Session # 13 Surviving the Storm - A continuation of our Study of Acts

It's the latest installment in the Roots series...The study of the book of Acts. Carry Me Home

Session #11   ROOTS: The Gospel Is Bigger…

Acts 10 & 11 teach us one thing from the early church…CHANGE was coming!  As the church found the Gospel opening to new people groups, the cultural and racial prejudices of the Hebrew Christians were challenged.  Maybe we need ours challenged in our day as well?

SESSION #10      Breaking & Re-Making

The conversion of the Apostle Paul stands as one of the greatest events in early Church history; but before God could “make Paul”, he had to “break Saul”.  The same is true for each our lives today.  We cover three major “meetings” from the life of Saul, that played a part in remaking him into the greatest missionary of all time.

Session #9           Five Characteristics of the Person God Uses

Stephen is an excellent example of the kind of church “laypeople” the Lord uses, often mightily, in the advancement of His Kingdom.  A look at Acts 6-7 and the life, ministry and martyrdom of this NT saint and what it means to us today.

SESSION #8         ROOTS: What Happens When Christians Care?

The first part of Acts 6 is known for the recording of the appointment of the first deacons in the church; but it is far more impacting to us in today’s church than just that.  It reveals what it is that Jesus has called His Church to do, to represent Him in our world today.

ROOTS: Session #7          The Church Persecuted

The early saints are persecuted….because of the name of Jesus.  Guest teacher (and Life Group member) Shawn Parker leads this session based the latter part of Acts 6.

Session #6           WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

Was what Ananias & Sapphira did in Acts 5 really that bad?  Do we as believers in the Church still do this today?  The word is “hypocracy”; and we examine the effects of it, and why God views it so seriously.

M-SUNDAY (Oct. 18th)

We were privileged to have a missionary couple share with our class in this session, but since they serve in an area where religious persecution is high, we cannot post their comments or testimony online.  Please pray for them in their field of service (God knows who you’re referring to, even if you don’t know names) as they work in a very hard area for the Gospel, and live with some threat from the government on a daily basis.

SESSION #5         One Heart, One Mind   

The early Church was a body of believers totally united through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Guest teacher Al Clark covers the latter portion of Acts 4 and how God’s Church supposed to function as “one body”

SESSION #4         When the Going Gets Tough

In Acts 4, the Church begins to experience persecution for the first time.  What does God expect of us as his witnesses, and what does it mean to us today?

Session #3-Let the Miracles Begin

The first “miracles” of the NT Church are recorded in the early chapters of Acts.  How did these impact the culture and world of their day, and what do they mean for the Church of our day?  Find out in this look at Acts 3 this week.

Roots: Session #2-Holy Spirit Power

The Holy Spirit is given to the Church, and everything changes!  How the Gospel message relies on the power of the Holy Spirit working in concert with it to change people’s lives.

SESSION 1 Title:  ROOTS: Can I Get a Witness?

The Book of Acts is the story of the beginnings of the Church, and it all begins with Jesus’ admonishion and expectation for what His followers would be and do as part of His Body here on earth…the Church!

The Power of God’s Word

The Bible is not only a book, but God’s Book…a LIVING book!  In an unusual “open mic” session, individual members of our Life Group share specific verses that have been meaningful to them…over time, of recent, or in specific situations.

Nahum: Patience & Power of God          

Guest speaker Gary Ward shares from the short book of Nahum and reveals how God’s power and patience work together and how we should never mistake God’s patience with a lack of power on His part of move in a situation.

SESSION #10      THREE KEY WORDS

We wrap up our study of Joshua with a recap that covers three key terms from our study of this book.  Find out what it was that “made the difference” for Israel during the time of Joshua, and transformed a bunch of “wilderness wanderers” into “Promised Land possessors”!

Session #9           God’s Favorite Senior Saint

Among all the men of Israel, Caleb stands out, not just once…but across decades of Jewish history.  What made the difference?  What gave him his energy and drive (well into his 80’s)?  This is a guy who trusted God, and asked for BIG things!

