First Alliance Church ATL

07-16-17 Kevin Goins - Giving the Gift of Jesus

“Giving the Gift of Jesus: the Stewardship of Time”   Luke 19:1-9
Time is a precious commodity and that is why God wants us to practice the discipline of stewardship. He wants us to honor him, not just with how we spend our money, but also with how we spend our time. As Christians, we know the importance of giving time to God, to our family, and to our church. But how much time do we give to those who are outside the Kingdom of God? Today we are looking at a text which answers the question: Why should we give those who do not know Jesus the gift of our time?

I First, because it takes time to _______ for the _______ (19:1).
A. Jesus was “passing through” Jericho because he had s_______ p________ e_________ to be.

B. As we encounter crowds each day we need to focus our attention, not on the _______, but on the one who s________ o_______ from it.

II Second, because it takes time to see s__________ p__________ where, at first, there might seem to be n_______ at all (19:2).
A. There are two reasons why a Christian evangelist would not want to waste time on Zacchaeus:
   1. He was a c_______ t______ c________.
   2. He was w___________.
B. But sometimes the people who live “upright” lives are the h________ to win to Christ, and the people who would seem to be a l______ c______ are the most eager to respond to the Gospel.

III Third, because it takes time to be a p___-w_______ w________ (19:3-5).
A. It takes time to make a good i__________ on people before you attempt to share your faith with them.
B. To be an authentic representative of Jesus means we reach out to the people who seem to be so d__________ from us.

07-09-17 Kevin Goins - Discipline of Thankfulness part 2

The Spiritual Discipline of Thankfulness” (Conclusion) Luke 17:11-19

Thankfulness is one of the most well-known of the spiritual disciplines, but that does not mean that it is one of the most commonly practiced.  As our text today demonstrates, it is the nature of the majority of people who are blessed by God to take his blessing without giving thanks.  What does this text teach us about the discipline of thankfulness? 

I First, we learn that we ought to focus our thankfulness on the Lord Jesus (17:11-13).

II Second, the energizing power of thankfulness is faith (7:14-15).

III Third, the reason for our thankfulness is God’s grace (7:16).

IV Fourth, the absence of thankfulness is _______ (7:17).

-Four reasons why ingratitude is ______:

1. Ingratitude is sin because not being thankful is an act of _______________.
2. Ingratitude is sin because it d____________ God of what he is d_____.
3. Ingratitude is sin because it is bad for _____.
4. Ingratitude is sin because it hurts ________.

V Fifth, the presence of thankfulness is a sign of s___________ t______________(17:19).

VI Finally, evidence of thankfulness is never just _________, but ___________ (17:18).

 

 

07-02-17 Kevin Goins - The Discipline of Thankfulness

“The Spiritual Discipline of Thankfulness”  Luke 17:11-16

Thankfulness is one of the most well-known of the spiritual disciplines, but that does not mean that it is one of the most commonly practiced.  As our text today demonstrates, it is the nature of the majority of people who are blessed by God to take his blessing without giving thanks.  What does this text teach us about the discipline of thankfulness? 

I     First, we learn that we ought to focus our thankfulness on the _______ ______(17:11-13).

       -For three reasons:

1. Because Jesus himself d____________ the discipline of thankfulness
2. Because Jesus is the one whose actions d___________ our thanks.
3. Because of what Jesus did for ____.

II    Second, the energizing power of thankfulness is ___________ (7:14-15).

III   Third, the reason for our thankfulness is ______ __________ (7:16).

 

06-25-17 Kevin Goins - Discipline of Detachment 4

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment” (Pt 4)  Matthew 6:24

This is the fourth message on the spiritual discipline of detachment and in the last two messages we have looked at the practical question:  From which of the world’s values do we need to detach ourselves?  Thus far we have identified three things that we need to abandon: 

I First, the world’s preoccupation with things that cannot last.

II Second, the world’s stingy, greedy, and selfish perspective on life.

