Sunday Service Insights

January 26th, 2025

Estimated read time: 1:20

Summary

Join us for an uplifting Sunday service at the Central Church of Christ in Cleveland, TN. The gathering began with warm greetings and fellowship before moving into community announcements, including a clothing drive and a youth game night. The sermon, delving into the Sermon on the Mount, emphasized living in accordance with God’s kingdom, characterized by self-denial and following Jesus' teachings. A heartfelt prayer wishing strength and guidance for the community followed. Worship included spirited hymns and reflections on simplicity through the Lord's Supper. The service concluded with a call for volunteers and a communal prayer to wrap up the day's spiritual journey.

Highlights

The sermon focused on the Sermon on the Mount, highlighting self-denial as a path to embrace God's kingdom. 🚶‍♂️
Community engagement through initiatives like clothing drives and game nights. 👟
Encouragement to simplify faith through heartfelt worship and prayer practices. 💒
A call to volunteer and make an impact in the community added practical devotion. 🤲
A heartfelt closing prayer for guidance and strength wrapped up the service. 🙌

Key Takeaways

Embrace the simplicity of faith and practice self-denial in daily life. 🎋
Actively participate in community efforts like clothing drives to make a difference. 👕
Worship and prayer are central to maintaining a strong spiritual connection. 🙏
Living in God's kingdom requires a commitment to follow Jesus over worldly distractions. 🌍
Welcoming the community and visitors strengthens fellowship and support. 🤝

Overview

The Sunday service at Central Church of Christ opened with a warm welcome and friendly fellowship among the congregation. The announcements section was filled with community-oriented activities such as a clothing drive and a planned youth game night, engaging members and reminding them of ongoing church missions.

Pastor Ryan delivered a profound sermon based on the Sermon on the Mount, encouraging the congregation to embrace the teachings of self-denial and simplicity as per Jesus's guidance. This message emphasized living in God's kingdom by focusing on spiritual growth over worldly pursuits, challenging everyone to introspect on their spiritual journey and commitments.

The gathering was enriched with fervent hymns and rituals like the Lord's Supper, where the simplicity of faith was honored. A heartfelt call for volunteers to aid community efforts highlighted the spirit of service and support. The service was brought to a close with a powerful prayer, sending everyone off with blessings and a sense of purpose for the week ahead.

Chapters

03:30 - 07:30: Introduction and Announcements The chapter titled 'Introduction and Announcements' sets the stage for the subsequent discussions. It opens with a general introduction to the main topics that will be covered in the session, providing an overview of the key themes and objectives. Following the introduction, various announcements are made, including updates on ongoing projects, upcoming events, and any changes to schedules or processes. The chapter aims to orient the audience with the necessary background and procedural information needed to fully engage with the content of the session.
07:30 - 13:30: Welcoming Visitors and Community Activities This chapter introduces strategies for welcoming visitors and engaging community members through various activities. It emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming atmosphere and suggests practical steps to foster a sense of belonging and community involvement. Further details were obscured by music in the accompanying transcript.
13:30 - 19:30: Scripture Reading and Prayer The chapter 'Scripture Reading and Prayer' focuses on the practice and significance of reading sacred texts and engaging in prayer. It emphasizes the spiritual benefits and the role these practices play in personal and communal faith life. Key themes include the transformative power of scripture and prayer, the importance of regular engagement with these practices, and insights into how they can guide and strengthen an individual's spiritual journey. The chapter might also include personal anecdotes or testimonies, scriptural examples, and practical advice on how to incorporate scripture reading and prayer into daily life effectively.
19:30 - 32:10: Worship through Song The chapter discusses the role and importance of worship through song. It explores various aspects of musical worship, such as its historical significance, different styles and traditions across cultures, and the spiritual connection it fosters among worshippers. It also highlights personal experiences and testimonies that underline the impact of music in spiritual practice. The chapter may conclude with reflections on the future of worship through song in contemporary religious practices.
32:10 - 58:00: Sermon - Living in the Kingdom of God The chapter titled 'Sermon - Living in the Kingdom of God' discusses a sermon about how individuals can live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. The transcript section provided is incomplete, only showing the letter 'e.' Please provide a complete transcript to generate a more detailed summary.
58:00 - 61:00: Communion The chapter titled 'Communion' appears to contain minimal content in the transcript as it only includes the letter 'e'. As such, there is not enough information to provide a meaningful summary of the chapter's content or themes. It may suggest an incomplete or placeholder entry.
61:00 - 70:00: Offering and Appeals for Volunteers The chapter titled 'Offering and Appeals for Volunteers' focuses on encouraging individuals to volunteer their time and skills. It likely covers the importance of volunteers in various sectors and the benefits they bring to organizations and communities. The chapter may also include strategies for appealing to potential volunteers and creating a compelling call to action. This is inferred from the context, though the transcript is limited to only applause.
70:00 - 74:20: Shepherd's Prayer and Closing The chapter 'Shepherd's Prayer and Closing' appears to be concise based on the single word 'good' in the transcript. Since the content is minimal, it might refer to a concluding remark or sentiment, possibly reflecting a favorable or positive tone as part of the prayer or closing statements.

