expectantly. 2. A genius giver plans their giving strategy (v. 7a). You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving! Genius Giver Thought: When you are living forgiven, set free, and are walking in the newness of the Spirit—you are living by a higher standard, not a lower standard than that which was prescribed by the law. The tithe is a good starting point of reference (not a law or a command)—but grace should motivate you not to put limits on what God can do THROUGH you and your giving! Tithing is like the training wheels of grace giving, but generosity should be our goal! Christia

Holy Habits Part 2 - Bible Study Jeremiah 23:29 Today’s Question: Are you ready to experience true life change on a daily basis? 1. God’s Word is purifying like a blazing fire: “Does not my word burn like fire?” says the LORD. 2. God’s Word is powerful like a mighty hammer: “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?” Call to action: Memorize one verse that is relevant to your present spiritual need. Tips for memorizing God’s Word from the Navigators: 4 Steps to Memorizing More Scripture Step 1: Pick an area of gospel truth you’re motivated to understand more deeply Step 2: Dig into the context Step 3: Memorize in bite-sized pieces Step 4: Review with friends 3. God’s Word is a lamp that illuminates your daily steps. The Sword Study Method: A popular method of reading the Bible in a way that helps you apply God’s Word in every area of your life. “The Sword Method helps believers learn how to read

Holy Habits Part 1-Worship Romans 12 Worship as a Lifestyle: Invading the 167 - How would your life change if your life became a living worship service to God? 1. Worship is a life that is fully surrendered to God and His purposes (v. 1). • Therefore. What is the “therefore” there for? • Complete surrender to Jesus is the only logical response to the mercies of God in your life. • Notice the type of sacrifice that God desires: A _____ sacrifice. Worship Principle: When I surrender my life to Jesus and His purposes, God sees this as a living worship to Him. 2. Worship is a mind that is transformed by God’s Word and surrendered to God’s will (v. 2-3). • So, if you are surrendered to God, the next step is to change the way you think. • How do you change the way that you think? By renewing your mind. Application: Ways to renew your mind: An introduction to the 7 Holy Habits: #1- Worship: How to express your thankfulness to God. #2- Bible

Vision Sunday 2022 Stones of Significance: Joshua 4 Stones of Significance: What stone will you lay for future generations? 1. God did miracles for the children of Israel, and He wanted them to remember it (v. 1-3). Faith comes before sight. Don’t wait for everything to fall into place before you take your first step of faith. Take your first step of faith after God calls your name and tells you to move! 2. God called the leaders to lay stones of significance that would impact future generations (v. 3-7, 21-24). When God wants to do something mighty in the earth, He always raises up a leader who is willing to lead the people of God’s forward in the mission of God. 3. The children of Israel moved forward with the mission of God in their lives (v. 8-9). In the Great Co-Mission, Jesus tells us what to do—make disciples. He tells us where to go—everywhere. He tells us who to reach—everyone from every nation. He tells us what we need to be about—going (being on mission

Reaching for the Finish Line Acts 28:11-31 Today’s Question: What does it look like just before you cross the finish line of God’s calling in your life? There will be many twists and turns all the way to the finish line (v. 11-14). What happens when the ship that you counted on got sunk? In God’s time, He provides a new ship for you to sail on! God will send encouragement to you along the way (v. 15-16). So what about those times, when you seem to have very few people or no one to encourage you? You practice the spiritual discipline of self-encouragement: When no one is around to encourage you, what do you do? You encourage yourself in the Lord! Since God is the God of all hope, He sends encouragement along the way—especially when you need it the most! 5 practical ways to encourage yourself in the Lord: 1) Talk to God often. 2) Treasure scripture verses that are a source of encouragement to your soul. 3) Surround yourself with other godly, positive people! 4) Practice the prese

