29 Dec “driving change” | jim shekleton – woonsocket

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOONSOCKET: Construction is underway!

FIRST TUESDAY- We will be having First Tuesday’s starting January 7 – 6:00p prayer and 7:00p worship. NO LIFE GROUPS MEET THAT WEEK, THERE WILL BE NO GUIDE.

ADDING ANOTHER SERVICE IN NORTH ATTLEBORO:: 8:00 AM on Sunday mornings starting mid-January! Quieter service. If you attend Thursdays, please remain attending that service.

Waters Church Facebook Page now has groups set up for each campus and a group set up for Life Groups.

To join the groups, just go to the Waters Church FB page and go to groups and join the ones you want. Make sure you join the Life Group (group) so we can get people interested in joining a Life group. The Heach Coaches and I will be moderating the group and adding topics for discussion.

CLASSES; Baptism class is every 4th Sunday of the Month. at 11:30 / Growth Track runs the first 3 Sundays every month at 11:30 – this is a one and done registrants only need to attend one session / Starting Point runs every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 11:30 – details and descriptions can be found on the registrations which are located under Events on the HUB.

OUTCOMES

ACTONS 

IDENTITY

Christmas is over and we may think we have nothing to look forward to but snow and the cold, but AFTER Christmas is when everything begins!

The movement of Jesus begins AFTER the holiday and that is when Jesus is put into action.  There is still hope to be found, brokenness that needs healing, spiritually starved people that need their spirit fed and the dead that need to come to LIFE.

We, as Christians, are part of a movement, not simply bystanders watching the highlight reel. We may have listened to some false teaching about ourselves and who we are as people. 

Something needs to change – our identity in Christ must change.

Q. What are some things you may have thought about yourself that are not true (never amount to anything, ‘I’m a good person and that is enough, I should only do what’s good for me, etc..)?

We want great things from God, BUT, do we want to be known as His? To be called His, we need to reciprocate Him, walk/talk like Him and celebrate Him.

IDENTITY ALWAYS DRIVES OUTCOMES.  ALWAYS

1. JESUS MAKES ME HOLY, BLAMELESS, REDEEMED, FORGIVEN AND LAVISHED WITH GRACE.

Ephesians 1:3-8 ESV

Q. What are some of the outcomes in your life that are a direct result from knowing these things about who you are (example: you are much more gracious toward others, you easily forgive, etc..)?

2. JESUS MAKES ME HIS CHILD.

Ephesians 1:4-5 ESV; Ephesians 1:11 ESV; Ephesians 2:4 ESV; Ephesians 2:19 ESV

Q. How does knowing you have an inheritance change the way you look at material possessions? Why is it sometimes difficult to let go of certain things or ideas?

3. JESUS MAKES ME ALIVE.

Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV; Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV

Q. As a Christian, even though you are longer dead in your sin, does the old you ever resurface and how?  

1. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST CAUSES ME TO GET RID OF THE OLD ME.

Ephesians 4:17 ESV; Ephesians 4:22-24

Q. When the ‘old you’ tries to resurface, what do you do?

Leader: Here is a good opp to talk about growth track, starting point, baptism for those who are newly saved or new to Waters).

2. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST CAUSES ME TO GET CLOSE TO HIM.

Ephesians 2:13-16 ESV

James 4:8 ESV 

Q. Do you ever find that life causes you to distance yourself from Jesus and how?  What do you do to draw closer to Him?

3. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST CAUSES ME TO BE AN IMITATOR OF GOD.

Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV

Philippians 2:3-4 NLT

An imitator of God puts themselves aside, putting others ahead of themselves.  Imitators of God will do anything, except sin, so that others have a chance to hear the Good News of Jesus.  

Q. How have you put others before yourself for the Good News of Jesus to be heard?  

Q. Is there an opportunity in your life to take a step of faith and put others before yourself so the Gospel can be heard?

Q. Share a time in your life that you consider others more important than yourself.  Why is it so memorable?

This is a good time to discuss serving, tithing, coming to church regularly (rather than when it’s convenient), prioritizing church in your life, pre/post service prayer, Life Groups, etc.

Sermon in a Sentence:

FINDING AND BELIEVING MYB IDENTITY IN CHRIST EMPOWERS AND MOTIVATES ME TO LIVE LIFE WORTHY OF HIS SALVATION.