Sermon Notes May 04, 2025

Why Get Wet?                                                                                               “The Big Ask”

  1. You ___________ it for your life.

Matthew 28:18-20, ”Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

  1. You go _____________ for God.

Matthew 10:32-33, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown him before My Father in heaven.”

  1. You experience in, and participate with, what some churches call a  ________________________.          
a) What is that? An ________________________ of an _________________________.
b) In Protestant churches there are only two: baptism and  ___________________________.  

See 1 Corinthians 11:27-31.

John 3:3-5, “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”

2 Kings 5:13-14, ”But his servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

  1. You ________, you get baptized for the sake of ________________. 

 


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Sermon Notes April 27, 2025

You Need to Get Wet                                                    “The Big Ask”

  1. The word “baptize” means to ____________, or __________ ,  or _____________ someone in water.

Psalm 51:7, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

  1. John the Baptist’s baptism was not about ritual purity, but                        ________________ purity.

Matthew 3:11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Matthew 3:13-15, ”Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ 15 Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.”

Matthew 28:19-20, ”Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

  1. Baptism is a reflection of the life you are ________________              _____________, not the one you have lived, or are living now.
  2. All examples of baptism in the New Testament followed an   individual’s  _____________to trust Christ alone for their salvation.

 


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Sermon Notes April 13, 2025

Holy Saturday                                                                           “His Final Week But Our New Beginning”

What Happens When You Die? Three Choices…                                   

  1. This life is __________________________; or,   
  2. You are _________________________; or,   
  3. The Christian faith is right; it contends that when we die, we remain ___________ and, in a non-physical sense, _________.

See Ecclesiastes 12:7

1 Peter 3:18-20, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water…”

  1. Who were the spirits? The consensus is Peter was not talking about _____________________, but ___________________.

2 Peter 2:4, ”For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment.”

Jude 1:6, ”And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” 

  1. “Tartarus”: a Greek term used to describe the place where the ______________________________ were sent to be punished.
  2. What did Jesus “preach to them?” The Greek word used simply means that Jesus made an ______________________.

So, What Happens When We Die?   

a) We remain ___________________.   
b) Our spiritual, eternal decisions are sealed. 
c) We go to a place that reflects our __________________.  
d) We are judged.       
e) We go to be _____________, or apart _____________, for eternity.

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Sermon Notes April 06, 2025

It’s Here… Good Friday      “His Final Week But Our New Beginning”

See John 11:45-50,53; Mark 14:53,55-57,59-65 

and John 19:1-16.

Mark 15:16-20  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. 18 And they began to call out to Him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spit on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.  

Mark 15:25-33,37 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified Him. 26 The written notice of the charge against Him read: the king of the jews.27 They crucified two rebels with Him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save Yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked Him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but He can’t save Himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him.33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last.                                                                                 

Four Kinds of Love  
  1. “Storge” — _____________________ love.  
  2. “Philro” —  _____________________  love.    
  3. “Eros” —    _____________________  love. 
  4. “Agape” — _____________________  love.     
                                              
 

Romans 5:7-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 


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Sermon Notes March 23, 2025

Thursday Night but Friday’s Coming                                   “His Final Week But Our New Beginning”                                        

Mark 14:12-16, ”On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, ‘Where do You want us to go and make preparations for You to eat the Passover?’13 So He sent two of His disciples, telling them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, “The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”   

John 13:4-5, “So He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”

John 13:12-15, “ When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ He asked them. 13 ’You call Me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”      

                       See John 13:21-30

  1. To betray a friend _____________ eating with them, was — and still is in the Middle East — regarded as the worst kind of treachery.

