Evergreen Christian Community

Matthew 2:1-12 ‭‭ The Big Idea: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (Psalm 19:1) The Magi: who they are, how they responded, and what they brought Who They Are A Kingdom’s most valued advisors (Daniel 2 and 5) Magi would explain and interpret the coexistence of the spiritual and the physical to align kings with the work of the gods among men. How they re...

Luke 2:22-35 The Big Idea: The radical measure God takes to redeem creation is the dividing line of all things. The Humility of Jesus Exodus 13:2 Leviticus 12:8 Mark 1:4‭‭ The Praise of Simeon God doesn’t want A people - He wants ALL people Everything and everyone was made for the glory of God - and He wants it all back! The Prophecy of Simeon Jesus brings division to clarify the pathway to peace...

The Big Idea: Jesus has joined the least of us, to save the least of us, and give us all God’s favor - forever!  Luke 2:1-20 The Coming of the Christ • His historical certainty • The Father’s Choice for Point-of-Entry • The Emptying of Jesus The Significance of the Shepherds • A career of all guts, no glory • Legally defined as unreliable • Jesus joins the team John 10:11-13  The Announcement of t...

Matthew 1:17-25 The Big Idea: Wake up and answer God's call, for it is worth everything that it costs. Law and Grace: v19 Law is a Teacher, Love is The Guide Galatians 3:24-25 Matthew 22:37-40 ‭Your Role in God’s Work: v17; 20 The Angel’s Pitch: •Do not allow fear to make you miss God  •You are participating in God’s Master Plan of redemption   The Biggest Enemy You Face: v20, 24-25 Joseph, like y...

Luke 1:26-56 The Big Idea: You are eligible to receive God’s favor and blessing the same way Mary did - the impossible made possible entirely by God’s goodness and power. God’s WHY for everything He does is HIMSELF:  In other words, God is gracious to us because He is faithful and true to Himself God’s WHAT: Favor and Blessings made available to all who fear Him; the humble and the hungry  Mary is...

The Big Idea: While God is doing His global work, He attends to your cries, too. Luke 1:5-25 The Testimony of Zechariah and Elizabeth: • There is a long, sovereign, specifically planned and never random redeeming work of God among men. He is faithful, relentless, and deeply in love with us • All people, including the faithful, must reconcile deep disappointments • God responds to the cries of the...

Matthew 25:31-46 Matthew 16:24-27 The Big Idea: Jesus hates fake religion even more than people do. James 1:27 The Truth About Sheep and Goats: •Goats don’t hurt you or help you - they just consume    •Jesus knows the sheep Matthew 7:22 - I never knew you - “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name…” •Those on the left hand are not just unwelcomed, they are banished What Jesus is Actually Judg...

Mark 1:40-45 Prayer: I bow my knees to declare that I am a servant of the Most High God. I lift my hands and pray, Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me this day that I might glorify Jesus. “The Spirit filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It’s part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.” - A.W. Tozer (How to be filled with the Holy Spirit) Mark 1:9-11 Mark 1:12-13 Ma...

The Big Idea: God invites us to have lives, families, and communities that are unexplainable apart from the Presence of God. Galatians 4:6-11 Galatians 5:16-25 Wrestle with this question: Does your worship more resemble the prophets of BAAL or the prophet of God? 1 Kings 18:16-39 We Must Learn the Jesus Two-Step: Galatians 5:24-25 Step 1: Crucify the Flesh Step 2: Keep in step with the Spirit: Lif...

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit will put His breath in you, and you will come to life. Pentecostal: “Depending upon God to do something that I cannot do” A Framework for Spiritual Gifts and their Function: Purpose of the Gifts = LOVE Power of the Gifts = LOVE Practice of the Gifts = LOVE Product of the Gifts = LOVE Ezekiel 37:1-10 God’s redemptive and powerful plan: (v5-6) • I will put breath in you...

The Big Idea: Spiritual gifts help Christians grow and love others. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Spiritual gifts are a real-world expression of God’s grace to you. Charismata List of Gifts: Prophesy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, mercy, message of wisdom, message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, discernment, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, apostles,...

Matthew 11:28-30 The Big Idea: God speaks, and we can learn to listen and follow. John 10:27-30 God Speaks We can learn to listen Intimacy with God is the secret of life. God Speaks: (and always has!) Exodus 33:11-17 John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-8, 13-14 We Can Learn to Listen: Hebrews 3:7-12 Hebrews 4:7-13 Should I stay or should I go? Is God speaking, Yes or No?: •Does it move me closer to ful...

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit Connects us to one another as much as He connects us to Himself Acts 2:42-47 1 Peter 2:4-5; 9-10 Devoted: “Connected closely and continuously.” The People of God are Devoted to Four Things: 1. The Word of God There are lots of perspectives, and we appreciate them all. AND we concern ourselves with submitting to only this one. 2. Fellowship with other disciples of Jesu...

