Check the Events Page for What is Happening (not everything is listed here) (waterschurch.org/events)

All Locations:

Please check your email for a Life Group Leader Challenge that was sent out on October 29.  This challenge is for you to offer any member of your group that you feel should be leading a group.  

This challenge is two-fold as it will help leaders understand and navigate the apprenticeship process and it will encourage members to step out in faith knowing that they will have concrete tools to guide them as they lead their group.

NEW ENGLAND: CHECK OUT THE EVENTS PAGE FOR TWO FUNDRAISERS TO HELP WATERS YOUNG ADULTS GO TO PERU ON A MISSIONS TRIP!

FAMILY SKATE NIGHT – JANUARY 30

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PROVIDENCE RESCUT MISSION:  We are still looking for servers at the Providence Rescue Mission for November and August.  Typically, it is the 4th Sunday of the month.  If your Life Group is interested, please reach out to Frank Flodin.

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NEW*** UNSPOKEN CONCERT COMING TO NORTH ATTLEBORO ON FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Waters Church North Attleboro campus will be hosting recording artists Unspoken for a concert on Friday, February 21st (special guest – The Band Jaren). Tickets are available at: https://events.humanitix.com/unspoken-with-special-guest-the-band-jaren-water-s-church

Reminders:

✳ Please regularly check your Planning Center profiles for requests to join your life groups, remove members from the list that no longer attend, or add members not listed. Please ensure that you have added no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and encourage your members to do so as well.  This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site. Thank you!

Waters Class Schedule:

• 1st Sunday: Discover Waters – after 1st service
• 2nd Sunday: NO CLASSES
• 3rd Sunday: Connect Class – after 1st service
• 4th Sunday: Baptism Class – after 1st service

Waters Help: Need marriage and family care  or have a group member in need of marriage and family care?   Click here:  help resources page  or visit waterschurch.org/help

Location Text Alerts:

Key Verse:  Matthew 26

Ice Breaker Question:

Q. What is the  most ridiculous thing you ever bought online?

Jesus Spoke About the End Times: A Call to Watch and Persevere

Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

We come before You today with grateful hearts, eager to hear Your Word and be guided by Your truth. As we reflect on the times we live in, help us to discern Your will and remain steadfast in faith. Let Your Spirit move among us, convicting, encouraging, and strengthening us for the journey ahead. Open our hearts and minds to receive what You want to speak to us today. May all we do bring glory and honor to Your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Wonderful yet Terrible Times

Jesus taught that the end times would be marked by great hope and tremendous challenges. While we anticipate His return, we are reminded to stand firm in truth amidst the trials and signs of the times: false prophets, natural disasters, and spiritual deception.

As God’s people, we cherish His Word, but we need a strong and clear message to keep us steadfast on the path He has set for us.

Four Key Signs in the Church Today

1. Tremendous Heresy

• • The church is witnessing the rise of false teachings and opinions contrary to God’s Word.
  • Many resist submission to God’s truth, instead creating doctrines based on personal desires and dreams.
  • These teachings are like building on sand – they cannot withstand the storms of life.

Q. How can we recognize and guard against false teachings contradicting God’s Word?

Practical Application:

This week, compare a teaching, sermon, or book you’ve encountered recently to Scripture. Identify whether it aligns with God’s truth or contains elements of false doctrine.

 2. Apostasy

• • Some are moving away from the faith once delivered to the saints.
  • Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), yet many are turning to alternative teachings.
  • Practices and beliefs unrelated to Scripture are creeping into the church, leading people astray.

Q. Why do you think some people are drawn to teachings contradicting the gospel, and how can we lovingly guide them back to the truth?

Practical Application:

Identify one person in your life who may have drifted from their faith. Pray for them daily this week and reach out with an encouraging word or invitation to reconnect with the church or small group.

3. Falling Away

• • While the church may experience numerical growth, many are falling away from the faith.
  • People reject the truth, become bitter, and abandon fellowship over trivial matters.
  • God desires His people to stand firm during storms, be rooted in Christ, and strengthen one another in love and faith.

Q. What reasons might people reject truth and abandon fellowship, and how can we encourage them to remain rooted in Christ as a community?

Practical Application:

Spend time this week checking in with someone who may have been absent from your fellowship. Offer support and remind them they are loved and valued in the body of Christ.

4. Religious but Not Born Again

• • Many join churches without experiencing an authentic, Spirit-led transformation.
  • Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
  • Religious works alone are insufficient; we must pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit and genuine conviction among His people.

Q. How can we help others (and ourselves) move beyond religious practices to experience a genuine relationship with God through the Holy Spirit?

Practical Application:

Examine your walk with God this week. Reflect on whether your faith is driven by routine or a genuine relationship with Him. Spend intentional time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas for growth and transformation.

A Call to Watchfulness

Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.”

We are all called to be watchmen, discerning the times and guarding against false teachings.

• Watch Your Doctrine: Test every teaching against God’s Word. Be cautious of mysticism and deceptive teachings creeping into the church.
• Watch Your Disciplines: Be intentional in your spiritual practices:
  1. Prayer: Build a disciplined prayer life, following Jesus’s example in the Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13).
  2. Godliness: Live a life filled with godly values, reflecting Christ in everything you do.
  3. Bible Reading: Fill yourself with God’s Word, storing it in your heart for times of need.
  4. Worship: Make worship a lifestyle, presenting your life as a living sacrifice to God.
  5. Seek God’s Approval: Do everything for His glory, not human praise.

Q. How can being watchful in prayer and spiritual disciplines help us guard against temptation and false teachings in our daily lives?

Practical Application: This week, intentionally strengthen one spiritual discipline: prayer, godliness, bible reading, or worship.  Share with your group how this focus impacted your walk with Christ next week.

Hold Fast to Your Blessings

The devil seeks to steal the blessings God has given.

• When something wonderful happens, distractions and negativity often follow. Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of your joy and purpose.
• Remember, “we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Let us remain vigilant, rooted in truth, and disciplined in our walk with Christ. These are the marks of a people prepared for the Lord’s return.

3 Key Takeaways

1. Stay Rooted in God’s Word and Truth – In a world filled with heresy and false teachings, we must build our lives on the solid foundation of Scripture. Nothing can be added to God’s Word—it is complete and sufficient for our lives.
2. Remain Watchful and Disciplined – As followers of Christ, we are called to watch and pray. Disciplines like prayer, Bible reading, worship, and godly living keep us anchored and prepared for the storms of life.
3. Hold fast to Your Blessings in Christ.  The enemy seeks to steal our joy and blessings, but we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Stand firm, resist the devil, and walk in the victory God has given you.

Closing Prayer:

Lord, We thank You for this time in Your presence and the truth of Your Word that guides and sustains us. As we leave this gathering, please help us be watchful and faithful in all we do. Strengthen us to stand firm in our faith, resist false teachings, and walk in Your light. Bless us as we seek to live disciplined lives that glorify You. May we be Your hands and feet in the world, bringing hope and truth to those around us. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.