Session #8-Claiming Your Inheritance

Battles were fought, but some were not “finished”.  Some tribes allowed enemies to linger in the land, and it came back to haunt them.  Find out why it is important to FULLY follow the instruction of the Lord in your life, and what can happen when you become complacent or compromise in those areas.

Listen in to the seventh installment in this fantastic series by Chuck... Live Your Promised Land Life Now!

Session #6           How To Handle Defeat

We all desire to win every battle, but inevitably, defeats do come.  Joshua 7 and 8 chronicle these for Israel, and offer us practical, biblical advice on how to handle them, and what to do to overcome them.

Session #5           The Walls Came A-Tumblin’ Down

It’s one of the most famous stories of Scripture, but it is about far more than just an ancient city’s conquest.  Everyone has a “Jericho”, learn how strongholds and walls in your life can come down…through the power and presence of God.

JOSHUA-Session #4        Stacking Stones & Circumcisions

God instructed Israel to do two very unusual things before they started their conquest of the land.  What spiritual applications do these instructions have for us today…as we prepare to fight the battles we’ll face this week and beyond?  Find out from Joshua 4 & 5.

SESSION #3         Crossing Over…In Victory

What was it that turned a group of “wilderness wanderers” into one of the most invincible armies on earth as they entered the Promised Land?  A major part of the answer is found in Joshua 3, and the crossing of the Jordan River.  Great lessons from history, but also great application for each of us today as well!

Session #2-  Rahab & the Spies

It’s a fascinating story of intrigue and adventure, but more than that, it holds powerful spiritual application for our lives today as well.  Ruthi Neely shares insights from the story of Rahab, a woman of questionable background, that became part of the very lineage of Christ in Matthew 1!

Session #1-Learning to Walk In Victory

What turned a group of defeated, fearful, faithless Israelites into one of the most successful invading armies in all of history, deposing power kings, defeating mighty armies and taking thousands of square miles of land?  The answer is a key for how believers should live today…in VICTORY, not defeat!

6/14/15 session:

GUEST SPEAKER: Shawn Parker

Shawn Parker, who oversees our church’s CELEBRATE RECOVERY ministry shares the principles behind recovery from a biblical standpoint and how to deal with our hurts, habits and hang-ups.

6/7/15 session

HARD STUFF #3:  Why God Allows Evil & Suffering

Guest speaker Phil VanderPloeg leads the final session in our HARD STUFF (the things you don’t talk about in church) series, tackling the question of why there is evil and suffering, and where God is in all of it.

The second installment in our hard stuff series covers what the Bible has to say about Government and Politics

The Hard Stuff: What the Bible Has To Say About Sexual Sin

The first installment in our Hard Stuff series looks at what the Bible has to say about sexual sin, including sex outside of marriage, same-sex attraction, and pornography, and how these sins can affect both the believer and the non-believer.

ALEXIA NEWMAN

The director of the Carolina Pregnancy Center shares inspiring stories from their vital ministry that illustrate the power of prayer and how God is working in lives through CPC and their staff.

SESSION #31      HUMILITY

We wrap up the BELIEVE series with this last session on the 10^th virtue…humility.  A fitting one to end with, as humility it one virtue that really makes all the others “work”.  What does it mean to walk in humility as a believer?  The answer, contrary to the opinion of some, actually reflects great strength.

SESSION #30      GENTLENESS

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood of the virtues, what is it that meant by gentleness in a culture and day when everything is “look out for #1” and “get all you can for yourself”.  Yet when biblical gentleness is present in a life, much like all the other virtues, God will use it in powerful and meaningful ways.

SESSION #29      FAITHFULNESS…The Virtue of the “Long Haul”

What does it mean to be faithful…to both God and others?  It is one of the fruit of the Spirit, and one that is driven by the faithfulness God has shown to us in our past, and continues to show in the present and future.

SESSION #28      Kindness & Goodness

Two virtues, intertwined, that stem from the deepest recesses of our hearts.  What happens when we move from “a good kind of people” to “people who are good and kind” (hint: the world can’t help but notice!)

Session #27  The Next Virtue…(wait for it!)…Patience!

