“Prayer and Piety” James 5:13-20. Summary: There will be a lot of difficulties in this life and God wants us to pray and ask him for help. Oftentimes, God uses you and I to answer these prayers for help! That’s a privilege the church family gets to do which is to help one another during difficult times. 1. Prayer in Apostolic Times 2. Ordinary Prayer and Healing 3. Spiritual Healing Memory verse: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16) Questions to answer during the sermon: 1. What is the Kingdom Reality in this text? 2. Does God heal only if you anoint with oil? TRUE or FALSE 3. Elijah was just a man like us. TRUE or FALSE 4. For how long did the rain stop when Elijah prayed? 5. If your brother or sister did something wrong and sinned, do you …. a. Ignore them. That’s their problem. b. Make fun of them for doing something wrong. c. Forgive them and gently help them do the right thing. d. Punish them because they did something wrong. 6. When we wandered from the truth, Jesus came and brought us back. TRUE or FALSE 7. What’s one way this Kingdom Reality can be applied in your life?

Daniel 3:1-30

John 6:1-15 The Bread of Life Summary: Jesus has the power to do mighty miracles. One of the most amazing miracles is when he fed 5000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus can do these things because he is God! Let’s think about the day Jesus miraculously and lovingly provided food for a huge crowd: Outline: 1. An overwhelming need 2. A failed test 3. A Savior who provides Verse: John 6:35 (ESV): Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. On that day when Jesus was with the multitude, why do you think he tested Philip by asking him how they might feed the crowd? What was Jesus’ goal? 2. How do you struggle to believe in God's power and provision for your life? 3. After this miracle, Jesus cautioned people against following him only for his material provision (see John 6:25-28). How might your faith in Jesus be like this at times? 4. How is Jesus the “bread of life?” How does his work reflect and complete Moses’ role with Israel? How can this miracle deepen your trust in Jesus today?

John 5:31-47 Divine Testimony Summary: How do you know someone is telling the truth? We might never know fully in some cases, but mostly we trust several things: We trust that person's character, because we know them. Or, we might know because we check the facts and find out that they are telling the truth. But we also might have other trustworthy people speak up for that person. In a court of law this happens when a witness

John 5:31-47 Divine Testimony Summary: How do you know someone is telling the truth? We might never know fully in some cases, but mostly we trust several things: We trust that person's character, because we know them. Or, we might know because we check the facts and find out that they are telling the truth. But we also might have other trustworthy people speak up for that person. In a court of law this happens when a witness

John 5:31-47 Divine Testimony Summary: How do you know someone is telling the truth? We might never know fully in some cases, but mostly we trust several things: We trust that person's character, because we know them. Or, we might know because we check the facts and find out that they are telling the truth. But we also might have other trustworthy people speak up for that person. In a court of law this happens when a witness

We have been studying from these books of the Bible. See if you can find them all.

1 John 4:7-21

John 5:18-30 The Astounding Claims of Jesus Summary: Have you ever made a bold claim that you couldn't back up? Maybe you said you could beat someone in a race, or win at a game, only to end up losing. Jesus made amazing claims as well. He told people that he was equal with God! This made many religious people angry enough to kill him. But the wonderful news is that Jesus' bold claim is actually true. Let's listen in to Jesus' own words today in John 5: For Jesus, to be equal with God means that he has: 1. A deep union with the father 2. Saving power to grant us eternal life 3. Authority to judge all mankind Verse: John 5:24a Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. Read John 5:18-30 again. What are the bold claims that Jesus makes in this passage? Do you find any of them hard to accept? How might Jesus' amazing claims be vital for your growth in maturity as a believer? 2. How does Jesus describe his union with God the Father? Why is this so important? Why did it enrage the religious leaders of his day? 3. How does Jesus describe his role as the giver of eternal life? 4. Why is it helpful for us to believe that God has given Jesus the role of being the final judge of all mankind? How does this shape or change your view of Jesus?