January 26th, 2025 Transcription

00:00 - 00:30 for
00:30 - 01:00 [Music]
01:00 - 01:30 so you have okay take here's
01:30 - 02:00 the
02:00 - 02:30 e for
02:30 - 03:00 e
03:00 - 03:30 [Applause]
03:30 - 04:00 good
04:00 - 04:30 morning I'm going saying that good
04:30 - 05:00 morning Central Family I always hate to take this first start and try to get everybody to quiet and down cuz the
05:00 - 05:30 fellowship is beautiful to see stand up here and look at everybody communicating it that really is a joy and we're so blessed to have this church and building to come to it's a lot warmer this morning than it was last Sunday so that's that's good as well if you are visiting with us you are our welcome guest if there's anything we can do if you'll ask somebody around you I'm sure they'll point you in the right direction we're thankful that you chose Central and uh we'd love to beat you if you have
05:30 - 06:00 a few minutes to stick around after Services there is a bulletin if you were able to grab one when you walked in if not please take these home with you they're always a great guide through the week to uh remind you of dates and our sick to pray for and just a good handy thing to have at the house uh on those we will be celebrating or having a baby shower on February the night for Mikey and Kayla so we're excited for them and if you can attend that that'd be great
06:00 - 06:30 also our Nuna pearls are doing Valentine's bags for some of our shins or widowed or those who aren't feeling well so that's going to be a great thing for those that will receive those if you would like to take part uh please do so we also have a clothing drive that will be coming on at the end of March so we're accepting any gently used clothing right now and uh so if you can bring those in we'll make sure those get used and uh benefit those that will receive
06:30 - 07:00 them I believe tonight we're having a game night for our youth uh from 5: to 8:00 so youth you have the game night and also remember our cyc for the Youth coming up February 21st through the 23rd so get signed up for that also uh make sure to our Classics you know mark your calendars The Next Food Gathering Fellowship will be on Thursday February the 13th and they need to know who all will be attending by February the 5th so
07:00 - 07:30 that will be coming up so please make note of that um also we have our sick list I'm not going to go uh over it uh Kevin will do a shepherd's prayer and kind of go through that more during that time but I do want to make note that Irene bulling Bullington this will be her last Sunday with us we hate to lose her but she will be moving to Huntsville to be closer to her daughter so we love her we'll miss her but understand I have
07:30 - 08:00 one thank you note to read dear Central family our family wishes to thank you for all the love and support shown US during the past eight months as we said goodbye to Jeannie's sister Johnny's twin brother and his sister your many acts of kindness are very much appreciated during this difficult time with with love to all the Johnny trippet family this time I'll turn it over to brother Steve
08:00 - 08:30 let's all stand in reverence of the reading of God's word I'm reading from Matthew chap 7 verses 21- 23 not everyone who calls me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of
08:30 - 09:00 heaven but only those who do the will of my heavenly father when that day comes many will say to me Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name cast out devils in your name and in your name perform many miracles then I will tell them to their faces I never knew
09:00 - 09:30 you're I'm sorry my my eyes are not cooperating today I never knew you out of my I never knew you out of my sight you and your Wicked Ways let us pray Holy Father we're so thankful for this opportunity to gather here today the beautiful sunshine you've blessed us with father I I pray that especially that you will be the with the sick of
09:30 - 10:00 our number especially those in the hospitals and treatment centers father please be with them I pray that you will strengthen them and that you will be with those that are caring for their needs that that they may regain their strength and be back again with us as soon as they can father thank you so much for our mission efforts for for those that are on Foreign Fields and those that have
10:00 - 10:30 sacrificed um the luxuries of this world that we live in the United States to go on on those that may not have had the opportunity to hear your word I pray father that their ears may be opened and that our ears may be opened to the words that are spoken here today and father I pray that you will continue to be with us
10:30 - 11:00 both here and abroad father that we may spread your word in this community also thank you again so much for your son Jesus for that great love that he showed us he showed us how to live and how to be treat others help us to keep that in our constant mind and father be intentional in our thoughts and
11:00 - 11:30 ways sometimes we get lacks in those and I just pray that you'll help us to be intentional and help us father to have the right focus at all times father be with us through the rest of this service I pray that our hearts might be open to the words and father I pray that you'll be able to use us this upcoming week in any way you see fit and I pray father that we will not disappoint you in that opportunity thank you again through your son Jesus
11:30 - 12:00 we pray amen good morning let's sing number 162 all held the power of Jesus name let Angels prostrate fall
12:00 - 12:30 bring forth the Royal Di and crown him Lord of all bring forth the Roy dim and crown him Lord of All Ye chosen seed of Israel race ye
12:30 - 13:00 ransomed from the fall hail him who saves You by his grace and crown him Lord of all hail him who saves You by his grace and cown him Lord of all let every Kindred every tribe on this
13:00 - 13:30 terrestrial B to him all Majesty ascribe and crown him Lord of all bring forth the The Scribe and crown him
13:30 - 14:00 Lord of all oh that with Y sacred Throne we at his feet may fall will join the Everlasting song and praise him Lord of all will join the heav
14:00 - 14:30 Everlasting song and praise him Lord of all you may be seated number 450 450 we'll sing all three verses give me the bible let us sing give me the Bible star of gladness gleaming to cheer the wer
14:30 - 15:00 lone and Tempest to storm can hide that Radiance peaceful beaming since Jesus came to seek and say the Lost give me the Bible holy message shining thy light shall guide me in the Arrow
15:00 - 15:30 away precept and prise law and love combining till night shall vanish in Eternal day give me the Bible when my heart is broken When sin and grief have filled my soul with fear me the precious words by Jesus spoken hold up face lamp to show my
