Introduction to the New Sermon Series: Jesus is Better > The Book of Hebrews

This morning we began a new sermon series we’ve titled Jesus is Better – The Book of Hebrews.

You can catch the replay here.

Sermon notes:

We’re naming this series “Jesus is better,” because He is…

God is not who the serpent would have us believe. He is not hiding something from us. In fact, He made everyone and everything in order to make Himself known.

He sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. In that alone we see so much of what He is like.

And Jesus rose again…

And all our big questions about what God is like and what His intentions are –
those questions that stem from confusion and suspicion…

Jesus is the Answer to them all.

That is what we will unfold throughout our time in Hebrews. It’s pretty deep and wide and dense, but it is packed with the good news that Jesus is the Answer from eternity past and into eternity future…

Jesus is better.

He is greater than angels.
Greater than Moses
Greater than the priests, and the temple, and the law.

We’ll see that His oath is better than any commitment we could make or break.

And His Word is better than whatever the enemy could speak – better than whatever we would speak for ourselves.

Sermon Notes – 1 Timothy 5:1-16

Read 1 Timothy 5:1-16

Over and over in the Gospels we see Jesus saying something along these lines; that the last will be first and the first shall be last.

In some ways, that truly defines the subversive nature of the gospel.

In the context of 1 Timothy, a widow with no family to care for her would truly be at the mercy of society. She’d be on the outskirts of society, potentially subject to injustice, and probably in a place of poverty. That may not have been true of all widows, but it was certainly a possibility.

So, what does Paul call the church to do?

To put these most vulnerable people into positions of honor. To treat them like mothers. To provide for them. To care for them

Think about that – Paul tells the church that it honors God to take the lowliest of people and to put them in positions of honor.

The ways of God – the application of the Gospel to real life – is so subversive to the ways of this world.

The ways of God calls us to invite people in to the family of God – and not just invite them in – but to give them places of honor.

You can catch the replay here.

Sermon Notes – 1 Timothy 4:1-16

Read  1 Timothy 4:1-16

Donald Whitney puts it this way; “Although the Holy Spirit produces the desire for godliness – progress in godliness isn’t automatic…… The Spirit motivates and enables us to train ourselves, but He doesn’t do the training for us. The practical, day-by-day obedience to Paul’s command here is our Spirit-empowered responsibility.”

Here’s the thing about spiritual disciplines – they are meant to enact change over the long haul.

I think it’s fairly common for us to want our faith experience to just be easy – to experience some moment in time or event – to have a “mystical” experience that changes everything.

So the idea of practicing spiritual disciplines doesn’t really always seem satisfying because it requires something of us, it takes our effort, and it takes our effort together – striving together for the faith.

It probably doesn’t sound glamorous, but yet that training in the gospel is necessary for godliness…

And growing in godliness prepares us so that when we encounter the obstacle of false teaching, silly myths, or anything that would call us to worship that which is created rather than the Creator.

You can catch the replay here.

Sermon Discussion Questions – 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Here are a few questions from today’s sermon meant to help guide us all in prayerful conversation:

1. Read 1 Timothy 3:1-16. In vs. 15, Paul says that he wrote this so that we might now how we ought to behave in the household of God. How does this passage guide us in that way?

2. Make a list of the characteristics that overseers and deacons ought to have according to this passage. Prayerfully consider which of these areas you still need growth in. Write them down and consider sharing them with others.

3. How does the good news of Jesus meet you in your exposed need?

4. Discuss how the Holy Spirit is leading you toward spiritual maturity alongside your church family.

You can catch the replay here.

Sermon Discussion Notes – 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-15

The gospel frees both men and women alike to live in a way that learns about Jesus and the fullness of the good news as found in the whole of Scripture.

We are each free to learn to be with him, and become more like Him, and do the things that He does.

And the first step is learning to follow Him in prayerful humility…

Learning to lay down all our self glorifying actions in exchange for Jesus glorifying actions…

Which looks like getting quiet, learning to be content, learning to be honest about who we are in light of who He is, learning to trust Him wholly, learning to love others the way He loves…

It is learning to submit ourselves to the Kingdom of God, which subverts the ways of the world as we lay down our pursuit and clamor for power, influence, and platforms and follow Jesus into a prayerfully humble way of living.

You can catch the replay here.

Communal Bible Reading // April 4-8

Our Communal Bible Reading Plan provides 5 days of readings to help guide you into some intentional time with Jesus throughout the week. .

May this communal practice be a blessing to us all!

Join us by downloading this week’s Communal Bible Readings below.

 

 

Communal Bible Reading // March 21-25

Our Communal Bible Reading Plan provides 5 days of readings to help guide you into some intentional time with Jesus throughout the week. .

May this communal practice be a blessing to us all!

Join us by downloading this week’s Communal Bible Readings below.

 

 

Communal Bible Reading // March 14-18

As Jesus said in John 15:5, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” 

For that reason, we have created a Communal Bible Reading exercise that will be made available weekly throughout this year. Each week will include 5 days of readings, and instructions to walk you prayerfully through the day’s passage.

Our hope is that it leads us to spend time abiding in Christ in one accord and that from that abiding we will be made more like Jesus. 

Join us by downloading this week’s Communal Bible Readings below.

 

 

Communal Bible Reading // March 7-11

As Jesus said in John 15:5, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” 

For that reason, we have created a Communal Bible Reading exercise that will be made available weekly throughout this year. Each week will include 5 days of readings, and instructions to walk you prayerfully through the day’s passage.

Our hope is that it leads us to spend time abiding in Christ in one accord, and that from that abiding we will be made more like Jesus. 

Join us by downloading this week’s Communal Bible Readings below.