First Alliance Church ATL

09-25-16 Believing is Seeing John 4:46-54

“Believing is Seeing”  John 4:46-54

There is a proverb which, though it goes back at least four centuries, is still very popular today.  This proverb says, “Seeing is believing.”  In other words, we can only believe what we can verify with our physical senses.  But there are at least two significant problems with this.  First, it doesn’t always work, not even in the physical world. Many people have been completely deceived by depending on their eyes.  Second, it never works in the spiritual world. In fact, in our text today, Jesus tells us that in the spiritual world it is not seeing that leads to believing, but it is believing that gives us real sight.  But, how does a person develop faith?            

I You need the right s________ for faith to grow (4:46-47).

-When it comes to faith, there are two things which must be part of the soil of our life:

1. First, we must be aware of some significant ________ in our life.

2. Second, we need a s_________ or a g___________ of h________.

II Second, faith needs a c______________ (4:48).

III Lastly, faith needs to d_____________ (4:49-54).

-Did you notice what Jesus did for this man?

1. At first he made him believe w_______ a_____ sign.

2. But then, on the road back home, Jesus g________ him a sign.

09-18-16 Cross Cultural Ministry John 4:21-42

“Cross-Cultural Ministry” (Conclusion)

John 4:21-42

In his encounter with the Samaritan woman Jesus illustrates for us how we can have a ministry which crosses social and cultural boundaries.  Today we see Jesus demonstrate three more principles which can assist us in Cross-Cultural Ministry.       

I God uses circumstances to lead us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:1-4).

II God uses our humility to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:5-8)

III God uses our sensitivity to people’s needs to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:9-10).

IV God uses our ability to prioritize the essentials so we can cross cultural boundaries in ministry. (4:11-15)

V God uses our willingness to confront the issues of the heart to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:16-20).  

VI God uses our w____________ to set aside the cultural dimensions of our f________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:21-24).

Both the _______ of our worship and the ____________ of our worship have been heavily influenced by our culture.

Jesus says it is cultural to worship at a particular place and a particular time, but there are ________ worship requirements that are not cultural:

First, we must worship in ___________.

But there is something else – worship also must be done in _____.

Truth includes two things: C________________.         I_________________.

VII God uses our willingness to lift up ___________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:25-26).

VIII Lastly, God uses our sense of _______________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:27-42).

Prepare the Way - Missions Conference 2016

Jimbo Hull from Uruguay

09-04-16 Cross Cultural Ministry John 4:11-22

“Cross-Cultural Ministry” (Pt. 2)

John 4:11-20

In his encounter with the Samaritan woman Jesus illustrates for us how we can have a ministry which crosses social and cultural boundaries.  Today we see Jesus demonstrate two more principles which can assist us in Cross-Cultural Ministry.       

IV God uses our a________ to p__________ the essentials so we can cross cultural boundaries in ministry. (4:11-15)

V God uses our willingness to c___________ the issues of the h________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:16-20).  

-If you want to condemn this woman you can find good reasons for doing so, but there are three better reasons for not condemning her:

1. First, we don’t know her h____________.

2. Second, in condemning her we condemn _________________.

3. Third, __________ did not condemn her.

08-28-16 Cross Cultural Ministry John 4:1-10

“Cross-Cultural Ministry”

John 4:1-10

There are times when we invite people to learn about Jesus and they refuse, not because they have no interest, but because we have unknowingly set a barrier in front of them.  Some of the biggest barriers we unintentionally place between people and Jesus are cultural barriers.  Jesus had to deal with social and cultural barriers, and as we see how he dealt with these barriers we learn how we can deal with them. What do we learn from Jesus about cross-cultural ministry?      

I God uses c_______________ we would never imagine to lead us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:1-4).

II God uses our h___________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:5-8)

III God uses our s____________ to people’s n_________ to enable us to cross cultural boundaries in ministry (4:9-10).

08-21-16 - Joy or Jealousy? John 3:22-30

“Joy or Jealousy?”  John 3:22-30

Since Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice,” we have called jealousy “the green-eyed monster.”  It may be poetic to call it “green-eyed,” but there is nothing poetic about calling it a monster.  Jealousy is a monster and it is the kind of monster by which even believers in Jesus can be conquered.  But John 3:22-30 gives us help in dealing with jealousy.  What does this passage teach us about jealousy?       

I The seedbed of jealousy is c_____________________ (3:22-25).

II The trigger to jealousy is f_______ of t____________ (3:26)

III In the response of John the Baptist we see the k_____ to defeating jealousy:

We need to know that our specific calling is given to us by ________ (3:27).

We need to make sure we are motivated by the r________ g_________ (3:28-29).

We need to know how to find _____ in our unique calling (3:30).

08-14-16 The Most Well Known Verse in the Bible - conclusion

“The Most Well-Known Verse in the Bible” (Conclusion)

John 3:16

This Sunday we conclude our eight-part study of John 3:16. Last week we focused on the consequence of our choice, either to believe in Jesus or to reject him. Today we have three more points to make about perishing and eternal life:

I Perishing and eternal life are Inverse images of each other.

II Perishing and eternal life both point to Jesus as the One who stands between.

III Perishing and eternal life both demand humility.

IV Perishing and eternal life both begin _____ with ________ ________.

V Perishing and eternal life not only begin with this life, but both c___________ b__________ this life – In fact, they continue ______________.

There are two basic problems we have to contend with:

1. Our first problem is with the idea of ____________ itself.

2. The second problem with eternity comes when we apply eternity to the d__________ of those who do not know Christ.

VI Perishing and eternal life both d_________ our a____________.

-Usually we look at this choice from a ___________ perspective, but we can also put this into p____________ terms.

08-07-16 The Most Well Known Verse in the Bible part 7

So far in our study of John 3:16 we have looked at the first eighteen words: “For God so loved the world he gave his only Son in order that whoever believes in him ….”   Today we look at the consequence of our choice either to believe in Jesus or reject him.  What does the Bible teach us about these two consequences?   

  

I Perishing and eternal life are i__________ i__________of each other.

-The most comprehensive picture of heaven in the Bible is found in Revelation chapters 21-22 and what John sees here answers some of our most important questions:

Is heaven an “o___ o___ b________” existence where we float around like ghosts on a cloud?  What makes heaven so s____________?  What will l______ be l______ in heaven?  Lastly, will heaven be b__________?

II Perishing and eternal life both point to Jesus as the One who s__________ b____________.

III Perishing and eternal life both demand h______________.

The problem is this:  there are ways in which we Christians can appear to be proud and arrogant – For example we can assume that because we know the Bible, there is _________ that anyone can ______ us.

But that doesn’t make sense for several reasons

Because something isn’t in the Bible doesn’t mean it is c__________ to the teaching of God’s Word.

All of God’s truth is ______ found in the Bible.

________ truth is God’s truth.

So, we need humility in all we say, but we especially need humility when we talk about w________ people will spend e_________.

07-24-16 Betsy Aeschliman - Medical Missions

First Alliance Church Guest Speaker

Betsy Aeschliman from Missions to the World which leads around 50 medical missions trips a year around the world.

07-17-16 The Most Well Known Verse in the Bible part 6

“The Most Well-Known Verse in the Bible” (Part 6)

John 3:16

So far in our study of John 3:16 we have focused on the first eleven words: “For God so loved the world he gave his only Son….”   Today we look at how we receive the gift God gave.     

I First, there is a p____________ c____________:  “in order that….”

II Second, there is a p___________:  “w____________.”

III Third, there is a v_________:  “b___________”

IV Lastly, there is a p_____________ p_________:  “i____ h______.”