15:30 - 16:00 savior near give me the Bible holy message shining thy light shall guide me in the narrow way precept and promise law and love combining till night shall vanish in eternal
16:00 - 16:30 day give me the Bible lamp of Life Immortal hold up that Splender by the Open Grave show me the light from Heaven shining portal show me the glory guilding Jordan's way give me the Bible holy message shine Shing thy light shall guide me in the
16:30 - 17:00 narrow way precept and promise law and love combining till night shall vanish an eternal day at this time children ages three to first grade can be dismissed to kids connect and if you would please stand for our song before the lesson
17:00 - 17:30 that'll be ancient words let us sing Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world they ReSound with God's Own Heart oh let the ancient words impart Words of Life words of Hope give us strength help us
17:30 - 18:00 COPE in this world where we roam ancient words will guide us home ancient words ever true changing me and changing you we have come with Open Hearts oh let the ancient words imp
18:00 - 18:30 holy words of our faith handed down to this age came to us through sacrifice oh heed the faithful Words of Christ holy words long preserved for our walk in this world they ReSound with God's Own Heart oh let the
18:30 - 19:00 ancient words impart ancient words ever true changing me and changing you we have come with Open Hearts oh let the ancient words in part we have come with open heart oh let the ancient words
19:00 - 19:30 impart you may Jesus always knew how to make people uncomfortable and think he always did it intentionally although sometimes I think
19:30 - 20:00 he did but Jesus does that just by speaking the truth by telling people often what what they didn't want to hear but what they really needed to hear all of his teachings were examples proving that God's kingdom was different than what people expected right so for centuries the laws of man had surrounded the laws of God right it started out
20:00 - 20:30 with God giving the law to Moses the Ten Commandments and then from that point man began to put laws around those laws and they did one right after the other one on top of the other all with good intention with the intention of not breaking the law of God but what they created then was something that would lead them further and further away from its intent the spirit of the law eventually was
20:30 - 21:00 deserted and it was all about dos and don'ts it was all about don't break the rules it was all about looking a certain way acting a certain way especially to to be more religious and so again a lot of this goes back when when Jesus shows up on the scene and he begins teaching and and this what they considered a radical way and what we of to consider a radical way it often goes back to how people expected God to send the
21:00 - 21:30 Messiah because they always expected the son of David to come they always expected God to send a messiah a savior to Earth but they didn't expect it to come in the way that Jesus did they expected someone to show up kill the Romans free the Jews peace on Earth that was it and God's going to handle all those details but what Jesus shows us when he comes on the scene especially starting
21:30 - 22:00 in Matthew Chapter 5 with what we call The Sermon on the Mount which is where Jesus goes and he sits down with his disciples and he sits down with a crowd of people and he begins to explain with them this is what following God looks like this is what righteousness looks like this is not what the kingdoms of the world look like what the kings of Kingdoms of man looks like this is what the kingdom of God looks like and this is what it means to live in that Kingdom so Jesus shows up and in this sermon
22:00 - 22:30 he's going to begin to paint an entirely different portrait right he he's going to shatter all of these man-made well-known and and these taught expectations of the Messiah again he's going to show us the difference between the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God and ultimately when Jesus Is Going Through The Sermon on the Mount he's giving all of these teachings and most of us I think are pretty familiar with the Sermon on the Mount if not today read Matthew chap 56 and 7
22:30 - 23:00 it's in the New Testament first book Matthew 56 and 7 but in Jesus teaching this and in US reading this he shows us very clearly what kingdom we are part of what kingdom we are living in you're either in the kingdom of God or you're in the Kingdom of this world so when Jesus was about to be crucified he had these false trials that he went
23:00 - 23:30 through and one of the last ones he stood before Pilate and he was questioned about whether he was the king of the Jews and if you are king of the Jews why is it that your own people want you to be crucified and Jesus clarifies I am a king but my kingdom is not of this world and so it's in this context that Jesus explains what he came to bring the reign of his kingdom it's not about violence it's not about war it's not about death
23:30 - 24:00 the goal of this ministry was not to establish some government group some political group Jesus says I came to bring a spiritual Kingdom rooted in the hearts of those who believe and what it's going to do is it's going to spread from their life through example and through evangelism it's a whole new way of living life it's a better way of living life so The Sermon on the Mount then is just one of many places where Jesus shows us this is what living in My
24:00 - 24:30 Kingdom looks like this is what living in an eternal Kingdom looks like and it carries with it a radically different set of morals than the world its ethics are different its aim is different the kingdom of God it looks and acts like Jesus this is why it's entirely different from any other way of life it's a different mindset it's a different loyalty it is the rule and the reign of God and
24:30 - 25:00 when you're a part of the rule and reign of God Jesus is giving us the example again your life is going to look radically different than the kingdoms of the world because the kingdoms of the world they have their own set of beliefs they have their own set of morals they have their own set of Ethics but for those who follow Jesus they look like Jesus They Live Like Jesus so in The Sermon on the Mount that begins in Matthew Chapter 5 Jesus again starts to paint a picture of what it means to follow him and again he's trying to show us this is
