Crossroads Church of God, Lima OH

Genesis 2:8-17 NIV Harmony in life hinges on one command… Not unfair or unreasonable God determines the rules Command is for our good Reveals human dignity Prohibition is not knowledge The command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would then mean that Adam and Eve were not to aspire to that maturity possessed only by God, whereby they might consider themselves to be independent of him and able enjoy a fulfilled life by taking matters into their own hands and making their own decisions for their future welfare. - Daniel Fuller   Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, My memory, my understanding And my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me. Amen. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Genesis 1:26-31 NIV Image-Bearer of the Creator        Represent the Creator to the world        Reflect the Creator’s nature        Relational beings Suggestions of Response         Receive the dignity of being an image-bearer         Marvel at the dignity of others         Step into community

Genesis 1 NIV Creator Creates Creation         Out of nothing          By speaking          In a Divine way          Creation is good What are we to do?          Pay attention to beauty          Pray expecting God’s ability to create out of nothing

1 John 4:8b-12 NIV Romans 5:8 NIV Love of God … … sees clearly … intervenes … is complete … honors freedom … becomes alive in us  

Luke 2:8-20 NIV Galatians 5:22-23a NIV Psalm 16:11 NIV Psalm 51:12 NIV Nehemiah 8:10 NIV 1 Chronicles 16:27 NIV Psalm 23:4 NIV Ecclesiastes 7:16 NIV Zechariah 8:5 NIV Joy is a pervasive sense of well-being Joy is connected to the Presence of God We are to pursue Joy Don’t take yourself too seriously Play Create A trusting relationship with God

John 1:4-5 NIV John 8:12 NIV Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 NIV Way of HOPE Wonderful Counselor Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Proverbs 11:25 NIV Importance of Generosity      Time       Abilities       Resources Choose gratitude before difficult situations

John 1:4-5 NIV Hebrews 10:23 NIV Hebrews 10:18-24 NIV Philippians 1:6 NIV The Way of Hope We are cleansed God is faithful Hope is contagious

1Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Philippians 1:3-8 NIV Philippians 1:12-14 NIV Philippians 3:13-14, 20-21 NIV It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful… Grateful for people Grateful for circumstances Captivated by the love of God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Philippians 4:11-13 NIV Romans 12:10 NIV Colossians 3:2-4 NIV Gratitude Blockers Envy Greed Entitlement "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.  Every breath we draw is a gift of his love.  Every moment of our existence is a gift of his grace.  Gratitude takes nothing for granted.  It is never unresponsive.  The grateful person knows that God is good not by hearsay, but by personal experience.”  - Thomas Merton Discipline of Contentment Begin with praise Be with others Live with eternity in mind

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Psalm 103:1-22 NIV Praise rightly honors God Praise holds onto hope Praise reminds us of God’s work

Zechariah 1:2-3 NIV Matthew 5:16 NIV Zechariah 4:6 NIV Galatians 5:6 NIV Invitation to… A trusting relationship Do good works Be empowered by the Holy Spirit How have you loved yourself, others or God that requires you to trust God more?

Genesis 12:2 NIV Haggai 1:13 NIV John 20:21 NIV Matthew 10:16 NIV   Why: To restore and reconcile a broken and lost creation to the creator How: Wise and Innocent What: Depends on your context

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NIV John 15:16 NIV Romans 8:38-39 NIV Haggai 2:9 NIV Chosen Beloved To live from not for

Patriarchs -> Slavery -> Exodus -> Judges & Kings -> Temple -> Divide -> Exile -> Temple Destroyed ->Re-build the Temple   Haggai 1: 2-7 NIV Matthew 6:31-33 NIV   4 Main Motivators       Fame       Wealth       Pleasure       Control   3 Intentional Reminders      Identity      Mission      Calling

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13 NLT Matthew 7:0-11 NIV Matthew 21:22 NIV James 5:15 NIV Matthew 7:7-8 NIV Philippians 4:6 NIV   Quotes: Petitionary prayer should always remain the primary mode of prayer because we never can outgrow our dependence on God. Just as we long for our own children to share with us the petty details of their day at school, so God longs to hear from us the smallest matters of our lives. It delights him when we share. - Richard Foster, Prayer Love loves to be told what it knows already. It wants to be asked what it longs to give. - PT Forsyth, Soul of Prayer Then there are times when our prayers are simply self-contradictory, a “grant me patience” quickly kind of prayer. And finally sometimes our prayers if answered would do us in. We simply are not yet prepared for what we have asked. It is God’s grace that prevent our prayers from being answered. God withholds his gifts from us for our good. Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack, improving cholesterol levels and sleep, and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress, and research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age. “There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,” Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health. - HopkinsMedicine.org Points: Give us what we need today Forgive us our sins as we forgive others Deliver us

Psalm 46:10 NIV John 10:27-28 NIV Psalm 1:1-2 NIV Silence Tone of Jesus’ words Familiarity with Scripture Listen in context of community

Psalm 139:23-24 NIV Psalm 139:14 NIV   Quote by Nathan Foster: “Distraction is the curse of our age."   Quote by Richard Foster, Prayer: We need a deeper musing upon our knack for disobedience and God’s unbounded habit of forgiving.  We all need a richer contemplation upon that life, which shows us the way so we may follow ‘in His steps’.  We all need a fuller meditation upon that death, which sets us free.  We all need a more profound experience of that resurrection, which empowers us to obey Christ in all things.    Need for time Need for space Focused attention            Recognize the love of God            Sober look at sin            Request resurrection

Matthew 7:9-11 NIV [We] lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us… CS Lewis Romans 7:15 NIV  Matthew 11:28-30 MSG Prayer is for everyone Do not be discouraged Let go of trying too hard Pray while struggling Prayer is often uneventful

Jonah 4:4 NIV 2 Peter 3:9 NIV Exodus 34:6-7a NIV God is patient God is one who weeps God is generous