17 Oct Stranger Things | Part 4 “Walk This Way”
Announcements:
We signed on the building in Tiverton a couple of weeks ago. Please keep that in prayer as there is a lot of work to do there.
Thank you for giving toward the parking lot, it is looking great! Please continue to give toward the patio.
SATURDAY NIGHTS BACK: November 13.
Phil Wickham & special guest, Josh Baldwin, will be performing the Hymn of Heaven Tour at Waters Church North Attleboro on Sat, May 14, 2022!
Pre-sale password: HEAVEN
Ticket link: https://www.ticketweb.com/…/phil-wickham…/11394965…
Fall Harvest Fest with Trunk or Treat 2021: Saturday October 23 with a Rain date of Saturday, Oct 30. 2 locations: Woonsocket and North Attleboro. The registrations are open under Events You need to scroll down. Don’t pick the one that says all locations, choose the one that says Host at ‘your location’
All announcements can be found at: waterschurch.guide
Our text alert number is 81411. Text ‘waterschurch’ to 81411 to join our text alert system.
The Deep End, the new Deep Dive Bible Study, and 10 questions with Tim are back! Please note that The Deep End will only be available on timhatchlive.com/live. Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel to be notified of each new podcast.
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Key Verse: Ephesians 5
Our walk is to be different. We are not of this world. There is a god named Lucifer (Satan) that rules over this dark world and his way is not our way to live.
Ephesians talks about how pastors tell us how to live. The influence of this world is strong and appealing, it sells us one thing and delivers another. It is becoming more and more difficult to stand and walk straight and to consider ourselves different from this world. The rise of control over people’s lives makes it more imperative that the Church be the Church and be different, be the light, and be strange to this world. The world is full of influencers and we are not to live and walk like the world.
Some examples Pastor Tim gave were Squid Game (people buying Vans White slip-ons and downloading the App Duolingo to learn the language from the show). There are also people on Instagram called Influencers. We are saved to live a different kind of life.
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Q. In what ways are you being influenced by this world (ie maybe there is something you are buying into because of a certain show you watch, or maybe you stopped believing something that was true because someone of influence persuaded you etc.)?
Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV)
The difference between religion and salvation is clear here. We did not save ourselves. We did not find Jesus, he found us. We are saved by His grace and not by our works. The Church is full of a bunch of people saved by God’s grace and we have nothing to brag about. We don’t get saved to sit in a waiting room for heaven. We have things to do, a pathway God laid out for us to carry out his plans for us.
RELIGION says DO and you GET. SALVATION says you already GOT IT so LIVE IT.
Every other religious system says you do, you get. Do good be good religion is America’s religion. Religion is a false idol and religious people are the ones who most oppose Jesus. No one is perfect but Jesus is perfect and we become perfect through His righteousness. When God looks at Christians, he does not see our sin, but the blood of Christ.
Q. How does religion sometimes trip you up (do you ever catch yourself in a ‘do to get’ situation)?
1. We walk in the LOVE of God.
WHY: BECAUSE we are BELOVED Children PURCHASED by God.
Ephesians 5:1–2 (ESV)
We walk in God’s love not the world’s adoration which is futile. Some people are chasing followers, fans, and likes. This is the Gospel: When were were unloveable he loved us anyway. Sacrificial love is the most powerful love. If we are in Christ, we are His beloved children. Amazing things can be done when someone knows they are loved. We are called to imitate our Father. The most natural person a child imitates is their parent. Our spiritual father was once the devil until we were adopted in the family of God. Now we have a new Spiritual Father. This reverses the curse. When we have a good father, there is nothing to fear. We are rescued by Jesus, our Champion, our True David who killed our true Goliath.
Q. What influence did your earthly father have in your life (if you did not have an earthly father, who influenced you the most and how (good or bad)?
1 John 2:6 (ESV); 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
Jesus is our model, He is our pattern.