Luke 22:19-20 “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’20 In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’”   

                         See Exodus 6:2-8

  1. Each cup represented a different aspect of the Passover: 
  2.   a) 1st cup –  _____________________     
  3.   b) 2nd cup – _____________________      
  4. c) 3rd cup –  _____________________       
  5.   d) 4th cup – ________________________
  6.    e) 5th cup – ___________________  

                  See Matthew 17:10-13

Matthew 26:36-39, “Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.’39 Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’”   

                                          See Luke 22:44                                          

 


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Sermon Notes March16, 2025

The Escalation on Holy Tuesday                                                   “His Final Week and Our New Beginning”

  1. Jesus knew that if it came out too soon, or at the wrong time, there would be a rush among the people to try and make Him a    __________________________________________.

Mark 1:43-44, ”Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 ’See that you don’t tell this to anyone.’”

Mark 5:43, “He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this…”

See Mk. 8:27-30 and Mt. 21:23-25

Matthew 3:11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

  1. The religious leaders were really asking Jesus by whose     authority did He _________________________ the day before.

See Mt. 21:25-27 and Mt. 21:33-42

Matthew 21:46, “They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that He was a prophet.”

                     See Mt. 22:15-17 and Lk. 20:23-25

  1. Jesus made it clear that the claims on the coin were Caesar’s not God’s — almost belittling its __________. And second, Jesus makes it clear that His mission was not a __________________

Luke 20:26, ”They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by His answer, they became silent.”

See Mt. 22:23-46; Mk. 22:41-46; and Mt. 26:1-4


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Sermon Notes March 09, 2025

Jesus Makes a Statement                                              “His Final Week But Our New Beginning”

Luke 9:51, “As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”    

Luke 13:22, “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem.”   

Luke 18:31-33, “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him and spit on Him; 33 they will flog Him and kill Him. On the third day He will rise again.’”    

Mark 11:15-17, “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as He taught them, He said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers.’”  

  1. The outer court was for everyone interested in what the Temple represented — which was finding __________________,                connecting with ___________.

Luke 5:32 (Msg), “Who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”

  1. The essence of Jesus’ moral outrage: They had made it a            _____________________________________.
  2. The outer court is the ______________ of those who are in the inner court.

 


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Sermon Notes March 02, 2025

Your Faith and Science                                                                “God on the Loose”

  1. Here’s the heart of the big idea: “If there is a God, then all               ________________ is God’s _________________.
  2. “Reductive” naturalism is the value which states that all that                _____________________ within nature is that which can be             empirically verified.
  3. f it cannot be examined in a tangible, scientific manner, it is not simply unknowable; it is _________________________,

Psalm 19:1-2, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

Psalm 19:7-8, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Mark 12:28-30, “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ 29 ’The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”’”

  1. If there is a God and you would admit to the possibility of a God — then ________________________ aren’t an issue

 


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Sermon Notes February 23, 2025

God on the Loose at the Beginning                                                                                                                   “God on the Loose”

 

How We See Reality                                                                        

  1. The Greek way – largely _______________ and explanatory.          
  2. The Latin way – primarily concerned with _______________.
  3. The Hebrew way –  concerned with what a thing is ________    and _______________ it work?

 Genesis 1:1-8, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse ‘sky.’ And there was evening and there was morning—the second day.”

See Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 1: 31-2:3. 

  1. Are we taking the Bible _________________________?
  2. The real question of creation: Do you have a ____________     _______________________ without a God or with a God?
  3. Molecular biology says: The basic forms of life are ________    ________, but irreducibly complex molecular machines that            _______________ be explained by natural selection working on  variation.
  4. The biggest question of all: How did _______________ come from ________________?

 


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Sermon Notes February 16, 2025

The Scientific Mind of God 

“God on the Loose”

  1. The real question: Does what we know through science  _____________ the existence of a God? In Fact, almost begging for there to be a ___________________________. 
  2. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics contends that our universe is __________________________ of usable energy. 
  3. Again, where did the stuff that got _____________come from and who ________________ it?

Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”

  1. The philosophical fact: All ______________ imply a _________________. 
  2. The idea is that our world is uniquely suited to ________________________ and carbon-based life. 
  3. Another interesting question: Why would creatures who evolved by chance as a result of naturalistic causes alone, desire and hunger after a _________________________?

 


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