SERMONS

What are generational curses, inner vows and soul ties? In this sermon, Zach Santmier shows us how to break these things off through the living word of God.

Building Bridges Series: What’s Next? May 22, 2022 Acts 10:1-23 (NKJV) There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. 17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. PRAY MAPS: Incredible story of how the Gospel Spread! JESUS: 90 miles from Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea (almost exactly the distance from GR to Baldwin) Incredible spread of the Gospel. No modern transit. No modern communications. Obstacles and barriers along the way. Shipwrecks. Bandits. Weather. Treacherous landscape. Spread like wildfire! HOW DID THEY DO IT? THEY BRIDGED THE GAP! MAIN IDEA: We are bridges to bring God’s love to a lost world. Becoming the Bridge The Holy Spirit is at work on their side of the bridge. (1-8) We must seek the Father’s heart on our side of the bridge (9-16) We need to make space and be ready to cross over ( 17-23) What Can We Do? Foster existing connections Create common spaces Be bold with opportunities “Building Bridges” Guidebook Training Videos Events Discussion Questions: Pick up the story of Peter and the Gentiles in Acts 10:34-48 (take turns reading). Question: How hard did Peter have to work to convince the people to receive the Good News? Who did all the work? What had to change so that Peter could be used to “bridge the gap.” Talk about the work the Holy Spirit does throughout Acts 10 to help bring the Good News to the Gentiles. What does this tell us about the work of the Holy Spirit? What does this tell us about ourselves? Spend some time together praying, seeking the Lord’s heart for the lost: As you pray, focus not on getting through a “list,” but on hosting the Presence. Have Acts 10 (or another relevant passage) open as you pray and meditate. Really listen and ask the Lord to show you how He wants you to pray and pray into that. If you feel the Holy Spirit gives you a word for the group, please share it. Following the previous sermon (“You’re In Search and Rescue,” May 12, 2022), the discussion time encouraged you to think strategically about what you could do as a small group to build bridges in the community. Take some time, refine the discussion and, as a group, see if you can turn those basic ideas into an actual plan. Evangelism Summer 2022

Forgive as You’ve Been Forgiven Series: What’s Next? April 24, 2022 Matthew 18:21-35 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” MAIN IDEA: Forgiveness is essential for Kingdom advancement The Forgiveness Journey Forgiveness can become a lifestyle when consistently practiced. Step Into Forgiveness Discussion Questions: Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness can be incredibly challenging on various levels. What do you find challenging about his teaching? Explain your answer. According to the message, what are some of the negative consequences of unforgiveness? Have you seen some of those dynamics at play in your own experiences? If you feel comfortable, please share. What are some ways we tend to justify unforgiveness in our own lives? Adam talked about a “spirit of offense.” Can you describe how you have observed this spirit at work in everyday life? Adam mentioned “Areas of Unforgiveness.” What were some of those areas? How does becoming aware of these areas help you to examine your own heart? Is there an area in your life where you are feeling challenged to forgive? How does meditating on the Resurrection make forgiveness possible?

"Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ." Jesus finishes this passage by telling his disciples not to tell anyone. Why? Because the world would have totally misunderstood what it meant for him to be the messiah. They would have expected a guy to come in and toss out the Romans. He had to show his disciples that his Kingdom was established by laying down his whole life. Only this sacrifice could open the door for us. And only this sacrifice could reveal a power that overcomes even death! Jesus wants the same thing from us. We must lay down our whole lives to step into his eternal life! The church was never meant to be a volunteer organization built around programming planned by professionals. It is meant to be a people movement of transformed hearts who deeply love one another and the world! BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A PEOPLE MOVEMENT, WE INVEST IN PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL-IN, NOT BUILDING PROGRAMS TO ENTERTAIN CONSUMERS

Tony Woodall preaches on the power of real community in his own life. Main Idea: We have to be intentional about pursuing real relationships outside of Sunday morning. Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Proverbs 27:6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Discussion Questions: Tony described different groups of people and their experiences with real community. Which group do you fit into? How is God challenging you to grow in this area? What are the barriers to real community that people seem to have in our society? What are the barriers in your own life? “We prioritize what matters.” Respond to this statement. How does it apply to community groups? How does it apply in your own life?

Faith has the power to move mountains.

Series: Invitation January 16, 2022 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday John 8:12 (CSB) Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” MAIN IDEA: The Father wants our lives to bring light to a dark world. Enlightened by Grace God meets our pain and confusion with grace when we come in faith. For the post-abortive For the unmarried For the questioning Enlightened by Truth A culture that doesn’t defend life is lost in darkness. A Few Scriptures Supporting Life Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.'” Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Psalm 127:3-5a “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” Luke 1:41, 44 “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. [And she exclaimed], ‘when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.'” Isaiah 49:1, 5 “The Lord called me from the womb… formed me from the womb to be his servant.” Exodus 20:13 “‘You shall not murder.'” Exodus 23:7b “Do not kill the innocent and righteous.” Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.” Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” A Few Abortion Facts Life begins at fertilization. A child’s heart beats at 21 days. It is audible at 8-10 weeks gestation Six weeks after fertilization, brain activity begins Between five and seven and a half weeks, development of hands and feet occurs. More than 60 million abortions have taken place since legalization in 1973 Based on available state-level data, approximately 887,000 abortions took place in the United States in 2019, up from approximately 872,000 abortions in 2018. In 2019, approximately 19% of U.S. pregnancies (excluding spontaneous miscarriages) ended in abortion. When weighing an abortion decision, women say they expected or experienced judgment (33 percent) or condemnation (26 percent) from a church far more than caring (16 percent) or helpfulness (14 percent). 1 in 4 women have had an abortion More than four in 10 women who have had an abortion were churchgoers when they ended a pregnancy (attending monthly or more) Only 1.5% of abortions are due to rape and/or incest In 2015, approximately 35% of all pregnancies in New York City ended in abortion In NYC, more African American babies are aborted than born New York abortion law now allows full-term abortion and removes protections for infants born alive during an abortion Enlightened for Action The Father invites us to live the truth that every life matters! Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Embrace the truth that every life matters. Support the truth that every life matters. PRAY for laborers who will bring change until every life matters. Discussion Questions: In the sermon, Adam talked about the importance of grace and truth when discussion abortion. Why is it so important to extend and receive both? In your experience, is this a topic that drives the priorities of most Christians? To what extent should it drive our priorities and practices? Why? In your experience, does the church discuss the issues surrounding sanctity of human life too little, too much or the right amount? Why do you feel that way? What do you think the church can and should do to stand for life in our culture? What could your Community Group do? What could your family do?