Bluffton Community

Primary Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20 BIG IDEA: Christians know Jesus to be God’s Son and Messiah. Message Focus: Jesus asked the disciples. “Who do people say that I am?” Then He asked them, “What about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter’s reply: You are God. Notice, Jesus did not correct Peter or walk him back from that statement. This confession is the foundation of faith and new life in Christ. Li...

Primary Scripture: Psalm 98 BIG IDEA: Jesus is the Lord worthy of worship and praise. Message Focus: God reigns. The nation of Israel understood that. Creation understands that. One day, all the peoples of the world will see it as well. Psalm 98 celebrates God’s salvation, righteousness, and judgment. This message may expose why Jesus is worthy of worship as well as teaching people ways to worship...

Primary Scripture: Psalm 45 BIG IDEA: Jesus entered this world to rescue His true love. Message Focus: Psalm 45 is a “love song” celebrating the wedding of a king. It declares the excellence and strength of the king while expressing the beauty and honor of the bride. Hebrews attributes verse 6-7 to Jesus. The one familiar with the NT will quickly make the connection to the Church and Jesus, the Br...

Primary Scripture: Psalm 22 BIG IDEA: Looking ahead with hope, Jesus suffered in our place for our sin. Message Focus: David lamented the abuse he received from his enemies. Jesus quoted the opening words of Psalm 22 while He was hanging on the cross. Psalm 22 includes details that are also recorded in the Gospels: hurling insults, people saying, “let the Lord rescue him”, casting lots for garment...

Primary Scripture: Psalm 110 BIG IDEA: Jesus is the King and Priest God promised to send. Message Focus: David prophesied about a coming King-Priest who would rule and judge in the power of God. Jesus used this psalm in Matthew 22 as did Peter in Acts 2 and the author of Hebrews. Jesus came into His creation to lead us out of sin/darkness and into friendship with God because of the forgiveness He...

Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 BIG IDEA: Christians are official messengers of God’s good news. Message Focus: God offers to restore our relationship to Him through Christ. This is the greatest news any human being could receive. God’s primary vehicle for delivering and sharing this news? Every genuinely born again believer. He has given us this “ministry of reconciliation.” Prompting Qu...

Primary Scripture: Romans 8:14-17 BIG IDEA: In Christ, believers are adopted into God’s family, co-heirs with Christ. Focus: The word “adoption” reminds us that our God is a relational God actively working to bring His family back together. The Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. He does not merely save us from our sin and send us on our way, He welcomes us into His family, nurtures...

Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 BIG IDEA: In Christ, believers are reborn, made new, and empowered to live like Jesus. Message Focus: The consequences of sin left us with an existence separated from God and marked by self-centeredness, emptiness, guilt and shame. Salvation through faith in Jesus offers us reconciliation with God and a regenerated life of purpose, forgiveness and freedom. We...

Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21 BIG IDEA: In Christ, believers have a healthy relationship with God. Focus: God’s perfection is the standard for righteousness and only He is truly righteous. Righteousness is one of God’s divine attributes, closely associated to His justice. Jesus is the only sinless one, the only righteous one and it is His righteousness that covers us at salvation. This is...

Primary Scripture: Mark 10:13-16 BIG IDEA: Jesus welcomes children into the kingdom. Focus: The disciples tried to keep parents from bothering Jesus with their children, but Jesus corrected them. Children are welcome in the kingdom of God. In fact, there is much we can learn about genuine faith from kids. This tugs on a thread: how we shepherd and care for kids in our church and community matters....

Primary Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 BIG IDEA: Jesus empowers us to be neighbors toward everyone, especially our enemies. Focus: There seems to be two layers to this parable. The first is obvious: followers of Jesus should serve and help others who are in need. The second is seen in the light of the gospel: Jesus is the Samaritan, the outcast, who helps those who are “half dead”, us. It was the Jewish...

October 13th | Week 2 Primary Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 BIG IDEA: We go with Jesus looking for people who are spiritually lost. Focus: This genuine account seems to point to the truth Jesus had just made in Luke 18:24-27. It appears that Zacchaeus was pursuing Jesus, but that Jesus was pursuing Zacchaeus as well. Here was a wealthy man, who was also an outcast in his community, climbing trees to get...

Primary Scripture: Romans 5:6-8 BIG IDEA: God welcomes us home through faith in Christ. Message Focus: Paul wrote that we were powerless to come home to God. So God, in His great love, sent Jesus to die for us in our place. Now, because of what Jesus has done, we can come home. It’s important to note that God moved first, knowing that we couldn’t. Perhaps this is a key component of ministry in gen...

