You are part of the community of faith, the family of believers, you must love

and forgive.

There was a spider who spun a beautiful web that was held up by a single initial strand. The spider thought it no longer needed that single web and cut it, but the whole web collapsed and the spider was crushed.

1. Don’t cut the cord of faith - it is a lifeline to God and a link to His love and care.

2. If God is so good and great, why is there so much evil in the world?

2a. God wants to hear from you and what’s on your mind, even if it is negative.

2b. We have to be patient and wait on God for His reply.

2c. God wants us to be happy and well, but we have to wait on His time.

2d. We may have times of despair and despondency, but so did many of the great people of the Bible - they questioned God and themselves and wanted to quit, but didn’t.

3. We are especially blessed because we’ve believed even though we haven’t seen - unlike Thomas who had to see to believe.

4. Our answer and Habakkuk’s answer came in 2:4 - the Righteous shall live by faith.

4a. Our faith comes out in our lives.

4b. The nine fruit of the Spirit will come out automatically.

5. The difficult part is living by faith and responding to the calling or urging of God in your daily life.

Oct. 28 - “A Tree Known by Its Fruit” - Luke 18:9-14

1. The Pharisee thought he was righteous because he went beyond the law’s requirements - he was boasting to God but not asking God for anything.

2. The Tax Collector boasted of nothing but asked God for forgiveness and mercy.

3. Righteousness involves not only following the law but also seeking God in humility.

4. Forgiveness, mercy, love, and being peacemakers are characteristics of the righteous.

5. The Pharisee saw himself:

5a. as self-made, not God made and redeemed, God owed him;

5b. full of contempt for his neighbor, not love.

6. The Pharisee broke both of the greatest commandments.

7. Mt. 12:33 - A tree is known by its fruit.

8. Trusting in your own righteousness leads to contempt of others

9. Trusting in God’s grace makes it impossible to treat others with contempt.

10. What are you trusting in?

1. We need reminders that we’re going to be all right - where do we look for our comfort and peace?

2. Low self-esteem cripples us and robs God of opportunities for us to be of service to Him and keeps us from facing giants.

3. We become whole persons by learning to trust God, to love our neighbor and to love ourselves.

4. God loves us so much and created us that ti’s all right to love ourselves but we only do so in order to be better able to reach out to thers.

5. We must clothe ourselves in love, seek God in His word daily and put off our old selves in order to grow.

6. We must reach out to a hurting world; actions speak louder than words and we must be our brother’s keeper.

7. We must respond in different ways than our old ways.

Oct. 14 - “Where are the Others?” - Luke 17:11-19

Oct. 7 - Reaching for the Higher Branch - Luke 12:10-17

1. The Jewish people were missing something important with their observance of laws, such as not the one forbidding work on the Sabbath.

2. Jesus was concerned with helping others anytime, even on a Sabbath.

3. Jesus not only healed the woman, he touched her and declared her a daughter of Abraham; just as he’d gone to the home of Zaccheus and declared him a son of Abraham.

3a - all are important in the kingdom

3b. all can be a part of the kingdom

3c. Jesus is changing things and upsetting some.

4. We should have the joy and celebration as one who’s been healed of crippling infirmities.

5. We need to be about the business of Jesus - looking for others to be included in the celebration.

6. Jesus makes us who we are and gives us the fruit to be able to share.

7. He gave all to use so we could be a part of the celebration.

8. We need to make changes where they need to be made

1. We may think that we’re doing great, but the Lord wants us to step up to the next level.

2. There are times when we have to sacrifice.

3. Money is a spiritual gift of God.

4. One way to praise and love God is sharing our gifts.

5. One day we’ll be called home, wouldn’t it be great to know that we’d done all that we can do.

6. The little we do, if we tried our best, will be a wonderful blessing in this world and beyond.

7. When we see a need, we seize upon that opportunity and do whatever it takes to meed that need.

8. 4 Things to aim for:

1. Aim at a lifestyle where God’s Word fills up your heart

2. Aim at a lifestyle of unblemished character: we’re supposed to be holy and godly, we’re supposed to act like Christians.

3. Aim at a life of good deeds - they won’t get you into heaven, but because of our faith that does, we have the ability to share the fruit of the Spirit in the form of good deeds.

4. Aim at a lifestyle where you have confidence about the future; if not, all sorts of problems can creep in.

 1.  Our recent lack of rain and the story in the paper of different people working together to provide water to a drought-stricken farmer brings to mind the story of Isaac's trouble with his wells.

2.  Isaac tried to return to his father's wells, but when others disputed it with him, he moved on and dug other wells until he got to one that no one disputed that he named "enough room for us as last."

3.  Isaac humbled himself enough to leave his father's wells for the sake of peace.

4.  In the past Isaac had not always acted like this but had somewhere found a   source of humility and peace and was rewarded by God appearing to him and reassuring him.

5.  Do we have that same sense of peace?  Is there a place where we can go in our personal spiritual lives to find it?

6.  Moses came down from the mountain and later came out of the tabernacle where he'd been talking with God and his face would shine.

