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Last Updated 12.15.10

January 23 - Sh!ft: LIVE_holy

Sunday Morning: Daybreak & Refresh

  • Key Scriptures: Romans 5:5-11; Ephesians 4:17-5:20, Philippians 1:27; 2:12-16; cf. 1 Peter 1:15; 2:5-10; 4:1-4
  • Scripture Reading:

  • We begin The Core 7 Focus for our Sh!ft series - Ephesians 2:1-10; 4:17-24

    • The Jesus Way

    Jesus didn't just pardon us from sin, but came to save us from sin -- it's powerful and destructive grip in our lives, the hold darkness has on us -- and to save us for a live of righteousness and blessing. We have got to present Jesus as Lord who calls us to something as well as saves us from sin. We've got to move beyond the wimpy Jesus to the awe-inspiring, powerful Lord.

    1. Saved from Death in Darkness
    2. Saved for Life in Jesus

    But is holiness acquired by "trying harder" or "getting enough back bone to not do it anymore"?

    Have you ever tried to not do something?

    Can you imagine holiness as something other than a list of do's and don'ts?

    How did Jesus describe the essence of honoring God?

    Loving God with all we are and loving others! And our love is a response to the way that we have been loved — 1 John 3:16-18; 4:8-12

    In other words, holiness is our response to God's prior acts that demonstrated His love for us even when we were unworthy of that love!

    So rather than a list of do's and don'ts, let's think of holiness in terms of two truths:

    • Recognize that any true Sh!ft requires an outside power source to move an object at rest or in a set trajectory: we have to recognize the power for us to Sh!ft comes for our willing commitment to love God and trust that He will supply the power for us!
    • So we can only live in holiness by recognizing the rhythm of God's grace and not trusting in our own self-dependence and willpower. Notice this incredible rhythm of grace which re-appears again and again in God's dealings with His people.
      1. God blesses us out of His grace
      2. God shares His presence with us
      3. God calls us to reflect His righteous character and gracious compassion in our lives.
    • Sin disrupts this rhythm so God intervenes again, and the 3 beat rhythm is re-established!

Sunday Evening: Sundown

  • Title: "A Tale of Two Cities: Speaking the Right Language"* (Acts 17:22-28)

  • Speaker: TBD

  • Prayer & Scripture: TBD

  • Communion Devotional: TBD

  • Song Leader: TBD

  • Closing Exhortation: Ephesians 6:10

* based on the book, The Jesus Touch by Lynn Anderson