First Alliance Church ATL

11-12-17 Kevin Goins The Parable of the Lost at Church

“The Parable of the Lost at Church”  Luke 15:11-32

Two Sundays ago we looked at the first of three parables in Luke chapter fifteen. That first parable makes clear that our God is one who is delighted when the lost come home to him. But before we get the idea that the lost are always out there somewhere, far beyond the walls of the church, Jesus ends Luke chapter fifteen with a parable to remind us that there are lost people at church – not just visiting, but being intimately involved in the life and work of the church.

I Contrary to popular opinion, this is _____ the parable of the prodigal son.

A. First, if this was the parable of the prodigal son, then it would have ended with v__________ _____.

B. Second, this can’t be the parable of the prodigal son because the c_________ of Luke chapter fifteen will not allow that.

C. Third, this can’t be the parable of the prodigal son because if it is it does not a____ a__________ to the first two parables.

II If this parable is about the lost at church, w_______ does it tell us about them?

A. First, it tells us that the lost at church do not l_______ l_______.

1. There are two things about the older brother that would make him a p________ c__________ as a member for any church.

a. Number one: he was f____________ in the F________ house.

b. Number two: he was not only faithful at being ___ the father’s house, he worked h______ in the father’s house.

2. So, for both these reasons, the lost at church may not l______ lost.

B. The second thing this parable teaches us is that despite their i____________ appearance, the lost at church have a real p________: they are ________.

III The first evidence that the older brother was lost is that he did not have a r______________ with the Father.

A. Two reasons Jesus did call, and still calls, disciples:

1. To b___ w_____ him
2. To s_______ him.

B. Do we think of Christians first as people who d___ God’s w______?

11-05-17 Abel Irvin: Finding Peace

10-29-17 Annual Meeting Sunday

Once a year we take a Sunday and give opportunity to our ministry leaders to talk about what God's done through their ministry and what they see coming next. 

10-22-17 Kevin Goins - What makes God happy?

“What Makes God Happy?”  Luke 15:1-7

Recently a great deal of research has been done to determine what it takes to make people happy.  For Christians, however, there is something far more important that knowing what makes people happy, and that is knowing what makes God happy.  To know what makes God happy is to know God better and this knowledge will also help us prioritize our lives.  Of course, if we love God we will want to make him happy, which makes it necessary for us to learn how we can do that.  What is it that makes God happy?  What does this parable teach us?

I  What makes God ________ makes some people very u____________ (15:1-3).

There was one thing about Jesus which the Pharisees just could not tolerate: Jesus not only spent t____ with, but actually a____ with tax-collectors and sinners.

Why did the Pharisees believe they had to a_______ sinners?

They thought the way to be ____ is to stay away from what is obviously ____.

They thought shunning sinners would s________ them into w_______ to be good.

II  What makes God happy may seem i______________ to some (15:4-6)

Whether the shepherd left the 99 alone, and in danger, is not the issue; the issue is that the shepherd had to m______ a c______.

The fact that God loves the _____ does not keep him from loving and seeking the _____.

III Lastly, what makes God happy is for h____ happiness to become o____ happiness (15:7).

10-15-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word Conclusion

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (conclusion) Mark 5:21-42
We have talked over the last few weeks about what we can do to make the most of God’s Word. Today we are going to put it into action. We are going to take a passage from God’s Word and see how to get all we can out of it.

I The first thing to do with a Scripture text is to ________ it.
-Here is a helpful hint: don’t always read the s______ version, even if it is your f_________.

II Second, we need to ________ the text.
-There are ________ tools that can help us in studying a book including the Bible:
A. First, we should look at the s­­­­­­___________.
B. Second, we should focus on the m____________. Since we use ______ to create meaning, that means we focus on the words.
C. Last, to study a text we must e___________ what the author says.