1 John 3:2 (ESV)
We are Gods children. Every parent knows that if you’re my kid don’t tell me about what the other kids down the street are doing. There are some things God’s kids don’t do.
Q. What are some things your kids want to do because their ‘friends’ are doing it and what is your reaction to these things?
Q. What are some things you wanted to do as a kid because your ‘friends were doing it and how did your parents react?
Ephesians 5:3 (ESV)
The political divide in our country is between sexual immorality and covetousness. Any sex outside of the marriage of a man and a woman is not right for God’s people. One side says we can do what we want, embrace our identity and embrace how we feel inside. The other side says it is all about becoming rich and having more but the truth of the Bible knocks it all out. The Bible says it is not our body and it is not our money, both belong to Him. We need to surrender them to Him. We, as Christians, should not drink the ‘Kool-aide’ of the politicians. We belong to our Father in heaven. There are a lot of rules about sex because sex will destroy us. The Devil did not invent sex, God did. The Devil cannot come up with ideas, only God can. The Devil can only twist what God created. This country is obsessed with sex. What we value in our house has rules.
THE MORE VALUABLE SOMETHING IS THE MORE RULES REGARDING ITS TREATMENT
Q. What are some examples of something you value that you have rules about how it is treated?
Ephesians 5:4 – 6 (ESV)
Foolish in Greek means moron. If the Devil can get us laughing about something he can get us to do it. Once we laugh about something then we don’t take it seriously and we then become more likely to do it. We are not just to avoid these things but we are to be thankful for what god is doing in our lives. Those who are not part of the family of God live a completely different lifestyle. We should not participate with them in this life. If we don’t cut these relationships they will cost us.
Q. What relationships have you had that have cost you and how? What can you do to cut these relationships?
2. We walk in the LIGHT of TRUTH.
WHY: BECAUSE we are LIGHT in the Lord.
In Jesus, we are the light of this world.
Ephesians 5:8–9 (ESV)
Jesus comes in and changes us.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 (ESV)
Light in the scriptures is the picture for truth.
LIGHT = TRUTH
Psalm 119:105 (ESV); Psalm 119:130 (ESV)
Light is a benefit to our life. People don’t want to hear the truth because it exposes the darkness in their heart. Christians love the truth and we love the light. This is the difference between believers and non-believers. Christians turn on the light to clean up.
BENEFITS of the SUN/SON.
1. Improves SLEEP.
If we are not sleeping at night, we need more truth.
Psalm 3:5 (ESV) I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
Q. How is the devil robbing you of sleep and what spiritual discipline do you exercise to fall back to sleep (pray, read Bible etc.)?
2. Reduces STRESS.
The light provide vitamin D and gives us a less stressful experience.
1 Peter 5:6–7 (ESV) Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
3. Strengthens your BONES.
Sunlight provides calcium to our bodies. God does that through his word.
Proverbs 3:7–8 (ESV)
We will be a stronger Christians the more truth is in us.
4. Helps you lose WEIGHT.
Psalm 18:29 (ESV)
When God comes in makes us strong we can leap some walls.
5. Strengthens your IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Vitamin D gives us strength from what is harmful.
Deuteronomy 7:15 (ESV)
6. Fights off DEPRESSION.
Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
7. Longer LIFE.
Psalm 91:16 (ESV)
Lots of people who live long lives are not satisfied.
Ephesians 5:10-11 (ESV)
We need to expose the darkness and enjoy God’s light.
Q. What are you doing to strengthen your immune system, battle depression, strengthen your bones (physically and spiritually)?
3. We walk WISELY in the TIMES.
WHY: Because we are TEMPLES of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV)
This world is becoming so foolish. We keep the lights off because we don’t want to know what is up and what is down. For those in Christ, the Holy spirit has come and taken residence in our body so that we can walk wisely and expose what is wrong in this world.
Ephesians 5:17-18 (ESV)
Challenge: Get some sun, exercise, and God’s truth in you so that you can work through your struggles.
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