For this week’s Announcements please visit: (waterschurch.org/events):

Waters Academy Legacy Gala – We have a limited supply of tickets left.  If you have not purchased your tickets yet, click the link below:

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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: 1 Corinthians 15

Ice breaker

Q.  What are 3 of your all-time favorite movies?

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

The main message of the Bible is about the Gospel.  From Genesis to Revelation the theme is redemption.  God’s plan is to win back everything that has been lost because of sin.  The Good News changes people’s lives.  The Gospel is powerful.

Paul was a very educated man, he was religious.  He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He had a problem with the followers of Jesus.  Paul persecuted them.  He did all that in the name of religion but then he met Jesus.

When you persecute the followers of Christ, you persecute Jesus.  All those today who fight against the Church, who criticize the Church, and those who would dare persecute the Church are persecuting the Son of God.

That day Paul met Jesus, his life was transformed and his mind was renewed. He began to write most of the Books in the New Testament as God inspired Him.

Philippians 3:10

Paul was a humble man who suffered for Christ.  The most important thing in his life was not the things he did or his ministry, but to know Jesus in an intimate way.

The Body of Christ will experience suffering.  The world says as long as you love everything is fine, but there is a love that the Bible speaks about that is sin.

1 John 2:15

It is disobedience when a Christian falls in love with the system of the world.

Pau was hated and despised. At the end of his ministry, everyone had forsaken him.  He knew that no matter how many storms came against him,  the Lord would never leave him or forsake him.

We must have that assurance in our hearts today, that the God who loves us and saves us will never forsake us.  He has us in the palm of His hand.

Q. Discuss a time when you faced significant challenges or felt alone. How did your faith help you during this time, and what scriptures provided you with comfort or assurance?

Seven points of what the Gospel is:

1. The Gospel is simple.

Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.  That is the center of the Bible and it is the most important thing.

Down through the years, people have added to the Gospel. Paul declared a judgment on the false gospel.

Galatians 1:8 

Today in our society there are many gospels that have many followers and people don’t even know they are false. 

The true Gospel is a simple answer that is the answer to a sinful world.

Q. Why do you think it’s important that the core message of the Gospel remains simple? How does this simplicity help in communicating the Gospel to others?

2. The Gospel is not a religion.

There are many different kinds of religions with many different gods and all kinds of ideas.  The true Gospel of Jesus Christ produces a relationship, not a religion.  The true Gospel produces Spiritual people. 

3. The Gospel is universal.

It can be preached anywhere to any type of people from the poorest to the richest from the most uneducated to the most educated.   This is because this Gospel is about a personal relationship with the Son of God.

4.  The Gospel is free.

There are preachers who preach that if you don’t tithe, you are not saved.  As believers, we do tithe but that has nothing to do with our salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace is an unmerited favor.   We cannot work our way into heaven. 

Q. While grace is described as a free and unmerited favor, it came at a great cost to Christ. What are some ways we can honor this gift in our daily lives? How does recognizing the cost of grace influence our gratitude and service to others?

5. The Gospel is unique.

There is not one religion that can say that their leader died and rose again.    Only Jesus had the power to lay down His life and to take it up again.

John 10:18

Q. When trying to effectively communicate the fact that the resurrection of Jesus is a distinctive claim of Christianity, what challenges might you encounter, and how can you prepare for them?

6. The Gospel is everlasting.

That is why there is a responsibility on every generation to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

We cannot change the Gospel because it is everlasting.   No one has the right or the power to change it.  Anyone who does is cursed.

Revelation 14:6

God will make sure that every human being will hear the Gospel.

7. The Gospel is powerful.

Romans 1:16

Q.  Considering Paul’s declaration that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, discuss what might hold believers back from sharing the Gospel openly today. What are some practical steps we can take to overcome these hurdles?

Challenge:  Share the Gospel with at least one person this week. This could be through casual conversation, an organized event, or social media. Focus on keeping the message simple and true to the core as described: Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  Ask the Holy Spirit to give discernment and wisdom.