25:00 - 25:30 what it means to live under his Rule and his Reign and how it's different than the world so it's a call to live differently than the world not just for the sake of living differently but for the sake of our life so living in the kingdom of God it has benefits Beyond this world but that doesn't come without sacrifice now we often equate sacrificing for Jesus Jesus as just avoiding sin but following Jesus is more
25:30 - 26:00 than just this conscious effort to avoid sin yes it it it includes that but it also includes shifting our perspective from a perishable from a worldly to an imperishable to an eternal so it's about constantly focusing and and refocusing on him it's about focusing on his footsteps his mind his thoughts his words his
26:00 - 26:30 actions again all of this is going through the lens of the word of God Jesus says it this way if anyone would come after me let him deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me for whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself or
26:30 - 27:00 your translation might say what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul so this is what we've looked at over the last few weeks what does it look like to deny yourself what does it look like to take up your cross what does it look like to truly follow Jesus and Jesus starts out in The Sermon on the Mount says you know what it's those who were poor in spirit it's those who mourn it's those who are Meek it's those those who hunger and thirst for righteousness it's those who
27:00 - 27:30 are peacemakers what do it look like to deny yourself what do it look like to pick up your cross what do it look like to follow Jesus well he says it's those who love their enemies it's those who are the salt and the light of this world it's those who don't take revenge when they're wronged it's those who who um give to others sacrificially it's those who treasure the kingdom of God more than the kingdom of the world above the kingdom of the
27:30 - 28:00 world they don't chase after they don't run after and they don't run over others in order to gain more stuff to gain material possessions to gain more money they're people of prayer they treat people the way they want to be treated and then I think what Jesus sort of culminates and just leads all of this to some of the most chilling some of the most corrective and eye openening verses in the entire New Testament he confirms how difficult ult this way of living in the Kingdom would
28:00 - 28:30 be with some comparisons if you will some analogies and so this is just my paraphrase that the way into God's kingdom has a narrow gate that the gate leading to destruction it's it's very wide the road is very easy in other words a lot of people travel this road it's very wide and it's this way again because people ch choose this way they choose to go down this
28:30 - 29:00 route they choose to go through that gate but the gate that leads to eternal life is very narrow and the road that leads to the narrow gate the road that leads to eternal life it's it's it's a way of sacrifice in other words it's a it's a cross carrying self-denial way of life and because of this narrow because of this difficult because of the the
29:00 - 29:30 heaviness of the Cross because of the the difficult task of self-denial Jesus says there are few people who actually choose this way in other words there's one of two choices that all of us are going to make in life there's two gates you're going to go through one of two gates you're going to go through there's one of two roads you're going to take you know you either live in the kingdom of God or you live in the Kingdom of the world there's no riding the fense there's no being in the middle there's no option C right there's no option D
29:30 - 30:00 there's none of the above right so there's not choosing one or the other because not choosing one or the other is is making a choice everyone that is sitting in these nice little comfortable pews in this heated building right now you're living in one of two kingdoms you're living for God or you're living for the world you're following Jesus or you're following the world and what Jesus has been saying this
30:00 - 30:30 entire Sermon on the Mount Matthews 5-7 is that how you live and how you're living right now and if you decide to to follow him if you decide to follow his kingdom if you decide to Leave the World Behind and not follow the ethics and the morals and the views of the world Jesus says and following me you're going to live a certain way but be careful be very
30:30 - 31:00 careful that when you follow decide to follow Jesus because just a few short words later Jesus says there are a lot of people who think they're following me but what they learn is that they're really not following me this is how he says it not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven on that day he says there going to be many that say to me Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name cast out demons do Mighty works in your name and I'll declare to them I never knew you depart from me you
31:00 - 31:30 workers of lawlessness so Jesus says it is absolutely possible that you can deceive yourself when it comes to the most important issue in this life the one thing that determines your entire eternity that determines your life beyond this life so again what's the deception because Jesus says it's thinking that because you feel like you've checked the right
31:30 - 32:00 boxes that you're doing the all the good works it's thinking that because you you know you you go to church you sat quietly you didn't cause problems right you know the scriptures you listen to the right podcast I don't know you in fact you even call him Lord Lord which is a title that implies Master teacher but in the end Jesus says you might have fooled others
32:00 - 32:30 you might have fooled yourself but you're not going to fool God you're not going to fool God as to which kingdom you actually follow and the reason why some thought they were safe and were then denied is because they didn't do the will of God they heard the word of God they heard the gospel they heard the written message but they didn't obey it they sat back they nodded their head they made excuses they thought if I just do some
32:30 - 33:00 good and godly things and I'm going to be okay this is why Jesus says next that those who hear the words of Jesus and do nothing are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand and when the storms came what happened to that house it went Splat right y'all know the song all right they heard the sermon they listened to
33:00 - 33:30 Jesus and yet they walked away and they just continued to hate people they continue to misjudge people they heard Jesus they sat in the church services and yet they walked away and they continued to have this endless pursuit of money they walked away and they didn't forgive their neighbor they walked away and they weren't asking they were wer seeking they weren't knocking for God's help
