Christ Community Church (Johnson City, TN)

Pastor Jim Powell. The Lord laughs. Let us learn [to laugh].

Pastor Bill joins me today and discusses Biblical Counseling. Then we look at 2 Corinthians 8 and Paul's words about generosity, giving, and Christ's work.

Pastor Jim Powell. 1. The Anointed of God is NOT defined by his success or our response to Him. 2. We ARE defined by our response to the Lord’s Anointed. No neutrality. Either love/loyalty or fear/anger. 3. The offense of the Gospel.

Paul returns to much of what he talked about in chapter 1 - God's comfort amidst affliction. And we also discuss godly grief as opposed to worldly grief.

Pastor Jim Powell. The OLD/IMPOTENT story. God helps ME fight MY battles. Sin causes me to shrink my world down to the size of my world. – Paul Tripp Either Christianity is a fraud, or I got a hold of the wrong end of the stick. - Oswald Chambers. The NEW/ALTERNATIVE story. We are not fighting an enemy we hope to defeat. We are plundering an enemy that God has already defeated.

Pastor Bill Leuzinger.

Pastor Jim Powell. STOP. You have an identity and a purpose. WHY IS THIS NOT ENOUGH? Because I feared the ________ Fear of man leads to self-loathing and anxiety. Fear of man leads to self-serving and exaltation. Fear of man biblically APPLIED.   - As a descent/digression. - As reversable/repentable. - As necessitating BETTER.

Pastor Jim teaches with exhortation through his sermon notes from this past Sunday.

Pastor Jim Powell. The GLORY of the forgetLESSness of God. The Lord is forgetless of our affliction due to sin and evil, and of our continuing need of his righteous resolution. The Lord is forgetless of the consequence of sin and evil and of the need for his holy wrath. The GLORY of the faithFULLness of God. The Lord is faithful – it is finished. The Lord is faithful – It is forgotten.

Pastor Jim Powell. The Consequential Promise of an Unstable king. I. When the people are weakest, burdened. (24-25)  II. For his own vengeance and gain. (24) III. To create fear. (26) IV. To be needed for rescue. (31-34) V. At great cost to his own. (32, 36-44) VI. Requires a ransom and reversal. (45-46) The Continuing Promise of a Secure King. I. Also when we were at our weakest, burdened. (...

Pastor Jim Powell. Observe the story. Setting. 1-5  Plan. 6-10  Mission. 11-15  Battle. 16-23 Observe the People. Observe the Soldier.

Pastor Jim Powell. Treacherous Circumstances. Anxious Waiting. “Justifiable” Disobedience. Swift Condemnation. Necessary Replacement.

What does it mean to "not be unequally yoked"? How are we to think about our partnership with others? And why?

Pastor Jim Powell. Pleading. Prophesying. Promising x2 Parting.

Pastor Jim Powell. The Prophet/Priest’s pattern. The Lord’s pattern. The People’s pattern. PAUSE the Pattern.

What a bold statement Paul starts with that we are "working together with Christ"? And how are we to endure as we face the many difficulties ministry and life bring? Be strengthened in the Lord.

Pastor Jim Powell. Mixed Review. Miserable Reality. Momentary Rescue. A King whose kingdom of rescue remains FOREVER.

Chris Talley, Pastor of Lakeway Presbyterian Church (PCA) Live in the kingdom of God in such a way that it provokes questions for which the gospel is the answer. — Leslie Newbigin Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. ― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

AJ Babel. 17-19, Trading in the God who saves... 20-24, ...for a king who hides. 25-27, But... The LORD is still in charge.

After sharing about our recent hosting of a 1-Day Preview workshop with the Charles Simeon Trust , we jump into 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

Pastor Jim Powell. Saul, the Anointed one. Jesus, the Anointed One.

Pastor Jim Powell CONFLICT. Anticipating the COLLISION. (1-14) CLIMAX. Understanding Saul’s CALLING. (15-17) RESOLUTION. Observing the CONFUSION. (18-27) GOSPEL. Appealing to/for the KING.

How do we rightly go about applying Scripture to our lives? And as we jump into 2 Corinthians 5, Paul speaks of our bodies - earthly & heavenly - and calls us to be of good courage.

Pastor Jim Powell. Wayward want: an earthly king Warning words: an extracting king What we want: an emptying King

Pastor Jim Powell.