Faith Benzonia

3 ASSUMPTIONS THAT SHOW MY VIEW OF WORSHIP IS BROKEN AMOS 4:4-13 1. MORE IS BETTER. VS 4-5 2. TROUBLE IS TO BE ESCAPED FROM RATHER THAN REFLECTED ON. VS 6-11 3. GOD WORKS WITHIN MY PARAMETERS ON A TRANSACTIONAL BASIS.. VS 12-13

MY SELFISH USE OF WEALTH WILL HAVE NEGATIVE RESULTS AMOS 3:9-4:3 1. WEALTH CAN BLIND ME TO ACTS OF OPPRESSION. VS 9-12 2. WEALTH CAN CREATE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. VS 13-15 3. WEALTH CAN INCREASE SELFISHNESS. VS 1-3

GOD’S ACTIONS MAY SOMETIMES SURPRISE ME AMOS 3:1-8 1. I NEED TO ACCEPT THAT SOMETIMES GOD DISCIPLINES ME. VS 1-2 2. GOD HAS CHOSEN TO REVEAL HIS WAY TO ME. VS 3-8

GOD CARES ABOUT HOW I TREAT THE WEAK AMOS 2:6-16 1. WHEN SIN IS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE, I BECOME NUMB TO ITS UGLINESS. VS 6-8 2. GOD HAS DEMONSTRATED TO ME HOW I AM TO TREAT THE WEAK. VS 9-12 3. MISTREATMENT OF THE WEAK DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED BY GOD. VS 13-16

2 LESSONS I CAN LEARN ABOUT GOD’S WORK IN THE NATIONS AMOS 1:3-2:5 1. MY GOD IS BIG ENOUGH TO JUDGE THE NATIONS. 2. ANY USE OF POWER BY ME TO EXPLOIT THOSE WEAKER ANGERS GOD.

3 TRUTHS ABOUT GOD’S CHARACTER THAT GIVE ME HOPE AMOS 1:1-2 1. GOD PARTNERS WITH COMMON PEOPLE. 2. GOD IS BIG ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE FORCES OF NATURE. 3. GOD LOVES ME ENOUGH TO REVEAL HIS CHARACTER TO ME.

THE CRUCIFIED JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD MARK 16:1-8 1. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE RESURRECTION TOOK PLACE. VS 1-4 2. GOD’S REVELATION EXPLAINS THIS CONFUSING SITUATION. VS 5-6 3. THE RESURRECTION DEMANDS A RESPONSE. VS 7-8

WHAT DOES COURAGEOUS FAITH LOOK LIKE?  MARK 15:42-47 1. I CHOOSE NOT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT PRESERVING MY CURRENT STANDING. VS 42-45 2. I CHOOSE TO DO THE WORK TO GET THE TASK ACCOMPLISHED. VS 46 3. SOMETIMES I WATCH FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN MY PRESENT RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. VS 47

4 RESPONSES OF FAITH I CAN OBSERVE AT THE CROSS MARK 15:33-41 RESPONSE #1: NOT ABANDONING MY FAITH IN A TIME OF CRISIS. VS 33-34 RESPONSE #2: MISSING SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE OF HOPING FOR A SPECTACLE. VS 35-38 RESPONSE #3: BELIEVING IN WHAT IS IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS BELIEFS. VS 39 RESPONSE #4: DOING WHAT LITTLE THAT CAN BE DONE IN AN INTENSE MOMENT. VS 40-41

JESUS WILLINGLY ACCEPTS ABUSE ON MY BEHALF MARK 15:16-32 1. JESUS ACCEPTED ABUSE IN PAYING MY RANSOM. 2. JESUS ACCEPTED ABUSE AS MY EXAMPLE IN SUFFERING.

BEING RELIGIOUS DOES NOT KEEP ME FROM BEING EVIL MARK 15:1-15 1. OBEDIENCE CAN LEAD ME TO EXTREME ACTIONS. VS 1-5 2. WHEN I AM THE STANDARD, UGLINESS HAPPENS. VS 6-15

I AM CAPABLE OF GREAT SIN MARK 14:66-72 1. SELF-PRESERVATION CAN LEAD ME TO SIN. VS 66-68 2. JESUS TOOK THE CURSE I DESERVED. VS 69-72a 3. THE WORD OF GOD IS ABLE TO BRING REMORSE. VS 72

I WILL CHOOSE TO COMMIT MYSELF TO THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE MARK 14:53-65 1. I WILL TRUST THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, EVEN WHEN FALSE WORDS ARE SPOKEN AGAINST ME. VS 53-59 2. I WILL TRUST THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, BECAUSE I KNOW THINGS WILL BE MADE RIGHT IN THE FUTURE. VS 60-62 3. I WILL TRUST THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, EVEN WHEN PHYSICAL HARM HAPPENS. VS 63-65