33:30 - 34:00 they continued to live a righteousness that did not exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees Matthew chapter 5 verse 20 they thought the only thing that they needed to do was just hear the word they thought the only thing you know the the public displays of religion would they they'll do the trick I'll do the right things in the right ways and I'll check the right boxes and that's it that's good that's what Christianity is isn't
34:00 - 34:30 it so they wandered about trusting in the fact that they had heard they had felt they had did and yet they continue to practice and they continue to live in sin James would say don't merely listen to the word so as to deceive yourself do what it says anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says it's like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself he goes away and he forgets what he looks like but whoever looks intently into the
34:30 - 35:00 perfect law the law of Christ the law of Liberty it gives freedom and continues in it not forgetting what they heard but doing it you'll be blessed in what you do Paul says that we are justified in in Romans chapter 5 verse1 that we are justified through faith and that gives us peace with God we are justified by faith alone but as James would teach that faith is not Not Alone In other words if you are exposed
35:00 - 35:30 to the word of God daily or at least regularly and your behavior your inner person doesn't begin to transform it doesn't begin to extend to to change your outer life you might be one of the ones that they're standing in front of Jesus and they're saying Lord Lord and Jesus says no no no no you're a worker of lawlessness you have no regard to the law you don't care about the law see the word the the perfect law law the law of Liberty the will of God can be found on the pages that you're
35:30 - 36:00 holding in your hand right now or the app that you're holding phone that you're holding and Paul would remind Timothy that the word of God it has this nature about it right it has this nature to to correct to train to reprove so that we can see what's wrong in our lives and so it teaches us listen this is what's right it helps us to see this is true this is false and God uses it again God uses his word to help prepare our hearts
36:00 - 36:30 for the work that he has planned for us there's a purpose to the Bible its purpose just isn't just to open up and read it so we become better people its purpose is to change us to show us the love that God has for us and what God has prepared for us in fact James would say in James chapter 1 verse 21 that it's the word that's implanted within us that's able to save our souls in other words when you accept the message of Christ and you follow the ways of of Christ with humility when you stop trusting in your own efforts to
36:30 - 37:00 save you and instead you trust Christ that's what's going to save you that is what will transform you more and more into His Image so The Sermon on the Mount is it's more than just a sermon of Jesus it's more than just the teachings of Jesus it's more than just a another teaching in fact the entire Bible the entire Bible is more than just a collection of 40 different authors over 1500 years it's the book by which our God speaks to
37:00 - 37:30 us and it's done in such a way that it reaches into our homes it reaches into our places of work it reaches into your school and your circle of friends it does work in every crevice of our hearts and it makes us and conforms us more into the image of Jesus so two things I'll leave with you this morning encourage you with before we close out
37:30 - 38:00 number one don't be deceived okay don't be misled that's what deceived means we we see some here who were deceived into thinking that what they had been been doing for God was was enough but they but they learn differently Paul sort of says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 69 and10 when he teaches us that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God so how do you know if you're being misled well I'm going to give you a simple test or simple answer really read
38:00 - 38:30 Matthew Chapter 5 6 and 7 see how you feel about it see how it lines up with what your heart says not just your actions not just your words but what your heart feels you see deception works by making reality seem as if it's something else so deception it right it makes ugly things look good it makes foolish things look wise it makes Mis look like delight and ultimately what this does is this it
38:30 - 39:00 works by making you believe that there is more joy in life apart from following God like it's more fun to follow the world it's more fun to sin and so it makes sin seem more attractive than a than a righteous commitment to Jesus it's deception when you think that the word of God is is unattractive that it's that it's boring that it has little to do with my life it doesn't really
39:00 - 39:30 have anything to do with it and certainly doesn't offer me anything that's deception deception says I'd rather sin than deny myself I'd rather take the easy the comfortable way instead of picking up a cross deception says I'd rather follow the system of the world than follow Jesus and so I think one of the best ways that we can stay committed to Jesus and his kingdom and not the kingdom of the world is is just one way really and that is finding joy in Christ the more joy you find in Christ
39:30 - 40:00 the less likely you are to be deceived the more joy you find in his word the less likely you are to ignore it if FR MB said this Jesus Promised his disciples three things that they would be completely Fearless they would be absurdly happy and they would always be in constant trouble and he's right he's right we have nothing to fear we should be the happiest people in
40:00 - 40:30 all the world and Jesus promised us that there's always going to be trouble in this life when you go against this world there'll always be trouble there'll always be deception again I think we have the greatest reasons in the world to be happy amen some of you don't look very happy but I'm going to think that on the inside you're bursting with joy we have the greatest reason to be full of joy but sometimes what life does life says you know what I think I'm gonna step into that life of joy and
40:30 - 41:00 guess what I'm going to do I'm gonna ruin it I'm gonna step all over it I'm GNA plant some deception in there and that's when life again it comes in and it robs me and I find myself being deceived in some way whether it's my own self-will my own desire the inevitable happens my joy begins to leave my life and when your joy begins to leave guess what else does your focus on who God is the focus of your