Why is it we all struggle with “waiting”…even when waiting on God Himself to answer or act?  Patience, our next virtue (and one of the fruit of the Spirit) enables us both to wait well, and to extend patience to others as we understand the great patience God has extended toward us.

Easter Session: What Resurrection Means To Dead People

All of us have a “sin problem”…on a cross 2,000 years ago, God provided the solution.  Now, we can enter into the holy Presence of rigtehous God, not because of what we have done, but because of what He did on our behalf.  Christ is risen…He is risen indeed!

SESSION #26      HOPE, the Virtue That Keeps Us All Going!

You can’t exist a day without “hope”…it is critical.  As someone said, “I can COPE…with HOPE”.  Biblical hope is a virtue that enables you for today and empowers you for tomorrow.  God gave us His word on it…as we’ll learn from a great passage in Jeremiah.

SPECIAL SESSION-Local Missions Emphasis

As part of our church’s Local Missions Emphasis weekend, we had Donna Gilmore of Child Evangelism Fellowship share about the work they are doing with children in the public schools of the Upstate.  Listen, and learn what you can do to help, as C.E.F seeks to reach children with the Gospel.

Session #25-SELF-CONTROL…The Hardest Virtue

It’s not fear, shame or guilt that motivates the believer in the virtue of self-control…find out what the motivating factor is, and how to get a better handle on this, the “hardest” virtue of all.

SESSION #24      Peace, My Peace I Leave You

The virtue of peace actually comes when we have experienced peace WITH God, and begin to understand the peace OF God in our lives, which in turn transforms us into peacemakers FOR God in our world.

SESSION #23      JOY…THE VIRTUE THAT FILLS YOU UP!

True Christian joy reaches to a dimension that is literally out of this world…it’s eternal!  Find out why Jesus’ desire for you is to have HIS joy…that your joy may be complete.

SESSION #22      LOVE, the first VIRTUE

With this week’s session, we move from the PRACTICES area of our BELIEVE study, to that of VIRTUES.  Think of these as the “fruit” that is displayed when your beliefs are in line and you put them into practice.  In this session, we look at the first of ten virtues…LOVE.  We look at what God’s love for us does to us and for us, so that it can then move in and through us…

SESSION #21      Sharing My Faith

Why this “practice” is so critically important; both to those that don’t yet know the redemptive power of Christ; but also to our own spiritual health and well-being.  Not a guilt trip, but an encouragement to “love those around us into eternity”

SESSION #20      Giving My Resources

Nobody likes it when the subject is money…but if your perspective is right, your giving will be right.  We look at what it means to give and share, in God’s economy in this session.

SESSION #19      OFFERING MY TIME

The practice of turning over not only our hearts, but our calendar to the Lord is a vital spiritual practice for the believer.  Discover how God wants to redeem your time, now that He has redeemed you!

SESSION #18

SPRIITUAL GIFTS

What exactly are “spiritual gifts”, and what purpose do they serve in the Church today?  Join us as we examine this, and learn why “practicing” your spiritual giftedness is so important to you, and to God’s Kingdom.

SESSION #17      BIBLICAL COMMUNITY

Five great things that happen, when imperfect people being perfected by a perfect God come together…in the practice of Biblical Community.

SESSION #16      TOTAL SURRENDER

What does it mean to give everything over to the Lord?  We examine the “practice” of TOTAL SURRENDER and why it is the only way for a believer to ever experience the deeper Presence of the Lord in his/her life.

SESSION #16      SINGLEMINDEDNESS

A great topic to begin the New Year!  Find out the ONE THING that we need to focus on…and discover your ONE WORD for 2015 in the process.

A PSALM FOR THE NEW YEAR

Ending the year on a note of praise using Pslam 145, and looking into the coming year with a heart open to seeing the hand of God work in our lives. 

THE PREPOSITIONS OF CHRISTMAS

The unfolding story of Christ’s coming is filled with short prepositions…that mean so much.  Words like “to”, “for”, “with” all add to the rich meaning…with the ultimate objective of His coming being “in” and “through”!