MY CHAOS DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOD HAS FORGOTTEN ME MARK 14:43-52 1. HAVING SHREWD ENEMIES DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOD HAS FORGOTTEN ME. VS 43-46 2. HAVING BUMBLING FRIENDS DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOD HAS FORGOTTEN ME. VS 47 3. GOD’S WORD IS EFFECTIVE EVEN IN CHAOS. VS 48-49 4. GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ME EVEN IF MY FRIENDS FLEE. VS 50-52

AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, I WILL EXPERIENCE SUFFERING MARK 14:32-42 1. SOMETIMES MY SORROW IS OVERWHELMING. VS 32-34 2. PRAYER REMINDS ME OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN MY TROUBLE. VS 35-36 3. MY BEST RESPONSE TO TROUBLE IS TO WATCH AND PRAY. VS 37-38 4. SOMETIMES I WILL FACE TROUBLE ALONE. VS 39-42

JESUS LOVES ME MARK 14:27-31 1. JESUS LOVES ME ENOUGH TO GIVE ME HOPE. VS 27-28 2. JESUS LOVES ME EVEN WHEN I OVERESTIMATE MY OWN ABILITIES. VS 29-31 *Sorry about the audio parodically cutting out.

I CHOOSE TO HOPE IN JESUS AS MY DELIVERER MARK 14:22-26 1. JESUS WAS AFFLICTED FOR ME. VS 22 2. JESUS ALLOWS ME TO EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS. VS 23-24 3. JESUS HAS A PLANNED FUTURE FOR ME. VS 25 4. I CAN CONFIDENTLY PRAISE GOD FOR MY DELIVERANCE. VS 26

WHAT HOPE DO I HAVE WHEN MY LIFE STRESS BECOMES GREAT? MARK 14:12-21 1. JESUS IS IN CONTROL EVEN WHEN EVENTS SEEM CONTRARY TO THAT. VS 12-16 2. GOD IS ABLE TO USE THE EVIL PLANS OF MAN TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES. VS 17-21

MY ANGER DISPLAYS ITSELF IN MANY WAYS MARK 14:1-11 1. MY ANGER IS SOMETIMES DISPLAYED IN VIOLENCE. VS 1-2 2. MY ANGER IS SOMETIMES DISPLAYED IN CRITICISM. VS 3-5 3. MY ANGER IS SOMETIMES DISPLAYED IN DEFENDING OTHERS. VS 6-9 4. MY ANGER IS SOMETIMES DISPLAYED IN USING OTHERS FOR PERSONAL GAIN. VS 10-11

ARE THERE BETTER WORSHIP PRACTICES THAN MY CURRENT WAYS? 1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-22 1. SOMETIMES MY WORSHIP PRACTICES DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. VS 17-19 2. GOD DOESN’T WANT A MIXTURE OF SELFISHNESS AND WORSHIP. VS 20-21 3. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS COMFORTABLE, DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT. VS 22

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND CHURCH? LUKE 7:18-28 1. DOUBT AND DESPAIR ARE A REAL PART OF LIFE. VS 18-20 2. JESUS GENTLY CORRECTS MY BELIEFS THAT LEAD TO DOUBT. VS 21-23 3. JESUS DOESN’T VIEW ME BASED ON MY LOW POINTS. VS 24-28

Where can we experience God?

WHEN EVIL IS GREAT, I NEED TO LIVE BY FAITH MARK 13:28-37 1. FAITH WATCHES FOR GOD TO BE AT WORK. VS 28-30 2. FAITH TRUSTS THE WORD OF GOD TO BE EFFECTIVE EVEN IN GREAT CHAOS. VS 31 3. FAITH TRUSTS, EVEN IF I DON’T KNOW WHEN GOD WILL ACT. VS 32-37

GOD CAN CARE FOR HIS OWN, NO MATTER THE LEVEL OF EVIL MARK 13:19-27 1. GOD IS ACTIVE IN HISTORY (AND MY LIFE) BECAUSE HE LOVES ME. VS 19-20 2. GOD LOVES ME ENOUGH TO WARN ME OF COMING DANGER. VS 21-23 3. GOD WILL CARE FOR ME EVEN IN UNPRECEDENTED CHAOS. VS 24-27

CAN I TRUST GOD’S WORD WHEN LIFE IS DIFFICULT? MARK 13:14-18 1. GREAT EVIL DOES NOT ERODE THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD. 2. GOD PROVIDES A WAY OF ESCAPE FOR THOSE WHO TRUST HIS GUIDANCE.