Shipwrecked, snake bitten, but not forgotten! Acts 27:39-28:10 Today’s Question: How should you respond AFTER you’ve experienced a great tragedy in your life? 1. You ship may sink, but you are not sunk (27:39-44). Eventually you will get to the end of the storm that you’re in. 2. God’s goodness often shows up in the most unlikely places (28:1-2). After a great storm, look for a rainbow of God’s goodness and love in your life. 3. Satan often likes to strike after a great breakthrough (28:3). How to avoid the snake bites of life: Put on the full armor of God because the ancient serpent is looking to land a bite on you to slow down or even stop your progress in your calling and your character. 4. People often assume the worst about you when something bad happens to you (28:4). It is so easy to get caught up in social media likes, the size of your following, and how many friends you have. It’s easy to find your identity by the amount of money you

Secure in the Storm Acts 27 4 Anchors of HOPE that you give you security in the storm: Anchor #1: PREPARATION. God prepares you BEFORE the storm (v. 1-3). God never sends his child into a storm without first preparing his child for the storm. Before the storm comes the preparation. The God who controls the storm is also the God who prepares you before you get into the storm. There is nothing that you are presently facing that God hasn’t already been working in you to prepare you for what’s coming. And when you’re in the storm—you will find that God is giving you FRESH grace to get your through the storm. Anchor #2: PRESENCE. God is with you IN the storm (v. 4-26). Anchor #3: COURAGE. God gives you supernatural courage in the storm (v. 10-11, 21-26, 30-38). Paul was supposed to be the prisoner. Instead the prisoner was transformed into the preacher. The boat was supposed to be a vehicle of transportation. Instead the boat became a floating church service. Never underestimate wha

The Opportunity of a Lifetime Acts 25:23-26:32 The Opportunity of a Lifetime - 3 Mind-bending Realities about Difficult Trials: God can turn your worst setback into your greatest set-up (Acts 25:23-27). What if the worst thing that ever happened TO you becomes the best thing that ever happened FOR you from eternity’s perspective? The opportunity of a lifetime is every time you get to share Jesus with someone who is lost (Acts 26:1-23). Challenge: Share your testimony with someone this week or share your testimony on social media! Do your best for God and leave the results to God (Acts 26:24-32). Dear Dad…Dear mom…. Raising your kids in the Lord just may be your most important contribution in your entire life. So raise them up in the Lord…and when they are grown up…leave the results to God! Today’s Big Idea: Sharing Jesus with the lost is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. Action Steps (Applications): Ask God to turn your worst setback into your greatest setup

Let’s Change the World Faith Under Fire Acts 25:1-22 4 Inspiring Truths about Faith under fire: Authentic faith stays alive even under the threat of death (v. 1-3). Authentic faith stands strong even under vicious vilification (v. 4-8). Authentic faith seeks truth in a world full of lies (v. 9-12). Authentic faith soars bravely in the face of fear (v. 13-22). What is a soundtrack? A soundtrack is a repetitive thought. You have a sound track for every part of your life. Culture is a collection of soundtracks playing consistently at a company. Great thoughts lead to great actions. Great actions lead to great results. 3 ways to replace ungodly sound tracks with biblical ones. 1. Retire broken sounds tracks— 2. Replace them with new soundtracks— 3. Repeat until automatic— Today’s Big Idea: Faith under fire glows brighter as you focus on Jesus. Action Steps (Applications): Pre-decide to be a person of authentic truth: To tell the truth, to live the truth, and to

The Waiting Room: How to make the most out of the wait! Psalm 40:1-5, 16-17 Today’s Question: How do you make the most out of the waiting room? The waiting room: The distance between the promise and the fulfillment is the waiting room! 1. In the waiting room, remember WHO you’re waiting on (v. 1a). Who are you waiting on? The LORD! David wasn’t waiting in vain, because he knew Who he was waiting upon—David was waiting upon the Lord! If you are waiting on the LORD, every waiting room is actually God’s waiting room where He is preparing you for what He has in store for you! Waited-Hebrew: waiting, I waited. Joyful Waiting Room Formula: The Wait+ Anticipation + Perseverance= The waiting room becomes a delivery room! 2. In the waiting room, keep on praying, even through your doubts (v. 1b). Though the wait seems long and hard—keep on pressing into prayer because God is present even though you can’t feel His presence right now! God is watching over you…n

Food For Thought: Daniel 1 Pastor Mike Rowe, guest speaker He (God) gives us the opportunity to take a stand. He gives us the opportunity to see Him work. He gives us the opportunity to serve.