The Big Idea :God does not want a bunch of burned-out, stressed-out, overloaded, worn-out, children representing Him in the world. He wants us to flourish day by day, hour by hour for ourselves and for our Oikos. John 14:16-17, 26 John 15:26 John 16:7-8, 13-14 Acts 1:8 The Spirit Gives us Power Ephesians 3:14-21 Power to be: • Anchored in Christ at the soul level • Rooted in the jaw-dropping love...

The Big Idea: One of the great secrets of life is to simply get in on what God is already doing. Acts 2:1-21 WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? 1. The continuation of GOD’S SOVEREIGN PLAN. 2. The GLOBAL CALL TO UNITY. 3. The INAUGURATION OF A NEW KINGDOM. RESPONSE: ● Get in on what God is already doing! ● Notice the Spirit at work in you! ● Join the mission forward! Discovery Bible Study: • Connection Questio...

9am Gathering Romans 8:1-8 10:45 Gathering Galatians 5:16-25 Response: ● What is God saying to you? ● What will happen if you obey? ● Will you consider a DBS for the 5 weeks of October? --------------------------------------------------------- The Components That Make a DBS: • Connection Questions: 1. What are you thankful for? 2. What is a challenge you are facing? 3. How did you do with last wee...

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit wants to empower you every day to be a Jesus person. Acts 1:1-11 The Problem The Solution The Game Plan The Problem: We keep asking the wrong question. (V6) The Solution: You will receive power through the Holy Spirit. (v8) The Game Plan: You will be my witnesses. (v8) The most effective work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the power of MARTYRDOM. The Holy Spirit w...

The Big Idea: The presence of God brings peace to our troubled lives. John 14:15-27 Key Ideas: 1. Presence of the Trinity 2. Power to Love and Obey 3. Peace Within Our Hearts Response: ● I will trust the Holy Spirit to give me peace in ___________. ● Who do you need to extend or offer peace to this week?

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of God’s promise to DWELL in and among His people. God’s PRESENCE is the bookends of the Bible and the answer to how we live in the middle. John 14:15-27 John 16:6-15 RUWACH /roo’-akh/ - wind; breath, a violent exhalation; blast of breath. PNEUMA /pnyoo’-mah/- a current of air, blast of breath, a strong breeze; or spirit. John 14:16-17 COUNSELOR: pa...

Big idea: Baptism is a call to act in faith & obedience for ALL believers. Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Romans 6:1-11 baptizō (77 times in NT) - to immerse, to submerge Children of God Galatians 3:23-29 So why baptism? Great commission Mathew 28:19 Model the life and example of Jesus Matthew 3:14-15 Question: Why was Jesus baptized? •He wanted to identify Himself with humanity: Fully God & fully m...

The Big Idea: Disciples of Jesus can serve only one Master. Matthew 6:24 Luke 10:25-37 A Kingdom Concepts review: ● The Messenger is the Message Philippians 2:3-11 ● Paradoxical Power: Jesus accomplishes things in His own time and His own way: power of suffering love vs command and control. ● No Condemnation John 3:17 ● Every natural idea you have about dealing with enemies is wrong. ● The King gr...

Matthew 13:44-46; 51-52 The Big Idea: God’s Kingdom is like a secret treasure worth more than the sum of everything you own. Three Parables: 1. The treasure in the field 2. The pearl of great price 3. The storeroom of treasures The Treasure in the Field: Two Powerful Secrets of Joyful Disciples: buying the farm and hiding the treasure. Colossians 3:2-4 Colossians 2:12-15 You must DIE to buy the fa...

Matthew 13:31-35 Big Idea: There is nothing that can stop the eternal power of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom’s COMING and GROWING has almost nothing to do with us. “Therefore, for every second of the time the world has been a world, it has also been the kingdom. Its progress through history is not a transition from non-kingdom to kingdom; rather, it is a progress from kingdom-in-a-mystery to kin...

The Big Idea: Every natural idea you have about dealing with enemies is wrong. Matthew 13:24-30 Matthew 13:36-43 The Problem of Weeds: The world contains good and evil - good seed and bad. Often it takes an expert to tell the difference. Both sowers are counting on us to do our thing. The Wisdom of Doing Nothing: Judgment hurts the wheat. Judgment declares an unreliable verdict on the weeds. Judgm...

The Big Idea: God is both hidden in Jesus and revealed in Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is the guiding light in every existential question. Mark 4:21-25 John 1:9-13 1 John 1:5-10 God wants me to LIVE IN THE LIGHT. Amos 3:7 My three enemies PREFER DARKNESS. Mark 4:24-25 God wants me to CARRY THE LIGHT TO OTHERS. With the measure that you use in your relationship with God and others, God will use that mea...