Bloom Church Podcast

In parenting More is caught than taught. 1. Parents are responsible for helping their teen build a solid FOUNDATION. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11 (ESV) 2. With a solid foundation, parents guide teens to discover their IDENTITY in Christ. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 NIV   The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked Jeremiah 17:9 KJV   3. Teens need more than just their parents, they need Godly MENTORS One of the biggest factors to shape your identity is the voices you’re allowing to speak into you life. TEENAGERS NEED SPIRITUAL MENTORS LIKE: Parents Healthy Peers Small Group Leaders Pastors & Ministry Leaders   4. Teens need to explore their identity in Christ and find PURPOSE in the context of spiritual mentors. 5

'If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT   If you want to change the culture in your home, you have to change the way you communicate.   For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Matthew 12:34 NLT   'The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21 NLT   Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. James 3:2 NLT   3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR WORDS/TONGUES   1. THE TONGUE IS SMALL BUT

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 NLT   For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12 NLT   'For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their ow

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. ” He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Luke 4:18-21 NLT   For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 NLT   'But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT   The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News… Luke 4:18 NLT   For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT   Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT   To win the world is to display the greatest love. God loved us so much that He gave! There is no greater love than to lay down your life for the well-being of others. The key to Joy is unconditional kindness to all people which is true compassion. The Great Commission is a command and the second judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is a reality.   “We are not only going to be judged for what we have done. we are going to be judged by what we could have done.” -AW Tozer   LOVELESSNESS RESULTS FROM SELF-LOVE   When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. Matthew 9:36-37 NLT   But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.” Luke 19:41-42 NLT   “Meanwhi

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT   To belong is to be loved and to give love. Your identity is shaped when a community brings you in and validates that you belong and when you validate for others that they belong. However, the greatest validation that brings peace, security, joy, and growth in our lives is when the community we belong to Echoes the Word of God and His design for our lives.   “When we live outside of a healthy community, we not only lose others. We lose ourselves...Who we understand ourselves to be is dramatically affected for better or worse by those we hold closest to us. We only truly come to know ourselves in the context of others. The more isolated and disconnected we are, the more shattered and distorted our self-identity. We are not healthy when we are alone. We find ourselves as we connect to others.” Erwin McManus   Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken togeth

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT   Faith is what brings meaning to life. God has a sovereign purpose in all things. That as God’s children we must trust that Jesus is who He says He is, salvation is real, the Word of God is true, and that nothing can separate us from the love of God!   Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT   FEAR IS CONQUERED BY FAITH AND FAITH IS FUELED BY TRUST   One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” 2 Kings 4:1 NLT   1. GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR SITUATION   'The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are cru

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalms 1:1-3 NLT   All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT   So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Ephesians 2:16 NLT   And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:19 NLT   THE QUESTION IS NOT “AM I GOING TO BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY OF FAITH?” BUT “HOW AM I GOING TO

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6:46-49 NLT   JESUS CAN’T BE LESS THAN WHO HE IS   Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. Isaiah 26:13 NIV   HOW DO WE DISPLAY LOYALTY TO GOD?   1. LIVE WITH A FULL SUBMISSION TO HIS AUTHORITY   But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:15 NIV   May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 NLT   Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. Matthew 26:39 NLT   2. WE REC

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.” Jeremiah 18:1-6 NLT 1. Jeremiah saw the potter Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. Job 10:9 NKJV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NLT In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 NLT 2. Jeremiah saw the wheel And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT 3. Jeremiah saw the clay Sin is simply when we re

PATHWAYS 2/5/2024 Week 5: The Case for Community LACK OF COMMUNITY CAN LEAD TO: Heart disease High blood pressure Immune disorders Mental health issues (higher stress & anxiety) Cancer Suicide PEOPLE WHO ARE CONNECTED WITH OTHERS HAVE: 50% increase in life longevity Strengthened immune system and fighting diseases Lower levels of anxiety & depression Greater empathy More trust & cooperative Others trust & are open to cooperation Improved physical, social & emotional well-being STUDIES SAY OVER 25% OF AMERICANS HAVE NO ONE TO CONFIDE IN, OR WHO THEY CONSIDER A CLOSE FRIEND Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 NLT 1. THE NEED TO TAKE ___INITIATIVE__________________ 2. THE NEED FOR _____GOOD COMMUNITY________________ Do not be mis

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT   But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 NLT   “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Revelation 3:15-16 NLT     “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39 NLT     Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of y

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. —Martin Luther King JR   You live fully in me and now I live fully in them so that they will experience perfect unity, and the world will be convinced that you have sent me, for they will see that you love each one of them with the same passionate love that you have for me. John 17:23 TPT   The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit. And you did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as he rises up within us, our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!” For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as he whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!” Romans 8:14-16 TPT   PRAYER IS LESS ABOUT THE WORDS THAT YOU SAY, BUT THE MIND

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns” Jeremiah 4:3 NLT   The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalms 51:17 NLT   So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NLT   Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24 NLT   When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John15:8 NLT   Fruit-bearing in character is a prerequisite to fruit-bearing in spiritual influence upon others.   When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Hebrews 6:7-8 NLT   Fallow Ground has a hard surface.   Fallow Ground has overgrowth

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:26 NLT   “While true Grace is the full justification of the sinner, cheap Grace is the justification of continued sin. The Christian continues too often to model himself on the world standards in nearly every possible sphere of life, counting it presumption to aspire to a life under grace different from that which life has been under sin.”  Dwight Small   “Costly Grace is costly because it cost a man his life, and it is Grace because it gives a man the only true life. it is costly because it condemns sin, and Grace because it justifies the sinner.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer   Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT   Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the m

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23 NLT     Jesus had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2:6-8 MSG   THE GIFT OF JESUS IS…   1. THE GIFT OF PEACE   You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:12-14 NLT   And it

“What do you Expect – Power of Expectations”   EXPECTATION   “…My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT   EXPECTATION   Expectations, with the right heart, are the breeding ground of miracles   FRUSTRATION DISAPPOINTMENT ANGER   If we aren’t careful, we could begin to project our frustration, disappointment, and anger towards God when He doesn't meet our expectations   “JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHO WAS IN PRISON, HEARD ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THE MESSIAH WAS DOING. SO HE (JOHN) SENT HIS DISCIPLES TO ASK JESUS, ARE YOU THE MESSIAH WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING, OR SHOULD WE KEEP LOOKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE?” – Matthew 11:2-3 NLT   “…are you the messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Matthew 11:3 NLT   What happens when you go one way but God goes another?   GOD MAY NOT ALWAYS LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS, BUT HE WILL ALWAYS LIVE UP TO HIS WORD   1.     Inspect Your Perspective   PERSPECTIVE INFLUENCES EXPECTATION   “Now while John the Baptizer was in prison…” Matthew

Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.” But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” For there were about 5,000 men there. Luke 9:12-14 NLT About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! Matthew 14:21 NLT Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! Luke 9:14-17 When the day began to wear away. Luke 9:12

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. John 12:1-6 NKJV 1. THE ENEMY OF GENEROSITY This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. John 12:6 NKJV Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Isca