Church Together

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Sermon notes are as follows: Different Circumstances Require Different Prayers (1) • Prayer must become our primary default, not our last request. • Prayer asks the following questions: What’s on your list? What’s on your heart? What’s your plea? What are you grateful for? • When we pray for people, it changes how we view people. Difficult Times Require Direct Prayers (2-4) • It is illogical not to pray for someone because we don’t like them. • Godly ambition leads us to seek peace, not drama. • We must walk into each room, relationship, situation, and circumstance  with a non-anxious presence – because we represent one who is not  anxious about anything. • There isn’t a person you will meet today, or any day, who God doesn’t deeply love. Divided Situations Require a Unifying Christ • A mediator brings two separated sides together. Jesus, our mediator,  took away our sin so we could be “brought back together” with God. • Good

Guest Speaker: Matt Bird Sermon notes are as follows: 1) Disciples of Jesus are known for what they are for, rather than what they are against 2) Disciples of Jesus live lives of abundance, not of abstinence 3) Disciples of Jesus transform the world, while disciples of John withdraw from the world

Speaker: Adeemir Dacenay Summary: How God uses difficult moments to spread His glory and how our past doesn’t disqualify us from being used in profound ways.

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Acts 3:1-10 Sermon notes are as follows: In Need (1-3) • We must commit to spending time with Jesus if we are to be changed to influence change in others. • Prayer & giving go together like faith & works. We have to be about both. • It is the way of Jesus to constantly be inviting outsiders in. In Power (4-8) • Don’t get too preoccupied doing God’s work. In doing so, you could miss what God is doing. • Often God won’t give us what we want because He’s got something better for us. • The name of Jesus makes dehumanized people become rehumanized. In Awe (9-10) • As with the beggar at the temple, may our praise of God be louder than our cry for help. • One changed life can create more ripples than we could ever imagine.

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: John 8:1-10 Sermon notes are as follows: The Trap (1-5) • A disciplined routine is the foundation for discipleship. • Jesus often does His best work in awkward moments. • Jesus knows how to unlock the latch on each trap. The Turn (5b-7) • We tend to have bigger problems with another person’s sin than we do our own. We’ve got to reverse this. •  Jesus turned a legal quibble into a moral issue. We can get through  many misunderstandings by understanding the heart behind the action. The Truth (8-10) • We don’t talk to crowds; we talk to people. We don’t influence communities; we influence people. • Repentance must happen privately before it can happen publicly. • God’s level of love for us is greater than our level of sin against him. • Our conscience can often be God’s deputy in our soul.

Speaker: Yvan Pierre To fulfill the calling from Matthew 2:1-12, "And he went back to his own country a different way" and reach the people of Haiti for Christ, the International Christian Development Mission (ICDM) was founded in 1989. ICDM focuses on training a new generation for God’s Kingdom by educating children, training Christian leaders and pastors, and equipping Christians to be Christ’s witnesses.

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Luke 7:36-50 Sermon notes are as follows: Changed people act hospitably... (36-38) • The perfume  that she poured was perhaps a part of her former profession. She was  able to break the jar because she didn't need it anymore. She was  leaving her old self behind. • Jesus can change awkward moments into moments of ministry. • She was changed by gratitude. So are we. as an illustration... (39-46) • There’s a difference between “soul righteousness” and “self-righteousness.” One empties, the other fills. We can’t have both. •  A good test for self-righteousness revolves around responding when  things go against us. Do we own and correct or blame and deny? • Please don’t dwell on a person’s past; help them fulfill their future. of the invitation to love and peace. (47-50) • The more we understand our disobedience, the greater we respond with love. • Simon only saw the sin; Jesus saw the sinner. • When people trust Jesus, he changes lives! •

