What’s Love Got to Do With My Generosity?”                                    “G – Force”

World Giving Index 

Which set of countries is the top 3 most generous nations? Is it…

 Ways to Act Generously

Be generous with your…  

(1) _______________________                                                                            

(2) _______________________   

 (3) _______________________    

 (4) _______________________ 

 (5) _______________________

Luke 10:36-37, “’Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

Would You Like to Have a Miracle?                                             “G – Force”  

John 6:1-13, “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed Him because they saw the signs He had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with His disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near. ⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ ⁶ He asked this only to test Him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do. ⁷ Philip answered Him, ‘It would take more than half a year’s wage to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’ ⁸ Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ ¹⁰ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. ¹² When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”

The Last Three     

    “God’s Top Ten”      

  Exodus 20:15, “You shall not steal.”

The Ways WE STEAL      

Malachi 3:8, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings.”

Exodus 20:16, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,  a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

Why Lying Matters to God 

(1) Lying hurts _________________________. 

Mark 10:17-22 ¹⁷ As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ¹⁸ ’Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus answered.           ‘No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother. ²⁰ ’Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’ Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ He said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will…

Mark 10:21-22 (cont.) …have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’  At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

Hebrews 8:10, “This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 

Stay Faithful  

“God’s Top Ten”

Exodus 20:14, “You shall not commit adultery.”

Adultery means: Sexual intimacy between someone who ___________ and someone who is not their spouse.

How Destructive is Adultery?

(1) It destroys the _______________________ of marriage.

1 Corinthians 6:16-19 (Msg), ”There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, ‘The two become one.’ Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never ‘become one.’ There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for ‘becoming one’ with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.”

What are the three things that the Bible would say can legitimately end a marriage in the eyes of God?     a) ________________________; b) _______________________;     c) ____________________.

(2) Sexual sin is a ___________________________ against God.

(3) It exposes us to ____________________________________.

Proverbs 6:27-29, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? ²⁸ Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? ²⁹ So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. But a man who commits adultery has no sense;  whoever does so destroys himself.”

(4) We can avoid any _________________________.

Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

What about Porn?

(a) It is the active pursuit of the sin _________________.

The word “pornography” comes from two Greek words that mean _______________________________________.  

(b) It leads to ___________________________.

(c) It creates emotional and physical ______________________.  

(d) It’s highly ________________________.      

(e) It’s _____________________________.

(f)  It’s ________________________ to women.  

(g) It’s ________________________ for women.

Respect Human Life        “God’s Top Ten”

Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”

Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

James 3:5, 8-9, ”Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts…. ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

Why Study the Bible? 

Because the depth of your relationship with Jesus Christ is in Direct Relationship with the time you spend in God’s Word! 

10 Biblical Lessons from the Book of Esther

1. Never assume you are ____   ___________ for God to use!
2. You can step out in faith, trusting that God can equip you with the ________ you need, when you need it!
3. God has a plan and a ________ for you!
4. Doing what is right is _____ important that doing what is easy!
5. When confused or conflicted about a decision, _______ and_________ can bring you the answers you need!
6. Never forget ______   ____ came from!
7. God can use ____   ___   _____ for the good!
8. Prepare to _____ sacrifices!
9. Let the _______ within you shine for all to see!
10. Unity is strength! We are _________ together!

Keeping the Sabbath                                                “God’s Big Ten”

 Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Saying No When the World Says Yes                                 “Lessons Learned From Reality TV”

Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin.”

Mark 8:31-36, ”He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind Me, Satan!’ He said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ ³⁴ Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’”

What Are You Afraid Of?                                     “Lessons Learned from Reality TV”

Luke 12:4-7,  “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”