05 Jul “where is your faith?” | jim shekleton

KEY VERSE: Luke 10

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Online Giving** Regardless of where and when we will able to gather again, we continue to run our ministries and support our missions which bring the Gospel to a lost and frightened world. We are looking to our church family to continue faithfully giving. For those of you who give manually, please consider giving online at https://waterschurch.org/give/. Otherwise, you can mail checks to Waters Church, 57 John L Dietsch Square North Attleborough, MA 02760 and place your campus’ name in the notation field. We are very thankful for your support and understanding!

41411 – text waterschurch (all one word) to stay updated with info.

FACEBOOK 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 SGL Hub.

 

 

TELEPHONE LIVE STREAMING – this is now available.  The number to dial is 1-855-352-9749.

We can’t learn from other people’s experiences.  We learn through Real Life Experiences.  The wilderness is an experience intended to teach us.

 

WATERS KIDS ARE BACK: Ignite and Activate – register at waterschurch.org/events

ELEVATE: June 27 at NA – 7-8:30 – food

ENCOUNTER: June 26 – ice cream – 7:00p

ALL KIDS BACK JULY 5!

 

ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS CAN BE FOUND AT: waterschurch.guide

 

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

We should not put our faith in the worship songs we sing nor the prayers we pray, but rather our faith should be in Jesus.  When we read the Bible it builds our faith.  Jesus is not a failure, never was and never will be, therefore our faith should be in the God of the universe and nothing else.

Q. When have you placed your faith in something rather than God (example another person, a prayer, a song, etc.)?

We read certain stories in the Bible and see the miracles that Jesus did and desire the miracles in our lives, but before the miracle, there was chaos.  In our chaos, faith has to come to the forefront of the situation. The only thing that changes the chaos is Jesus.

Q. What chaos has consumed you and what is a miracle you need in your life at this time?

Luke 10:25-37

The lawyer, trying to corner Jesus, asks ‘What must I do?’  He is focused on the doing in order to get.   We don’t do anything to inherit eternal life.  The doing was done by Someone else.  The lawyer is looking to justify himself by making sure what he is doing is what he is supposed to be doing.  This is self-righteous justification.

Q. How might you have been like this lawyer in the sense that you had tried to justify that what you were doing was right to ensure you were right with God (“God must love me because I …” or “I must be a good Christian because I..”)?

It is not our responsibility to guarantee eternal life for ourselves.

Jesus answers the lawyer with a story leaving this man to question ‘who is my neighbor?’ This is a tough question.  We may not know how to take care of the man the way this Good Samaritan had.  However, in this story we are all like the man who was left for dead.  That is what sin does, it leaves us beaten and left for dead on the side of the road.  BUT, Jesus leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one.  We were all that ‘one’ at one time.

God did not create us to suffer but he created us to be with Him and sin keeps that from happening.  Sin steals the freedom we have to come to our Father and leaves us on the side of the road left for dead.

Jesus heals our past and the impact that sin had on us and takes us to a place where we can recover.  He takes us to place where we can be safe.  He forgives us when we confess we are sinners and receive what He has freely given us.

Q. Have you ever found it difficult to receive God’s grace and why?

Jesus is the true and perfect Samaritan.  He finds us in our sin and does not kick us out but takes care of us right where we are and He loves us. He lived a sinless life so we can place our faith in Him.

We need to stay the route that God has placed us. He has given us His Spirit which is the same Holy Spirit that inspired the written word of God.

Our confidence comes from our heavenly Father in that he did the impossible in us.   Jesus had compassion on us so we can have compassion on others.

Who can you have compassion on this week?