Simple Church

God gives us the choice - either you're with Him or you can go your own way.  Why?  Because how genuine is love if there is no other choice?  

And if you choose your own way, God always makes a way for His people to come back.  That's why Jesus came - to fulfill the will of the Father to bring His people back to Himself. Jesus made a way. But some choose to stay in exile. 

Isaiah 52:13-15

Isaiah 53:1-12

Isaiah 54:1-10

We get in a routine of just saying words, repeating words we've heard before, rather than thinking about who we are truly praying to and thinking about what we are saying.  As we approach prayer, the most important thing we could have in mind is God's kingdom and His will, but we don't pray that way.  

Is it possible that God allows difficulties in our life so we will have a great dependance on Him?

Pray

Luke 1:1-11

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Revelation 3:14-21

You can boil down the entire message of Scripture to: God loves us.  

Israel had idols and God didn't have a place of prominence in their lives, so God took them from their own land and into exile to remind them that God loved them.  Why? Because our good God will ruin you for your own good and for His glory. 

Galatians 3:26-29

Isaiah 42:23-25

Isaiah 43:1-7

Luke 9:30-31

Do you pray like you are standing in the presence of God?  Do you know who you are praying to?  You need to understand exactly Who this God is that you are praying to, and understand he may not be who you've made Him to be in your mind. 

Kenny Nix, Simple Church pastor

Pray, part 3

Revelation 4 & 5

Easy is not a requirement for doing something.  There will be times, many times, when you will tell people the truth, they will not listen, and the will be closed off.  So, how long do you continue to keep telling them the truth? 

You are a messenger of God even if it falls on blind eyes, deaf ears and hard hearts.  

Kenny Nix, Simple Church Pastor

Isaiah 6:8-12; Acts 28:17-28

What are we even saying when we pray? Do we even know who we are praying to? Are we really talking to God or are we just talking to be talking? 

He wants you to trust Him. 

He knows what needs to happen and we trust His desired outcome. 

Kenny Nix, Simple Church Pastor

Pray, part 2

Matthew 6:5-15

Why are we here - on this earth, in this church, in this place?  The Gospel is the whole purpose.  How dies that word, the Gospel, effect you? 

The things we are searching for in sin can only be found in God.

Keith Wilson

Isaiah 53

Romans 3:21-22

We think of prayer as us bringing our request to God with a list of things we'd like "yes" to.  But we can't just make prayer what we want it to be instead of what it really is: prayer is all about how God is going to use us for His glory. 

He wants you to communicate with Him.  He wants you to trust Him.

Prayer

Ephesians 6:18-20

Fun and games and laughter are important in youth ministry.  But what's of greatest importance is a focus on the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sin.  When we stand before God and truly realize who He is it makes us painfully aware of who we are not.  And in the midst of being ruined before a holy God, He invites us to Himself. 

Isaiah 6:1-8

Why is it, most of the time, we give with the expectation of getting something in return?  Christmas presents, monetary gifts to the church, our time.  We have a expectation that some how it will pay off for us in the end. 

But with God, we give for one reason - The Gospel.  And our gift isn't measured in dollars. 

Giving, part 3

Matthew 16:24-28