September 29 | Baptism Primary Scripture: Romans 6:1-4 NIV BIG IDEA: Baptism is a reminder that we have died and been raised to new life with Christ. Message Focus: Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples and part of the making is the step of baptism. Baptism is both an outward sign of what the Holy Spirit has done inside of a believer, but it's also a reminder that our old lives are gone...

September 22 | Week Three | Trust Primary Scripture: Habakkuk 3:1-19 Cross References: Job 42:5-6 Message Overview: Notice the response in chapter 3 is to pray and worship the Lord! Habakkuk saw what was to come and asked only for mercy in the wrath for His people in Judah. Waiting on the Lord can be one of the hardest disciplines of Christianity. Habakkuk matured in His understanding and found th...

September 15 | Week Two | Wait Primary Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2-2:20 Cross References: Romans 1:16-17; James 4:6; Hebrews 10:37-38; Isaiah 44:9-20 Message Overview: This week will need a quick look back to verses 1:12-2:1. There is an opportunity to discuss God’s timing in our “instant” society. Patience and anticipation in knowing God will carry out His plans to completion. There is a solid foil h...

September 8 | Week One | Listen Primary Scripture: Habakkuk 1:2-2:1 Cross References: Psalm 13:1, 4:1; Isaiah 55:8-9, Isaiah 10:5-6, Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 44:17 Message Overview: In chapter one, Habakkuk cried out and asked God why he allowed what He hates without justice. The answer that follows is that God is going to use other evil people to thwart Judah. Habakkuk was even more confused and...

Main Passage: Luke 22:14-20 Listen in as we join Lighthouse Community and learn from Senior Pastor Fritz Below as he helps us understand the context and meaning of the Lord's Supper. Fritz helps us to see how the Lord's Supper was Initiated by Jesus, is real food that points to Truth, and for those who follow Jesus!

Primary Scripture: Ephesians 4:14-16 Message Overview: When believers are maturing into the character of Christ, they’re no longer drifting aimlessly through life. Instead, they live with purpose: speaking the truth in love and helping others to grow in the truth of Christ. Healthy, living things grow. It’s true of people. It’s true of the church. This is our opportunity to pull back the current f...

Primary Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-13 Cross References: Acts 6:4; 12:25; Romans 12:6-8 Message Overview: Paul said that Jesus gave “gifts” to the church: leaders. Their role is to equip believers for ministry with the end goal being unity and maturity (maturity = the fullness of Christ). Elders at each location will have the opportunity to provide a current, transparent snapshot of where we currentl...

Primary Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6 Cross References: 1 Peter 3:15a; Romans 10:9; Revelation 19:16; Matthew 28:18-20 Message Overview: Twice in this passage, Paul uses the word “Lord” in reference to Jesus. Within that context, he wrote about humility, bearing with one another, and unity. This message will focus on the Lordship of Jesus and what that means practically for every born again believer....

Message Overview: From our last message in the series, The Church with Open Doors, Pastor Ben Thiel looks at Acts 18 where we meet Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos who work along-side Paul, Silas and Timothy as the gospel continues to spread amid continued opposition. We see God remind Paul in a dream that many in the city of Corinth belonged to Him. Paul had a continual desire to re-visit where he...

Primary Scripture : Acts 17:16-32 Cross References : Deuteronomy 10:17; 1 Chronicles 16:26, Psalm 115:1-7; Colossians 1:15-20 Message Overview : While waiting for the others to rejoin him, Paul has a visceral reaction to the overt idolatry he sees in the City of Athens. He feels compelled to engage the philosophers of the day on their own turf. Paul is able to make connection with the intellectual...

Primary Scripture : Acts 16:11-40 Cross References : Luke 24:45; Acts 9:15-16, 26:16-18 Message Overview : Ministry will take us where we have not been before. Philippi was a Gentile place without a synagogue. Paul went down by the river thinking that he may find people praying. There he met Lydia, and God opened her heart to the gospel. Later, Paul casts a demon from a slave girl and a mob quickl...

Primary Scripture : Acts 17:1-15 Cross References : 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Psalm 119:9-11 Message Overview : Paul and Silas spent just 3 weeks in Thessalonica but these were fruitful weeks. Jews, God fearing Greeks, and many prominent women joined Paul and Silas as they believed. Of course, some Jews were jealous as they saw their power challenged, and they created conflict in r...