Radiant Church

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”” - Matthew 16:24–26, ESV

What do I want the people to think, feel, and do? Think-I want people to think about the their lives—are they more like the younger or the older brother? Feel-I want people to feel the weight of their own sin against the backdrop of the Father’s great love. Do-I want all people to truly return home for those who are like the younger brother; I want the older brother to realize that he is a son and...

The High Cost of a Higher Calling: 4 Costly Sacrifices of Discipleship To fully follow Jesus… • I must love God more than my very own family • I must be willing to live for Jesus so much that I would be willing to die for Jesus • I must count the cost of discipleship before I decide to follow Jesus • I must stay salty: Staying active, fresh, and being influential in the Kingdom of God The Gospel/C...

The Big Idea: A healthy relationship with Jesus is both refreshing and red-hot. Application Steps: • Do a spiritual EKG: How is your heart when it comes to the things of God? • Check your temperature: Are you passionate for Jesus or are you warmly apathetic? • Fire up the grill: Sit down and dine with Jesus once again!

5 ways to actively listen to God speak to your spirit: 5 tips: 1)   Take time away every single day. 2)  Talk to God in prayer. 3)  Listen to God in silence. 4)  Ask God to speak to you through His Word. 5)  Ask God to confirm things spoken to you through others. Today’s Big Take-away:  God turns graves into gardens when you exchange your dead life for a new life in Christ!

Today’s Takeaway: Be faithfully persistent as you look for open doors of opportunity. Action Steps: 1) Faithfulness: Actively serve Jesus in building up the local church. 2) Fruitfulness: Keep on being faithful until you become fruitful. 3) Readiness: Stay ready for the Return of Jesus by living for Jesus in this world.

The Big Idea:  Stop chasing the fading stars of this World; instead, pursue the Morning Star. Action Steps: • Invest in that which lasts forever, not that which fades away. • Practice discernment as you test everything against the authority of Scripture. Truth always trumps tolerance! • Center your life around Jesus. The Morning Star should be at the center of your “solar system.” “Jesus at the Ce...

How to move out of compromise and back into conviction: 1. Remember just how powerful God is (v. 12). 2. Stay forever true to Jesus in a world that seems to be dominated by Satan (v. 13). 3. Examine your heart for areas of compromise and come clean (v. 14-16). 4. Listen to the Spirit’s encouraging promise: Overcome this wicked world and taste the blessings of the eternal world (v. 17). The Big Ide...

The Big Idea: Be faithful instead of fearful as you look forward to a far better and lasting life. Action Steps: • Don’t despair when your world is falling apart, but Jesus is the one who is holding your heart! • Learn to see the world from God’s perspective. You are actually rich and doing amazing even when the world doesn’t see it that way! • Replace fear with faith which leads to faithfulness!...

“Ephesus: Come Back My Love.” Steps to returning to your first love. 1. Remember that God is the one holding you, not the other way around (v. 1). 2. Never forget that God doesn’t forget all that you’ve done for Him. 3. Come back to your first love. 4. Practice the 3 R’s: Remember, Repent, and Return. 5. Keep your eyes on Jesus and look forward to your future rewards. The Big Idea: Come back to yo...

“Death’s Funeral. The King Gives Life from the Dead. 4 Life-Giving Principles: 1.    Jesus is with us even when we find ourselves in hard times because of our Christian walk and witness 2.    Jesus has a unique purpose and plan for each local church 3.    Jesus inspires awe and worship when we discover who He really is 4.    Jesus holds life and death in His hands, so we no longer have live in fea...

“The Eternal King is Coming Back. Are you ready?” 6 Realities to help you get ready for Jesus’ 2nd Coming: 1.    We serve a God who reveals Himself to us to prepare us for what’s coming (v. 1-2). 2.    You will receive a special blessing if you attentively listen and respond to God’s revelation (v. 3). 3.    God the Father offers grace and peace to His Church (v. 4). 4.    Jesus offers us His love...

As followers of Jesus, it is our responsibility to remove barriers that would keep others from coming to know Him. Using Mark 2, Pastor Timothy Brown draws parallels between the characters in this story and the Great Comission.