III Third, the world’s love affair with the power and influence of money.

Today we see three more values of the world from which we must detach ourselves:

IV The fourth thing from which we must detach ourselves is the world’s a_____________ (6:25-32).

1. F______, d_______, and c_______ are not the only things we should not worry about (6:25-30).
2. It is the nature of the kingdom of this world to be a___________ (6:31-32a).
3. While it is the nature of those who belong to the kingdom of this world to w_________, it is the nature of those who belong to the Kingdom of God to _______ (6:31-32).

V The fifth thing from which we must detach ourselves is the world’s u__________ d________ priorities (6:33).

VI The sixth thing from which we must detach ourselves is the world’s t________ in t____________ (6:34).

06-18-17 Kevin Goins - Being Baptized on Father's Day

“Being Baptized on Father’s Day” Matthew 6:9-13

There is a text of Scripture which not only helps us better understand baptism, but which also reminds us fathers what we should value. This text is Matthew 6:9-13 and it tells us six things about our Father in Heaven:

I Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who cares about being r____________ (6:9).

II Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who wants to see his K_________ a________ (6:10a).

III Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who has a p_______ for us and he wants us to f__________ his plan (6:10b).

IV Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who wants us to see him as our p___________ (6:11).

V Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who wants to m__________ f____________ (6:12).

VI Our Heavenly Father is the kind of father who gives us victory over e_________ (6: 13).

05-28-17 The Discipline of Detachment part 3

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment” (Pt 3) Matthew 6:24

Last week, as we were discussing the discipline of detachment, we asked the question: From which of the world’s values should we detach ourselves. We said:
I First, we must detach ourselves from a love for the things that cannot last.
II Second, we must detach ourselves from the way the world looks at life.
III Third, we must detach ourselves from the d__________ for m________.

A. Why did Jesus focus on money when he said, “You cannot serve two masters”?
1. Money is one of the most d__________ powers in life and even _____________ can be deceived by it.
2. Living for money and loving money has rarely ever been c________________ by the church.
3. We find it so easy to be i____________ by people with lots of money, even if we do not know ______ they got their money.
B. But the problem is not money itself. Money is a n__________ force in society. It can be used to further _______ or to promote great _____.
1. The problem, Jesus says, is that many times it is not _______ who possess _________, but __________ that possesses ___________.
2. When we find comfort and security in knowing we have
money in our account, then we have become s___________, or s___________, of mammon.
C. We Christians often respond to warnings like this by d_________ that we have anything to worry about.
D. Another response we often make to the issue is to say, “I am just d_______ what I h_______ to do.” My family and I have got to l________!
E. How can we detach ourselves from the power that money has over people?
1. The only way is to detach ourselves from the _________ for money.
2. But, how do we do that? One of the best ways is to live a more s_________ life

 

05-21-17 The Discipline of Detachment, pt. 2

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment” (Pt 2)   Matthew 6:19-23

In part one of this series on detachment we answered some basic questions about this spiritual discipline:
I First, what is detachment?
II Second, what can detachment do for our spiritual life?
III Third, how can we detach ourselves from the appetites and desires of this world?
IV Fourth, what is the best reason for practicing detachment?

Today, we need to ask one more crucial question:  From w______ are we to detach ourselves?

A. First, we must detach ourselves from a love for the t_______ t________ c__________ l_______(6:19-21).

1. One of the clearest indicators of how distorted is the value system of this world is how we value t____________ things and disregard _____________.

2. But then, there are the things which are eternal – What things?
a. ______________
b. ______________
c. Whatever we have done to reflect the ________ of _______.

3. Being preoccupied with things that cannot last gives us spiritual h___________ d_____________.

B. Second, we must detach ourselves from the way the world l_________ at l________ (6:22-23).

1. The Greek word translated “good” or “sound” is used many times in the Bible to mean ____________.
2. The Greek word translated “bad” is often used in the Bible to mean ____________ or ___________.
3. Jesus says to look at life with generosity fills our life with l________, but to look at life with stinginess fills our life with _____________ - Why?

a. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy o____ o______ life.
b. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy o______ p__________.
c. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy ________.