41:00 - 41:30 joy which is Jesus and because it begins to be refocused on the problem because it begins to be refocused on the person or whatever it is that's interrupted your life that's when the deception begins and it's in those moments of deception it's in those moments of sin where we begin to ignore the cross and the and the command of self-denial and the best way to find the best way to focus on the best way to to grow in joy is by doing exactly what Jesus said to
41:30 - 42:00 do with the right heart with the right intent and that is you know what embrace your forgiveness cultivate this awareness of God's constant presence to remember to keep an eternal perspective to focus on you know what you've gained in Christ instead of what you're giving up now don't keep all the joy to yourself look for ways to let your your joy in Christ shine pray for opportunities to help you shine in a
42:00 - 42:30 world of of Darkness don't just come to church don't just show up and sing and pray and do the Lord's supper and give and just go through the motions don't just donate to Charities don't just do the right things because you think somehow doing the right things is going to save you no do the will of God follow Jesus live in his kingdom don't be deceived number two remember that following Jesus Jesus isn't a burden it's a blessing it's not a complicated system
42:30 - 43:00 following Jesus you know where you have to sort of jump through hoops and perform in a certain way or God's no longer going to love you we don't have to perform to earn God's love we already have it we don't need to complicate Life by doing tasks we think will make God love us more it's not always easy but but it is simple it's simple because we can have the weight of Life Light when Jesus is with us and when his spirit is empowering
43:00 - 43:30 us Jesus would say just a few chapters later in chapter 11: 28 through3 he would invite people to come to him who are weary who were tired who are just carrying these heavy burdens and he's talking to the people of the day right of course in the context the the people were under the the weight the burden of the religious leaders because of all the laws all the rules and all this and all that and they were just there was no way we'll never be favored in God's sight will never be good enough and Jesus says
43:30 - 44:00 no stop that's not the way God is and so he said I'm I'm inviting people who are under this burden don't get I didn't come to give you a more complicated burden I came to be a blessing I came to be rest for your souls now listen is it hard to love God with all your heart your soul your mind and your strength all right two people thanks his heart very good is it hard to carry a
44:00 - 44:30 cross all right 20 people is it hard to deny yourself is it hard to love your neighbor is it hard for your neighbor to love you yeah see how it works there I think it's all on you to love but you a lovable person all of our following Jesus is difficult at times sometimes It's tricky sometimes it's it's
44:30 - 45:00 a but the blessings come when you realize who is always with you and as you go through and as you face difficulties how much your faith can actually grow hardship and persecution and hatred they're promised to those who follow Jesus it should be expected for those of us who follow Jesus but you know what so is eternal life so is Hope and so is
45:00 - 45:30 growth so if you want to follow Jesus love the unlovable forgive those who don't deserve it love and serve your enemy live out real generosity work hard even when you don't get paid enough meet the real needs of those around you earnestly seek after the Lord by spending time with him abandon sin and make war against the sin in your life share the gospel with others even if
45:30 - 46:00 it's uncomfortable radically love your family radically love your kids kids radically love your parents find joy in the trials of life or as Jesus would say deny yourself pick up a cross and follow me and when you do this you'll find that real life in the only Kingdom that is ET etal let's pray father again we love you we thank
46:00 - 46:30 you for the moment we've shared together already this morning the moment we shared with you and father I pray that we've been intentional to allow our hearts and our minds to be open to your word uh to the songs that that we've sang to the prayers that have been offered father it is often a a difficult thing and that's because of our self-will of our self-d desire of the the powers in the Kingdom of this world but we often find ourselves falling
46:30 - 47:00 short of what it means to be a child of yours we often choose the wrong thing we often choose the easy way the comfortable way the wide gate because everyone around us is doing it and father sometimes we find ourselves struggling to choose the narrow the sacrificial the cross carrying way the way that is narrow and the gate that is narrow and so father I pray that it's in those moments where we make a choice that you
47:00 - 47:30 would be with us that again that you would give us uh the power to have the the load lightened in our life because of your strength because of your presence and because of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit father help us to realize what's at stake and help us to realize what you've offered and what you continue to give us Grace and forgiveness and strength and father I pray for there anyone here this morning who needs help in a maybe a public way that they would
47:30 - 48:00 make it known or maybe it's just something private that they would just need a shoulder to cry on or someone to confess to father I pray that they would do that today Father we always pray for those who are not yet your child they haven't yet been born again they are not yet a part of your kingdom and so father I pray that they would have the strength to die to themselves through the waters of baptism and be Resurrected to live a new life and if that decision needs to
48:00 - 48:30 be made today father I pray that you would give them the strength to do it father again thank you so much for Jesus thank you for everything he offers thank you for everything he's done and he continues to do for us and again help us to always love one another more and help us to always Reach Out intentionally and help each other on this very difficult narrow and hard way but father we know it's the way that leads to eternal life in Christ's name I pray amen let's stand and sing a song for our
48:30 - 49:00 [Music] encouragement that are noer these have allured my side I will hasten to him Hast so glad and free
49:00 - 49:30 Jesus greatest highest I will come to thee I am resoled to go to the Savior leaving my sin and strive through one he is the just one he at the words of