7.  At first the people were afraid of this, so he wore a veil; but they later came to depend on this as a sign of God's presence, so he continued to wear the veil to hide the fact that the glow would wear off.

8.  When we're together at church or in activities our faces glow pretty well, but does it fade in between times?

9.  Do we have a plan to keep our faces glowing with the presence of God throughout the week or do we have to hide behind a veil so no one will see that our glow is fading?

10.  We must find in our private spiritual time a way of keeping the glow on our face because that's all of God that others might see during the week and we may run into people during the week or even here on Sundays who need to see the glow of God through us.

1. The sharing of love and faith brings joy.

2. The transforming power of the Gospel is so great that it will penetrate and open the darkest heart and you're being used by that power as an instrument of the transforming.

3. We cannot possibly hold back that transforming power; if you won't let it come through you then it will find another path and the loss of joy will be yours.

4.  Jesus' sharing and power transformed a profane fisherman into one so full of grace that even his shadow could cure.

5. Jesus' sharing and power transformed John from a vindictive Son of Thunder and fire into the Apostle of love.

6. Onesimus was changed from a useless slave into a useful  brother.

7. Philemon was given the choice by Paul to accept Onesimus, just as God give us the choice whether or not to be useful to him.

8.  The correct choice is to be useful by volunteering.

9. There are five questions to ask ourselves to determine whether we're a useless slave or a useful brother:

1. Are we reconciled with one another?

2. Are we treating each other fairly and justly?

3. Is forgiveness of others a hallmark of our faith life?

4. Are we a caring church where we honor those whose commitment encourages growth and ministry to happen?

5. Do was want to be useful or useless to Jesus?

1. If you know God's will for your life, then you have a treasure.

2. You also have a great privilege to do God's Will in your life.

3.  It is all right to ask God questions, but the answer may not be what you want or are looking for.

4.  We are a special people of God, made by him and called to be His children.

5.  As we're more and more in step with God, then the more He allows us to do for Him.

6.  What is a sacrifice of praise?

            - Sharing some of our material and/or spiritual abundance with others, provided that

                        - we do if to praise God and for His glory, not our own.

                        - our sharing, our gifts, our hospitality, our sacrifices are really gifts to God more so than to the actual recipients.

7.  Just as we bring a sacrifice of praise, we're also to bring the fruit of our lips.

            - The fruit of the lips comes from the fruit of the Spirit within.

8. Start today.

If you'd like to watch the Andy Griffith show, you may watch it free at:

http://tesla.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=26&format=tv&theme=guide

1. We often face challenges to remaining faithful and obedient children of God.

2. The Devil tempts us and tries to make

us believe that he has a better way and a better plan.

3. No matter how many times we fall into temptation, don't do our work and try to get our own way, God is always patient and loving and ready to take us back.

4. God's discipline isn't punishment, it's an effort to show us our error and to win us back to the right way.

1. Holston Home is a place of turning sad stories into happy ones.

2. Holston Home is a place of taking children who are alone, neglected, lied to, abused, forced to eat out of garbage cans or locked in closets and giving them family, attention, truth, love, food and freedom.

Holston Home would not be possible without the churches and their contributions.

4. If you believe Christ and His words, then we have to help the children.

5. You never know what may become of the children we help, but they are given a chance to succeed that they wouldn't have otherwise had, whether that success makes them a country music star, a school principal or someone for whom success is as simple as learning how to ride a bicycle.

   http://www.holstonhome.org/

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/atkins_rodney/bio.jhtml        http://www.tragedyintincanholler.com/

August 19 - Luke 12:49-56

1. Jesus brings conflict and strife not because he causes it but because people reject him.

2. If we’re going to be citizens of God’s Kingdom then we’re going to be at odds with the world most of the time.

3. We need to act like followers of the Way and offer Christ more than we do even if the world doesn’t want it.

4. God is with us and the Prince of Peace is with us through conflict and division.

5. You have what you need to share the Good news as God is with you and strengthening you by the Holy Spirit - He gives you what you need to do what He asks you to do.

August 12 - evening service

Jesus attracts the lost sheep; seeks out the lost sheep; finds the lost sheep; and rejoices over the lost sheep

August 12, 2007 - Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16

1. Faith is being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see.

2. If faith doesn’t cause you to get ready for what you believe in, then you have no evidence of real faith.

3. Faith and hope can’t be separated and must look forward.

4. Faith makes obedience, obedience makes righteousness, and righteousness makes one a friend of God

5. Faith is staying attached to the True Vine.

6. Faith is manifested in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, thoughtfulness and generosity.

7. We need to be challenged in our faith life to keep us from being sloppy and lazy in our faith.

August 5, 2007 - Luke 12:13-21

1. Life doesn’t consist of possessions.

2. Keep your priorities in right place

3. Include God in every time in life: good and prosperous as well as bad.

4. We all have plenty - share!

5. Seek the Kingdom first and you’ll have plenty because God wants to share.