15 Jan You Belong Here | Part 1 “Hide and Seek” | All Locations

Announcements:

IMPORTANT***** Please add

no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and have your members add it as well.  This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site.

GO TO WATERSCHURCH.ORG/EVENTS TO REGISTER

ALL LOCATIONS

CHILI COOK-OFF  – FEB 4 AND 5TH FOR INVITE A FRIEND WEEKEND!  BELOW ARE THE PERSPECTIVE LOCATION REGISTRATIONS

NORTH ATTLEBORO

WOONIE

SOCO

APOLLO BEACH

JASON GRAY CONCERT: At our SoCo Location on January 29!  Click link below for more info and to purchase your tickets!

Jason Gray Concert

LIFE GROUP LEADER MEETING: MARCH 21 from 6-8:30.  Please register yourself, your apprentice and your children.  Food and child care provided.  NE AND APOLLO BEACH WILL ZOOM IN TOGETHER.

LIFE GROUP LEADER MEETING REG FOR NEW ENGLAND

LIEFE GROUP LEADER MEETING REG FOR APOLLO BEACH

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people. Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people.  Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

Location Text Alerts:

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Key Verse: John 1

This message series is to remind ourselves why we are here.  We are here for ___________________________.   Many people come to church for their needs to be met or for their children but we want to be the Church for those who are far from God.  The Church is God’s plan to reach people, there is no other plan.

Our church grows in community. 

The SCIENCE is IN: WE NEED COMMUNITY

Loneliness is one of our biggest problems, it is the worst thing we can do for our health.  When we are in pain, our brain tells us.  Our brains tell us when something is wrong we need to fix it.  It is the same when we are lonely.  It is our brain telling us not to isolate ourselves.  We need to be rooted in the Church.  Trying to do life on our own destroys us.  We are Body, Spirit, and Mind and all three of these affect the others.  For instance, when we eat wrong it not only affects our bodies but also our mind and spirit.  It is the same for loneliness.  Getting with the people of God helps us through our loneliness.  We need to connect with people who are connected to God.

52% of Americans feel LONELY every day

57% EAT every MEAL alone.

73% of Millennials report being CONSTANTLY LONELY.

Q. When have you struggled with loneliness?

Q. What reasons might others have that you know who are lonely?

What it takes to BUILD the COMMUNITY of JESUS:

1. Seeking SINNERS.

These are sinner who are seeking.

John 1:37-38 (ESV)

Jesus knew they were seeking something.  Everyone is seeking something. Some might be seeking friends, happiness, to improve their marriage etc.  God knows what we are seeking and He came for seekers.  He is fully aware we are searching for something.  Sometimes God gives us what we seek only to realize what we are really seeking is the God who created us. Many of our searches are misplaced searches for God.  Whatever we get won’t satisfy us, what satisfies us is only found in Jesus.

Q. What were you seeking when you initially started going to Church?

John 1:39 (ESV)

Jesus tells them to come (this means to stay for a while) and you will see. It is a process.  Many times when we invite people to church they initially say ‘No.’  We may ask again and if they still say no we should move on to someone else.  Some will reject.  Some may see the miracles and still don’t believe but our hope is that God opens their hearts and brings them to the end of themselves until their hearts turn to Jesus.  It is a process.  God has a job for us, to reach others with the Gospel.  It does not matter where they are at.  Jesus called the tax collectors, sinners, drinkers etc.  The religious people complained about Him but He did not come for the healthy, He came for the sick.  The Holy Spirit can change the hardest of hearts.  Some come and don’t last because they are seeking things they can get from God.  He is really what we need and He is enough..

Q. What are some ways you have taken someone through the process? (Someone you invited, maybe more than once, but it took a while for them to really get it).

Q. What hardest of heart have you witnessed God change?

2. A Seeking SAVIOR.

We are flawed seekers.  But Jesus is actively seeking us.

John 1:43 (ESV)

Found – Jesus was looking for Philip.  This is a picture of how salvation happens.  God works to draw us to himself.  God sent Jesus to come and find us.  Before we sought Jesus, He was looking for us.

John 1:14 (ESV)

God came to be with us.  He was involved in the process of us seeking Him.  This should give us great confidence in our salvation. It was not up to ourselves to get saved.  He put things in motion to get us to a place of salvation.   Even when we sin, and keep doing the wrong things, as long we have a repentant heart. God has his arms wide open to receive us back.  It is grace.  His grace is new every morning.    He used everything in our life to come to a place that led us to Him.  Our story for his glory.

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)

Q. What things did God set into motion to get you where you are?

Every STORY is DIFFERENT and SIGNIFICANT.

Not everyone has a big story.  All stories matter.   All the characters in the book of John got saved in different ways.

Andrews invited by John the Baptist

Peter invited by his brother

Philip invited by Jesus

Nathan invited by Philip but does not believe and comes anyway then ends up believing. 

We all come from different places and every person’s story matters. It is a testimony to the power and goodness of God.  The beauty of the Church is that we all come from different walks but find community in Gods people.

Leader: If there is someone in our group that has not shared their testimony, ask the to share.

John 1:45-46 (ESV)

Nathaniel is like how some of us were or are.  He was a skeptic hard to convince some of us are him right now.

Q. How much of a skeptic were you when you first heard the Gospel?

John 1:47-48 (ESV)”

Jesus shows him one thing and he believed.  The skeptic finally gets saved and  they become the most committed Christian ever. Like Paul, who hated Christians, became radically saved. 

Q. What skeptic (maybe you) finally got saved and became a most committed Christian?

We don’t SEEK Jesus without Jesus SEEKING us.

3. Seeking SAINTS.

We need to be seeking Saints.

John 1:40-41 (ESV)

John 1:45 (ESV)

FOUND people FIND people.

Andrew shows up in the 1st, 6th, and 12th chapter and  we never hear about him preaching a sermon but every time he showed up, he was bringing someone to Jesus.  We don’t have to have any special talents or gifts to bring someone to Jesus.  Andrew is a connector.  Our church is filled with Andrews.   The church of Jesus came to gather intentionally invited people to meet Jesus.  We are here to be the church that reaches people far from God.

Challenge of Jan/Feb: Invite people you know to meet Jesus.