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: John 4:1-42 Sermon notes are as follows: Challenged by Truth (1-26) •   It was the truth about hope, sin, shame, and salvation that helped the  woman at the well put her trust in Jesus. Our trust must be built upon  truth. • Truth changes us by setting us free! Challenged by Transformation (27-38) •  By leaving her “water jug”, she is making a statement about the new  bigger, bolder purpose to her life. It’s about serving the one who has  offered her living water. • No discovery is totally complete until a desire to share it motivates our hearts. • For Jesus, sustenance and satisfaction was found in fulfilling the work he’d be sent here to fulfill. Challenged by Transformation (39-42) • The Gospel is transmitted person to person. • The one who has the most opportunity is under the greatest obligation. • Jesus broke the chains that bound them to the past and gave them a power which enabled them to meet the future.

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: 1 Peter 2:1-10 Sermon notes are as follows: Don't Settle (1-5) • Keep removing what’s wrong, keep embracing what’s right – and never settle! • Remember – those who gossip to you will gossip about you! •  It is desperately sad when there is no hunger for the Word of God, and  people fill their appetite for God with the spiritual equivalent of a  pop tart. • Spiritual growth is simply emptying sin and replacing it with the righteousness of Christ. Don't Stumble (6-8) •  Once you have the cornerstone of your life in place, everything else in  life will not just fall into place, but will make sense. If we don’t,  everything is shakey until we do. • As we stand with honor and without shame, we are less likely to stumble. Don't Forget (9-10) • God formed you for himself – Isaiah 43:1 •  The Latin word for priest is “bridge-builder.” As a “royal priesthood,”  we all have the responsibility to help build bridges across which &nbs

Speaker: Adeemir Dacenay Scripture Focus: Genesis 24:1-14 Sermon Focus: Through the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah found in Genesis 24:1-14, we can learn how to be obedient on a journey despite the length, because when we do, it gives us an opportunity to tell the story of God with us.

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Romans 12:1-6 Sermon notes are as follows: Tune Up Your Heart (1) • When talking about our response to God’s mercy, we must remember that because God’s mercies are always plural, our responses must be  multifaceted. • We can only make living sacrifices once the living Savior is at work within us. Tune Up Your Mind (2) • Science tells us that our minds are constantly being rewired. The best rewiring of the mind comes from a renewal of the heart. • We are not conformers; we’re transformers. • Without renewing our minds, we cannot understand God’s purpose for us. We can find it and evaluate it once we let Jesus change our thinking  and priorities. We can only find our right purpose once we have the right priorities. Tune Up Your Character (3) • Christianity is about heart change and mind renewal before and beyond simply being about behavior modification. • The more faith that we have, the more soberly we judge ourselves. As He becomes bigger in us, w

Speaker: Adeemir Dacenay Scripture Focus: Matthew 2:1-19 Sermon notes are as follows: Three Hard Truths • Unstable people tie their status to their value • Unstable people try to control the uncontrollable • Unstable people create unstable environments The recognition of our instability leads us to the necessity of Christ in these three statements: • Remember who Christ says you are • Remember who it is that we surrender to • Remember the power you have in the room

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Psalm 100:1-5 Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations. Sermon Notes Bring Your "Service" & Your "Song" (1-2) • Your attitude of gratitude is not just important because of what it does for you, but how it aligns your heart with Christ. • As you surrender to God’s kingship you share in His kinship. • Our worship is both in service and song. Both are ways of expressing our gratitude to God. Offer Your "Who" & Your "Why" (3) • We are not just made BY God, we are made FOR god. It is impossible to be fully you without knowing Him. Give Him Your "Now" & Your "Next" (4-5) • Gratitude moves us tow

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Lamentations 3:22-27 Sermon notes are as follows (click here for the original order of worship) It’s Foundationally Faithful (22-23) • All we had, have, and will have is because of the faithful, steadfast love of God. • Authentic compassion is birthed within us and expressed through us. It’s More Than Enough (24) • Because of Jesus, our contemplation of trouble can become a confession of faith. • Jesus is enough. A portion of Him more than satisfies all of you. It’s Worth Waiting For (26-27) • Sometimes we can only know the salvation of the Lord when we endure patiently. • There is more purpose and joy waiting for you at the other end of waiting than you can imagine!

