23 Jan Change or Die | Part 3 “My Body, My Choice, My Change”

Announcements:

All announcements can be found at:  waterschurch.guide

Our text alert number has changed, you will now receive texts alerts from 81411.  Text ‘waterschurch’ to 81411 to join our text alert system.

February 4-9 we are organizing a work weekend at our Florida Campus.  If you can, come down and help.  We will have a church watch party, watch the Super Bowl together, canvas the neighborhood, have a First Tuesday on the Monday and do some painting, building and landscaping!  For details, register at waterschurch.org/florida

We are actively looking to employ a Worship director for our Florida Campus.  If you know anyone that is interested in this position please have them send an email to info@waterschurch.org.

Our Actions Groups are going to be giving out care packages for the homeless and would like to add BRAND NEW Socks to to the bags. Please ask your members to bring in and place in the Lobby Giving Boxes by February 15! We are planning on 100 bags.

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:24 – 10:4

We now sponsor CareNet Rhode Island giving them 1/10th of our giving which goes out each month to fund Gospel mission, life-preaching ministries.    1 out of 4 pregancys end in abortion.  CareNet saved 100 lives last year as well as providing counseling.

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Last weekend, Pastor Tim planted a seed in a pot of soil which grew during the week and became a plant (Planty).  God plants the seeds of the Gospel in our hearts and just like this plant, the seeds take root.

There are two things God provides plants: sun and rain.  Everything about the physical world points to a spiritual reality.  The physical helps us understand the spiritual.  The sun points to Jesus and the rain points to the Holy Spirit.  The Son says ‘not guilty’.  We cannot grow if we operate from a constant sea of guilt in our lives. If in Christ, through His grace and shed blood all of our sins have been washed away forever!  The Spirit gives us the power to change our lives from within.  There is a human component to helping a plant grow: we fertilize it, water it, and weed it (pull away things to help it grow). Just as plants need both the heavenly resources and human effort to grow, so do we.  If we want change, we have a choice.  Creating the right environment for change.

Q. What have you had to weed out of your life in order to create an environment of change?

1. My DEVELOPMENT is a SERIOUS MATTER.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)

Run expecting to win! Paul uses the metaphor of sports to talk about our faith.  People of the ancient world took their sports seriously just like we do today.  Our Christian growth should be as serious as athletes take sports.

Q. Why is it not enough to just run the race but to run with the expectation of winning?

A. We’ve got FANS in the STANDS.

Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)

We have a heavenly audience watching us. Abraham, Moses, Noah, and all the heroes of faith who fought and ran for the glory of God are now looking at us and cheering us.   They want us to win!  People in heaven, those who died in the faith are cheering us on!

Q. Who might be cheering you on that keeps you running the race?

Q. What weight of sin might be slowing your race down?

B. We’re in for an INCREDIBLE PRIZE.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)

God is in the reward business. Some of us have lost friends because of Jesus.  We need to stop worrying about temporal losses and look at our eternal possessions.  He will crown us with glory and honor.

James 1:12 (NLT)

God blesses those who endure.

Hebrews 10:35–36 (NLT)

We have got to keep going.

1 Corinthians 9:26 (ESV)

God has us where we are so we may be the salt of the earth and light of the world.

Q. What good has ever come out of a difficult situation in your life?

Q.  How had you been Salt and Light especially in times of difficulty?

C. We need INTENSIVE spiritual EXERCISE.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV)

We have a goal,  a purpose for living, and we need to cut stuff out to run a great race!  Our bodies will undermine our spiritual life constantly.

2. I have a CHOICE in the MATTER.

We have a choice against our bodies.  We need to be in the discipline business as Christians.  Like athletes we have to watch what we eat and get rest.  We need to keep our bodies under control so that we won’t be disqualified.  There are things we allow to trim away at our spiritual lives.  We have to fight against these things. We have a choice in the matter.

Q. How has your body undermined your spiritual life (what ‘wants’ and desires take precedence over spiritual disciplines)?

Make a SLAVE out of YOUR BODY or your BODY will make a SLAVE out of YOU.

A. PRAYER and the WORD

Luke 5:16 (NKJV)

Just like a plant needs fertilizer, prayer is our fertilizer.  It will empower our growth in Christ.  The way to get good at praying is by praying.  “Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask.” – Billy Graham.  Our road map for prayer is the Our Father – worship, petition, repentance, and give thanks (see Matthew 6:9).

Q. Why, if so, are you apprehensive about praying?

B. FASTING and SEPARATION

Matthew 6:17–18 (ESV)

Fasting is the biggest and best thing we can do for our spiritual and physical bodies.  It can give us incredible mental focus. We are disciplining our stomachs to no longer call the shots in our lives.  Fasting gives us clarity and makes our spiritual lives stronger.

FASTING IS PHYSICAL DISUNION FROM FOOD SO THAT YOUR SPIRIT CAN MORE FULLY EXPERIENCE UNION WITH GOD.

Next week we will have our corporate fast. Fasting food and Social Media  Sunday after lunch through breakfast on Tuesday.  Meet for First Tuesday that night.

C. CONSISTENT Christ-Centered COMMUNITY.

Mark 3:13–14 (ESV)

Jesus formed a small group if he needed one, we need one.

D. ORDINANCES of the BODY of CHRIST. 

Fertilizer:  baptism, communion.

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 (NLT)

We e are not alone, we have a family and this should give us strength to run the race.

Leader:

Prayer: Those that have never prayed in group, give opportunity.

Tip: Go around the room and have each person in the group say one simple sentence of either thanks or petition.  Recite the Our Father together.

Baptism: Those that have not been baptized, what is keeping them for this next step?

Tip: Offer to join them at the class.

Community: Those not consistent in attending group and/or church, challenge them to start attending more explain why it is important to be in community and to hear the word of God.

Fasting: Those apprehensive about fasting, find out who has never fasted before and encourage them to try (unless they have health reasons).  They can start by fasting one or two meals.