John 5:1-17 Do You Want to Be Healed? Summary: Because Jesus is God, he is mighty and powerful! He did many miracles, and often he healed people who were sick. Today we'll hear about a man who could not walk for 38 years. Can you imagine such a struggle? But Jesus' healing tells us that he is powerful and full of love for us in our suffering. Let's think about it: Outline: 1. Jesus is compassionate to the helpless 2. Jesus is mighty to save 3. Jesus is working for our holiness Verse: John 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. Read John 5:1-17 again. What do you see about Jesus' compassion? How does this miracle show us the power and glory of God? What does this man's condition reveal about our own spiritual helplessness? 2. Why does Jesus ask the man

1 John 3:16-24 NRSV

1 John 3:1-10 NRSV

John 4:43-54 Gracious Healing Summary: We live in a world where we can take care of many things from far away. We can order food from our phones, pay our bills online, and even go to school on the internet. But Jesus powerfully healed a boy without ever going to his house! Why? Because he is God, and he wants us to trust him as our Savior. Let's think about it together: Outline: 1. God is gracious with our imperfect faith 2. God tests and stretches our growing faith 3. God gives the gift of life when we trust His Son Verse: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b) Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. It seems that Jesus left Samaria for his home region of Galilee because he desired to minister to those who did not truly believe in him as the Messiah. They welcomed him, but only because of his previous miracle in Cana (vv.43-44). How might this temptation manifest itself in your own life at times, to be devoted to Jesus for the good gifts that he gives, rather than loving Jesus himself? 2. What does the miracle of Jesus healing the official's son show us about Jesus? 3. How does Jesus stretch and test the man's imperfect faith? How might he be doing this in your own life?

John 4:31-42 A True Feast Summary: Have you ever been so distracted by doing something you love that you forgot about the time, maybe even forgot to eat? Or maybe you were so intent on doing something so important that you forgot about other things? Today we're going to see Jesus, so passionate and involved with his ministry to save people that it was like food and drink to him. God wants us to see Jesus in this way, and then follow in his path to help others believe in Christ. Let's think about it: Outline: 1. True food 2. An urgent task 3. A beautiful harvest Verse: John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Sermon Text: Daniel 1 Sermon Title: Hyphenated Lives Points in Sermon: 1. Exile and Expulsion 2. Echoes of Exodus 3. Extradition Memory Verse: And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. (Daniel 1:7)

Living Water, Part 3 John 4:19-30 Summary: What is worship? Is it just something we do on Sunday morning? Is it an emotional high? Is it a set of actions (like singing, praying etc)? It is possible for us to go through the motions and not really worship at all. Today as we listen in once more on Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well, let's think about true worship: Outline: 1. True worship is not just about where – it is about whom and how we worship 2. True worship is from our hearts that thirst for God 3. True worship is with our minds that know the truth Verse: John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Questions for devotions and family worship: As you study John 4 again, why do you think this conversation eventually led to Jesus and the woman speaking about worship? What does all this have to do with “living water?” Evaluate your own worship. Is it in spirit? In truth? Is there both “heat and light?” Is it from the heart as well as with a mind saturated with the truth? Where do you need to grow?

Wisdom and the Christian life James 1: 1–8

John 2:1-11 The Best Comes Last Reverend Dr. Jason Pickard Assoc. Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Seminary – Escondido Introduction I. The Story II. The Sign III. The Woman IV. Six Stone Jars Conclusion “… But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:10b)

John 4:16-30 Living Water, Part 2 Summary: Did you know that God is seeking after you? He is seeking worshippers who are spiritually thirsty. Last week we saw Jesus speaking with a woman about her spiritual thirst. Let's listen in on the conversation again, and see that Jesus is on a mission to quench her thirst and make her a worshipper: Outline: 1. Jesus will not give up on us until we see our true thirst 2. Spiritual thirst can be quenched as we become worshippers 3. Our true thirst can only be quenched by Jesus Verse: John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. What are the deepest parts of you that you don’t want to come out? Of what are you most ashamed that Jesus wants to deal with today? 2. What are the ways in which you seek satisfaction in something other than Jesus? If your soul is made to desire Jesus, what other things tend to fill the void instead for you? 3. As you study John 4 again, why do you think this conversation eventually led to Jesus and the woman speaking about worship? What does all this have to do with “living water?”

Psalm 91:7-16 NRSV