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Matthew 5:38-48 Sermon notes are as follows: What's Your Reaction (38-42) • Jesus pushes us to answer the question, "What’s your reaction to deliberate insult, violated rights, and unfair compulsion?" Our response to this question determines so much about our walk with Him. • In abusive situations, never allow the abuser to continue to abuse. • Evil manipulates people. Martin Luther said that we need to be careful distinguishing between the “office” of evil and the “carriers” of evil. • Our sense of honor must come a distant second to God’s. • Christians are people who lay down their rights and pick up their responsibilities. All too often, sadly, we lay down our responsibilities as we demand our rights. • “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. Love transforms with redemptive power”.  How Will You Respond? (43-48) • Praying for our enemy is the gateway to loving our enemy. • Living an ordinary life can sometimes be a barrier t

Speaker: Sean Cooper Scripture Focus: John 4:1-42 Message Focus: Three powerful, gospel actions that Jesus modeled (listen, learn, lean-in). The early church followed Jesus' example. The result — Christians Act Like Christ was a statement that ended with a ❗️, not a ❓. When it comes to these actions of listening, learning, leaning-in (and ultimately loving others), which area would you say the church is most struggling? Which would you say is the area you need to strengthen? What's one relationship this week where you can show the same humility Christ modeled by engaging someone around you who looks, thinks, votes, believes differently than you?

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Matthew 5:21-30 Sermon notes are as follows: A heart that doesn’t hate (21-22) • An honest fulfillment of the law involves not just right action, but right intent. • You can’t live a full Christian life while living with anger. A heart that makes right with people (23-26) • The best diagnostic to the health of our spiritual heart is determined by the strength of our relationships. A heart that loves and values people (27-30) • A great sadness of the human condition is that there is often a difference between our strongest desires and our deepest desires. A primary way to overcome temptation is to make our deepest desires also our strongest desires. • Sometimes God says no to us because He has a great yes in store for us!

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Scripture Focus: Nehemiah 4:1-10 & Nehemiah 6:1-14 Sermon notes are as follows: Let Mockery Motivate You • If we are doing God’s work and people are getting angry at us, their offense is ultimately against God. We must let God defend us. • When we feel belittled, we must allow God to be bigger within us. Let Manipulation Strengthen You • Don’t listen to the whispers of lies; invite truth to speak louder! • Work on strengthening your character, not your reputation, because your reputation always reflects your character. Let Intimidation Embolden You • Always stand, never run. One who understands all that Christ has done for them and has lost their life in Christ should always stand and never run. • Don’t let pathetic words become prophetic words in your life!

Speaker: Adeemir Dacenay Scripture Focus: Daniel 3:16-30 Sermon notes are as follows: You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. - James 4:4 1) Monitor Who Speaks Into Your Life 2) Evaluate What We Value 3) Change How We Pray

Speaker: Pastor Andy Searles Sermon Series: Reboot Scripture Focus: Nehemiah 2:11-20 Sermon notes are as follows: Do Your Homework (11-15) • Tiredness robs perspective, multiplies anxiety, makes new opportunities intolerably burdensome, and destroys our peace. If we don’t choose to rest, we will never be at our best. • Leaders must live in reality, face facts honestly, and accept bad news as well as good. Build the Team (16-18) • Using the term ‘we’ and ‘us’ rather than ‘you’ and ‘them,’ Nehemiah unites a team where all can take ownership in the project. • Nehemiah teaches us that leadership is “getting people to do what they ought to do because they want to do it.” Overcome the Objections (19-20) • Ridicule is “the weapon of those who have no other.” When you are ridiculed, though, realize that you are in the company of anyone who has done anything significant! • We must treasure no ambition but the glory of God.