III Third, we need to a_________ the text.
-Donald Whitney gave us six questions we can use to apply the text to our life:
1. Does the text reveal something I should b_______ about God?
2. Does the text reveal something for which I should p______ or t_______ God?
3. Does this text reveal something I should p_______ about for myself or others?
4. Does this text reveal something I should have a new a_________ about?
5. Does this text reveal something that I should make a d__________ about?
6. Does the text reveal something I should d__ for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

IV Last, we need to m_____________ on the text.

10-08-17 Making the Most of God's Word - part 5

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 5)   Ezra 7:10

We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires that we work to study and observe God’s Word in our life. Last Sunday we saw that an important part of observing God’s Word is meditation and we asked, “What is meditation?” and “What can meditation do for us?” Today we want to ask four more questions:

I Third, if meditation is so great, why aren’t a___ the Christians I know t_______ about it?
-A major reason is because meditation has been c___________ by the world.

A. First, the fact that people have counterfeited meditation ___ ____, in itself, a reason to s______ meditation.

B. Second, the practice of meditation did not originate with c______ and f_____ r_________; it originated with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

C. Third, the practice of Christian meditation is r________ d_________ from all other forms of mediation.

II Four, what part does the i____________ play?
-There are two kinds of Christian meditation:

A. We can use our mind to meditate on a________ i________ taught in Scripture.
B. We can use our i__________to experience what a text describes as if we were there.

III Fifth, what makes it hard for us to meditate?

A. An unwillingness to s____ d_____, f________, and p___ a__________

B. S_________ i_________.

C. F_______ of actually h_________ God s________.

IV Last, h____ do we meditate?
A. First, set aside a t_____ to be unhurried and find a p______ to be restful.
B. Second, choose a text you have a________ s__________.
C. Third, make y________ the focus of the text.
D. Fourth, read, not as a s___________, but as a p__________.
E. Fifth, allow all your s_________ to be involved.
F. Last, let _______ be the one to speak to you.

10-01-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word part 4

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 4) Ezra 7:10
We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires that we work, study, and observe God’s Word in our life. Last Sunday we looked at the first two dimensions of observing God’s Word: Application and Memorization. The third component of observing God’s Word is Meditation. Today we need to answer two questions about meditating on Scripture.

I First, what is meditation?
   A. Meditation takes place when we s_____ d_______ and spend enough time with God’s Word so         that instead of t_________ about the text, we e___________ the text.
   B. Meditation is not about r_________ or s_________; it is about s__________.
       Meditating on Scripture is about w_________ it h_________ as if we were standing there; not         reading w_______, but observing l_______.
II Second, what can meditation do for us?
   A. First, meditation makes God’s Word more r______ to us, because it gives us a m______-     ________ experience.
   B. Second, meditation helps us to k______ God’s Word better, and, by knowing God’s Word better, we can g_______ in our relationship with God.
   C. Third, meditation increases the i________ of God’s t_______ in our life.
   D. Fourth, meditation gives us a sense of s________, s__________, and s____________.
   E. Fifth, meditation helps us to _______ God.
   F. Lastly, meditation makes it possible for us to interact with the Jesus who is a________ t________.

09-17-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word pt.2

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 2)   Ezra 7:10

Last time we saw that making the most of God’s Word requires work. Today we see that making the most of God’s Word requires study. But, what is Bible study? I want to make five points about Bible study:
I First, there is a major difference between r_________ the Bible and s___________ the Bible.

II Second, not only does Bible study enrich our own spiritual life, Bible study prepares us for m__________.

III Third, Bible study takes __________.

IV Fourth, every believer in Jesus has a n_______-e__________ need to study God’s Word.

V Fifth, many believers in Jesus have ____ ________ how to study God’s Word.
-What do we do to study the Bible?
A. Adler gives us three steps which focus on the book itself:
1. Think about the s_____________.
2. Think about the m____________.
3. Think about whether you a_________.
B. Adler gives us three steps which focus on ourselves:
1. Think about our e_____________.
2. Think about o_______ b________.
3. Think about our d____________ with o________.

09-10-17 Ben & Ashley Maxey - Indonesia

09-03-17 Missions Conference: D. Kropp Japan