49:30 - 50:00 life I will H to him H so glad and free Jesus greatest highest I will come to thee I am resolved to enter the kingom leaving the paths of s
50:00 - 50:30 [Music] [Music] greatest
50:30 - 51:00 highest I will to the please be seated our song before the Lord's Supper we step by step oh God you are
51:00 - 51:30 [Music] God praise you oh God you are my God will pra you I will you in the morning and I will to walk in
51:30 - 52:00 your step by step you and I will you all and I will follow you all my days and I will follow you all my days and step by step you me and I will follow you all
52:00 - 52:30 my oh God you are my God and will ever praise you oh God you are my God and I will ever I will you in the
52:30 - 53:00 morning I will [Music] walk step I will you [Music] all I will follow you all my days and I will follow you all of my
53:00 - 53:30 [Music] days step by [Music] step I will you all [Music] good
53:30 - 54:00 morning I went to see a movie last night I will tell you to see it I tell you not to see it the movie was conclave and what it served to me was a reminder that we can sure complicate things it was interesting for to listen to Ryan this morning and how things were never intended to be
54:00 - 54:30 complicated he mentioned Matthew 56 and 7 Matthew 56 and 7 are a collection of very simple guidelines as Ryan pointed out simple did not necessarily mean easy and as I get older I find that the two things are almost diametrically opposed to one
54:30 - 55:00 another one of the guidelines we're given by our Lord is love God with all your heart mind and soul as Ryan got us to admit very simple guideline sometimes very difficult to follow put others before yourself now I observe an awful lot of you who seem to do that so graciously
55:00 - 55:30 some of us find that very difficult love your enemy pray for them it sounds simple enough but it it can be very very difficult the song that Ryder just LED it's wonderful in his Simplicity we tell God that we're going
55:30 - 56:00 to praise him we're going to seek him in the morning and we're going to follow him all of our days it sounds simple [Music] enough but it can be very difficult when our Lord Lord established the memorial for
56:00 - 56:30 himself as Ryan pointed out he came and told us you're making this too complicated so when he gathered his Apostles together he had he had this and that was all bread even made without
56:30 - 57:00 leaven it doesn't get much simpler and the fruit of the vine something everybody had access to at that time in our history very very simple and he just asked for
57:00 - 57:30 he wanted simple recognition recognition that he indeed was and is the Messiah recognition that he was and is the only son of God recognition that he is the only one who
57:30 - 58:00 can redeem us I ask you to think on these simple things as we pray together father we are indeed so grateful that you sent your son to set an example that is simple to observe difficult to follow but that you will support us as we do that we remember the lifel that example
58:00 - 58:30 set and we've resolve father to follow it as close as we possibly can these things we offer up in his name amen
58:30 - 59:00 father as we partake of this symbol recognizing uh representing the blood of your son that paid a price that we simply could not ever help us to be grateful that you sent him to pay that price that we can be redeemed to you that we can have a profound and simple hope of a blissful
59:00 - 59:30 eternity with you when we leave this place these things we offer up in your son's name amen
59:30 - 60:00 let's pray one more time father we are indeed grateful for all the things you have done for us and continue to do day by day Moment by moment to make our lives simpler if we will allow it and far better than we can do on our own help us now as we offer up our gift to offer it with a cheerful joy-filled
60:00 - 60:30 glad heart knowing that we cannot outgive you and we pray that the things that we offer will be used to expand your household here on the earth and your Eternal Kingdom these things we ask in jesus' name and the congregation said
60:30 - 61:00 as you can see the men are losing the battle over here we're without our women today and uh when your little one bumps his head and you're the guy next up it's kind of hard to take him out so forgive me um I wanted to do the uh Shepherd's prayer at this time in our service today I know was was on the
61:00 - 61:30 schedule earlier but because I'm going to make an announcement as well and in some ways it's uh even be called a plea um as most of you know our brother Ronnie bis is Ste down from being Deacon over benevolence um brother Ronnie has done a fantast fantastic job for years now um and this work provides a lot of assistance for the needy in our community I'm going to simplify the work work into two categories uh for this plea or announcement um a great work is
61:30 - 62:00 done by the I'm sorry uh that is where I'm supposed to read sorry um um a great work is done by this ministry on on Mondays a fantastic crew provides food to the needy of this community and both physical food and definitely tries to deliver spiritual food as well uh This Crew runs like a well-oiled machine this ministry however hinges on the fact that that a male needs to be here during the Monday
62:00 - 62:30 activities based on for lack of a better way to say it safety concerns and other reasons uh currently we have men that are consistently participating uh so the ministry does move forward but here's my first plea it would be advantageous for an interested male to be over this work uh that is committed to the ministry fulltime meaning in a deacon role or as a Ministry leader as I stated before this ministry already runs very
62:30 - 63:00 smoothly a group of ladies do wonderful work in this ministry and they really know what they are doing so any male who volunteers for this role has a built-in very experienced team to help maintain this ministry so again first plea we need a volunteer who is willing to commit to this aspect of the ministry our second plea as I said before there are two categories the one I just just described is a big job but again there is a lot of wonderful help the second aspect of this
63:00 - 63:30 ministry that Ronnie did a fabulous job with is no doubt the part of this ministry that requires a very special person person as Ronnie is fing calls from the needy and determining how to help them is no joke and if you ask Ronnie can be very rewarding calls and when they show up at the building this this aspect of this ministry can be difficult it can pull at the heartstrings it may even keep you up at