05-14-17 A Parable for Mothers

“A Parable for Mothers”  Matthew 13:51-52

There is a parable told by Jesus which is not usually associated with Mother’s Day, but which actually has some great advice for mothers.  The reason this parable is especially appropriate for this occasion is because it speaks about three virtues which, though needed by all believers, are especially useful to mothers.  What are these virtues?  

I First, there is the virtue of i____________, or the virtue of asking ________ ______________ (13:51a).

II Second, there is the virtue of n__________________ a_______________ (13:51b).

III Third, there is the virtue of b____________:  providing a balanced diet of the _______ and the ________ (13:52).

-There are two ways to understand the “new” and the “old

We can understand it in the _____________ sense of anything new and old.

But when Jesus talks about new and old, he has something very ___________ in mind – He is talking about the old way of seeing God, the ____ _____________ and the new revelation about God, the ____ _____________.

IV So, the first two virtues are actually r___________ in the third.

 

05-07-17 The Discipline of Detachment

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment”

Detachment is one of the most unfamiliar of the spiritual disciplines, but why we must practice this discipline is easy to see. To follow Jesus Christ we make the positive decision to choose his Kingdom. But to choose the Kingdom Jesus came to bring is to reject the kingdom of this world. But how do we reject this worldly kingdom? That is what detachment is all about. To introduce this discipline we need first to answer four basic questions:
I First, w______ is detachment?

-Detachment is w_____________ from the value system of the world so our day to day living reflects more and more the values of the K__________ of _______.

II Second, is detachment like r______________?

Repentance is r____________, whereas detachment is p_______________.

III Third, ______ can detachment ________ me?

A. Detachment undercuts the a____________ that leads to d_______________ God and when this happens it is possible to e________ living the kind of life that brings glory to God.

B. But we cannot simply decide to d_________ ourselves from the world’s value system – we must first allow ourselves to be a___________ to something better.

IV Fourth, w_____ should I practice detachment?

04-30-17 How's Your Stuff?

“How’s Your Stuff?”
Every one of us goes home to a house or apartment filled with stuff, including clothes, appliances, furniture, and all sorts of personal possessions. We may think that our stuff has no influence on our spiritual life, but the Bible thoroughly discredits that notion. This morning we want to see four things about our stuff:
I The c___________ does not like to talk about our stuff.
A. Since this is a big spiritual issue, there must be a spiritual
answer and there is: the discipline of s_____________.
B. Simplicity is simply f__________ - from the overpowering d_________ for t_________.
II While the _________, for the most part, has chosen to ignore this issue, the ________ does not.
A. Many Christians have the idea that whatever economic lifestyle I choose to pursue is between ____ and my __________ - but the Old Testament says otherwise
1. The Old Testament challenges the absolute right to p__________ p____________.
2. The Old Testament challenges the human d_________ to a__________.
3. The Old Testament challenges our tendency to t_________ in _________.
B. The ________ _______________ has just as much to say:
1. Jesus called money Mammon, which he describes as a r_______ g_____.
2. Jesus said the desire for w_________, and the stuff it buys, can keep people out of ___________.
3. Jesus said we need to be r________ in controlling our desire for wealth and the stuff it buys.
4 Jesus said “No” to h_____________.
5. Jesus said we must be willing to give away ____ we have for the sake of the Kingdom.
III The issue is more c__________, because the Bible does not say the problem is the s_____ - In fact, the Bible has a very __________ view of stuff.
-People who are critical of our technological stuff say that
technology hurts people in three ways:
1. Technological stuff separates us from the _________.
2. Technological stuff separates us from ________ ________.
3. Technological stuff separates us from ____________.
IV If we want to practice the discipline of simplicity (get control of our stuff), we need first to practice the discipline of d_________.