Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Focus on Faithfulness, and let God build your legacy

Text: James 1:18-22

Notes:

Our goal is not to leave a legacy–our goal is to be faithful.
A legacy is the result of faithfulness.

1. Conviction
   • Our source of truth
     • “receive with meekness the implanted word”
     • We are convinced that God’s way is the only way to live life
     • We hear God’s truth
     • Truth demands action
       • Right beliefs are not enough
       • “be doers of the word and not hearers only”
   • Our methods of handling problems
     • “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”

2. Consistency
   • Doing the right thing–over and over
   • Consistency = faithfulness
   • Faithfulness over time results in maturity
   • Faithfulness <> perfection
   • There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity
3. Compassion
   • “speaking the truth in love”
   • Loving God will always involve loving your neighbor
4. Courage
   • Galatians 2–Paul refers to James as a pillar
   • James was faithful to the end
   • “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point,
     which means at the point of highest reality. ”  –C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Understanding the Paradox of Jesus Christ

Text: Hebrews 9:11-15

Notes:

Jesus Christ:

• Almighty God, yet born a man
• Eternally existent, yet born in flesh
• High priest, and yet also sacrifice
• Christ is described both as a lamb and as a lion
• Christ was a priest like no other
• Christ was a lamb like no other

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: The Apostle James

Text: John 7:1-9

Notes:

The Apostle James

• aka James the Just
• son of Mary and Joseph
• half-brother of Christ
• head of the Jerusalem church after Peter
• martyred 62 AD

God uses unlikely people to do His will

• God can use who you were–and who you still are–to do His will
• Don’t skip the skeptics when sharing the gospel
  • Even two years into Jesus’s ministry James is still a skeptic
  • CS Lewis was an avowed atheist into his 30s
  • “the hardness of God is softer than the kindness of men”

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: The Fear of the Lord: The appropriate response to a holy God

Text: Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Notes:

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Road Trip: Prayer

Thesis: Prayer is a journey with God
where He chooses the route and the destination
and along the way we get to know Him better

Text: Luke 11:1-13

Notes:

1. Prayer’s Perspective
   • “Our Father”, We are praying to a Father who cares for us
   • “in Heaven”, We are praying to a Father who is control of all things
2. Prayer’s Priorities
   • “Hallowed be your name”, pursue God’s glory and rejoice in God
     •  A person’s name represents their character and who they are
   • “Your kingdom come”
   • “Your will be done”, Christ will empower you to do God’s will
     • God is good, and His will is good
     • Psalm 84, “no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly”
3. Prayer’s Petition
   • “Give us our daily bread”,
     • Supplication – intense prayer / request
     • Intercession – supplication on behalf of others
   • “Forgive us our sins”,
     • God desires to show mercy through forgiveness
     • Those who desire to be like Christ will show mercy through forgiveness
4. Prayer’s Protection
   • “Do not lead us into temptation”, pray God will empower you to resist temptation
5. Prayer’s Patient Persistence
   • God may wait to provide an answer to prayer in order to train your heart through persistence
6. Prayer’s Proof
   • God’s provision for your needs reminds you how much God cares for you in particular

Christ taught this prayer to His disciples while He was in prayer.

Christ’s prayers for us are much greater than our own prayers for ourselves.

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