63:30 - 64:00 night but again it can be very rewarding as well so our second plea we would be grateful to anyone who would volunteer to take on this aspect of the ministry as well so here's the reality of this situation we may not find someone to do both of these categories of this ministry someone may see their talents can definitely be utilized on Monday uh that aspect of the ministry but not so much as you know on filling
64:00 - 64:30 calls um but we the Shepherds realize this and know again it it takes a special person to deal with the public in this fashion the reality is that we definitely want to keep the Monday aspect going we not be able to keep the second aspect going as well as Ronnie did we always we will always help our members in both of these categories um there's just no question in that but we may not be able to help the general public as we have in the past we want to do both but in order to
64:30 - 65:00 do the to do the second aspect really good uh we need a dedicated person if you feel this pulling at your heart and you would like to volunteer please let us know Ronnie we'll be glad to show you the Rope so to speak uh this is an added bonus for sure please let us know if you would like to be a part of this great ministry now I'm going to lead us in our Shepherd's
65:00 - 65:30 prayer father we thank you so much for this wonderful day we thank you for the opportunity to come before you father we have many names to bring before you father a new one on our list is uh AB Ben burfield who is the Public Works director father he's a young man in his 30s he's going to be having heart valve surgery Tuesday and we just pray father that you would be with him his family help this be a successful surgery in one that does not have any complications and a and a swift recovery and father we're so thankful
65:30 - 66:00 that uh the great niece of Ronnie and and Roy had her surgery her brain surgery that it was successful and we pray father that her continued recovery will go well father we ask that you would be with our brother Ted Goble father this is this is a difficult time for the family um our brother Ted may not be on this Earth very much longer father we know that he's not really going to die he's
66:00 - 66:30 going to be alive with you but father his body his shell will be dying will be dead soon we pray father that you would help the family as they go through this process this situation you give them comfort and peace Father help Ted as well to have that father we know the amazing servant he has been throughout his life and we know he longs to be with you and father we just pray that you would make that
66:30 - 67:00 Journey a smooth one for him and father just uh continue to be with the family especially Miss Judy our sister Judy father whose heart is broken and she just has been with him by his side all this time father we just pray that you'd be with her father you ask that you would be with Henrietta McConnell she's continuing to recover from her back surgery Jerry Snider who's now in rehab father you would continue to be with her
67:00 - 67:30 be with uh Sherry Swafford who had a biopsy uh recently father we pray for the best results possible for her father that even if it is uh cancer that it can be removed or dealt with in a way that would help her heal and and be in remission pray father that you'd be with Sarah Kyle she's recovering at home from her fall Kenneth how who's the brother of Nancy and Wanda is having heart issues father PR please bless him be with Jenny King's dad Sam carico so
67:30 - 68:00 thankful that he's back home pray that he would continue to recover well from his pneumonia and puracy be with Judy pinch's dad Ray Miller father we are so thankful that uh he didn't actually have strokes father that he was having seizures and that they're really thinking that he can have a full recovery from that and we just pray that that will happen and continue to be with Judy and her sister while they're there with him and make good decisions and be safe as they travel
68:00 - 68:30 back home I pray father that you would be with Gene and Mildred Summers father sister Mildred has had a stroke and probably had other multiple Strokes father we pray that you would be with her as she's not responsive at this time but uh father we pray that you'd be with Jean too as he's waiting there with her and her their daughter I pray that you bless them be with uh Charles Cartwright father and as the father of Laura and Brian pray that you bless him as he's
68:30 - 69:00 going on hospice father that you would keep him and uh comfort and peace Father and the family as they go through this situation as well that you would bless them uh and be able to lean on you father and pray that you'd be with Bobby Smith friend of the talles who's stage four colon cancer father and blood Cloud as well we pray father that there's any way possible for his cancer to be dealt with in a way that can make it go into a mission we pray for that and that this
69:00 - 69:30 blood clot won't have any kind of uh issue that it can dissolve and not cause further complication father we thank you so much for again the Avenue of prayer that we can bring these names before you we know you're the great healer the great physician we pray that your hand will be on all of these and pray father that you would bless all those who have recently lost loved ones you would continue to comfort them thank you most of offer your son Jesus help us to be more like him each and every day in his name we pray
69:30 - 70:00 amen you would stand for our closing song and after this song We'll be dismissed in prayer Jesus [Music]
70:00 - 70:30 Jesus [Music] lovus loves jesuses the tells me
70:30 - 71:00 let's bow for the closing prayer dear God our Heaven our heavenly father we thank you for the church we thank you that in your wisdom and plans that you set up the church worldwide father we uh especially thank you for a congregation here in this
71:00 - 71:30 community we ask dear Lord that you would continue to bless it and it'll always be a shining light on this Hilltop here on 25th Street in our town thank you for each and everyone here today thank you for their kind Hearts thank you for their willingness to share our each other's feelings toward each other thank you that we have
71:30 - 72:00 the love that we feel Lord when we're when we're down and out from our brothers and sisters right here in this congregation we ask that you to be each and every one of us as we depart this place today and and and be with us through the week and keep us safe and especially be with our young people Lord as they're on on the roads be with our visitors as they travel forgive us of our sins and shortcomings
72:00 - 72:30 and thank you so much for Jesus we pray in his name