Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Philemon 1:17-25

Theme: Finding freedom through forgiveness and reconciliation will increase your joy in God.

Notes:

Church families are like real families.

• Real families are messy.
• Real churches are messy.

Many people like the idea of church but don’t like real church.

Forgiveness and reconciliation require spiritual motives.

• A willingness to give up our “rights” for the good of relationships

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Philemon

Theme: Freedom Through Forgiveness

Notes:

Finding freedom through forgiveness and reconciliation will increase your joy in God.

1. Joy is accepting that I am reconciled to God through the person and work of Jesus Christ
2. Joy is believing that Jesus is my satisfaction, security, and significance
3. Joy is communion with Christ so that I experience these things fully
4. Joy is a decision to put my faith and hope in Jesus’s life and love

1. A biblical response to the law of love
   • Augustine describes true love for God as, “…the enjoyment of God for His own sake”
2. A biblical response to godly counsel
   • Seek godly counsel
   • Humbly respond
   • Be teachable
   • Critically evaluate Scripture and counsel
3. A biblical response to power of Christ’s work in others
4. A biblical response to God’s wise plan
   • God orchestrates all events for His glory and for our good
5. A biblical response to forgiveness
   • Attitude
   • Action
   • Reconciliation

Forgiveness and reconciliation require biblical responses

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Preacher: Caleb Ogle

Text: Matthew 5:3-10

Theme: Character

Note:

Sermon on the Mount / Beatitudes

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit”
  • “poor in spirit” = those who recognize their utter need of God’s help
  • Luke 18:10-14
• “Blessed are those who mourn”
  • Those who mourn over their sin
  • Psalm 51:1-19
  • Luke 7:36-50
• “Blessed are the meek”
  • Humility to extend grace
• “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”
  • Psalm 63
• “Blessed are the merciful”
  • Providing help to those in need
  • Luke 15:11-30
    • To the poor
    • To one who offends
    • Toward friends and acquaintances
    • Toward the lost
    • To animals
    • To people’s reputations
      • Treating sin seriously, but not not slandering or gossiping
• “Blessed are the pure in heart”
  • Right actions, right methods, and right motives
• “Blessed are the peacemakers”
  • Brokering peace with others and between others
  • Bring those at enmity with God to know God’s peace
• “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake”

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Philippians 4

Theme: Anxiety vs. Joy

Notes:

“Depression” seems an inadequate word to describe the sheer hopelessness that people often experience

Prayer helps guard our peace and joy.

Anxiety is a natural response to a broken, sin-cursed world

Anxiety:

• Nagging concerns in back of your mind (mild)
• Waking in middle of night (less mild)
• Debilitating panic attacks / physical weakness (severe)

There are some things that you just can’t physically prepare for.

• Matthew 6:25-34
• 1 Peter 5:7-11
• Philippians 4:4-9

1. Reject worry
2. Run to God in prayer
3. Reap God’s promise of peace

Live It Out

1. Write out your worry
2. Write out what belongs to God
3. Write out truth that speaks to your worry
   • God’s care, control, character, commitment
4. Write out what God has commanded you to do

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Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Psalm 145

Theme: Spreading Joy

Notes:

A heart that is fueled by joy in God will spread that joy to others.

1. Experience joy in God
   • Public praise is fueled by private joy
   • Eternal commitment
   • Daily commitment
2. Expand your joy in God
   • You can’t share what you don’t have
   • God is both good and great/powerful
   • God loves to show mercy–but God will judge sin
3. Express your joy
   • Praise and joy are natural parts of the life of the child of God
   • God’s goodness cannot possibly be overstated
4. Extend Joy in God
   • “one generation shall praise Your works to another”
   • We must pass on our faith in God–and our joy in God–to the next generation
   • One of the reasons the local church assembles  together is that they might remind one another of God’s goodness to build one another up in the joy of Christ

A heart that is fueled by joy in God will spread that joy to others.

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