Introduction

• Genesis 12:7; 13:17; 15:18; 17:8 – God promised them the land of Canaan.
• Exodus 3:8
• Exodus 12:25
• Numbers 13:1-2 – Men are sent to spy out the land of Canaan.
• Numbers 13:23 – This was a land filled with blessings!
• Numbers 13:25-29 – Ten spies gave a discouraging report.

TRUST in God’s word

• Numbers 13:30-33 – Caleb tried to give a positive report.
• Numbers 14:6-10 – Caleb and Joshua were looking to God. They could take the land because God said he would make it happen!
• Hebrews 13:4
• Can I really forgive people?
• Proverbs 29:25

COURAGE to stand in the minority, when even brethren are weak

• Numbers 13:31
• Numbers 14:10 – The congregation wanted to stone those who did have faith.
• Isaiah 40:8, 23-24, 28-31
• Romans 12:10
• Hebrews 13:3
• Acts 20:17, 28

CONFIDENCE in God’s control of the future

• Numbers 14:28-38
• Romans 4:17 – This is quoting Genesis 17:5. God said this to Abraham when Abraham was 99 years old and Isaac was not yet born. The very fact that the Israelites existed was proof God kept His promises.
• Joshua 21:43
• I Timothy 1:8-10 – Am I willing to stand where God says I should stand?
• The future does not belong to the giants of today. It belongs to God.

Introduction

• Acts 15:36-41
• Things at Benchley have changed a lot since 1994!

In our new building, let’s continue to focus on Christ.

• I Corinthians 14:26 – Authority for a church to assemble.
• Hebrews 10:25
• The building is not the goal. What we do in the building is the goal.
• Acts 25:23; 26:22
• Acts 16:25, 32 – It doesn’t matter where it was preached – the gospel is still the gospel.

We should foster closeness and brotherly love.

• Hebrews 13:1 – Let love of the brethren continue.
• Acts 2:41 – 3,000 were added to their number!
  • Acts 2:46 – They spent time together personally.
• Don’t limit the relationship to what happens in these four walls. Keep spending time with each other outside of services.
• Galatians 3:26-29
• I Corinthians 6:5-8 – There will always be opportunity for conflict, but we must let things go and move on.
• Acts 6:1, 7
• James 2:1-4
• Philemon 1:15-16 – We cannot allow outside or former differences to separate us in Christ.

Luke 13

• Luke 13:1-5 – Jesus debunks the idea that bad things happening are a punishment for sin. Jesus is instead trying to reorient their minds toward repentance.
• Luke 13:6-9 – Our job here is to bear fruit. We must avoid complacency and work to bear fruit. When we don’t strive to bear fruit, we’re just “using up the ground.” God expects more from us than that.
• Luke 13:10-17
  • Luke 13:16 – Jesus freed a Jew that was bound by Satan.
  • Deuteronomy 5:12-15 – The Jews were supposed to be thinking about being freed from bondage on the Sabbath. Jesus freed the woman from bondage to Satan.
  • John 8:34 – We have all been bound by Satan through sin.
• Luke 13:18-19 – The kingdom of God would start small but grow exponentially.
• Luke 13:22-32
  • Luke 13:24 – Strive to enter. Don’t just be an interested Christian – be a committed Christian.

Introduction

• Proverbs 19:3
• We make foolish decisions, then rage against the Lord!
• Bad things do happen to good people, but when we stray from God’s plan, we invite difficulties.

Make a lot of assumptions!

• Job 4:7-8 – Job’s friends assumed he had sinned.
• Job 8:3-4
• Job 11:13-20
• Job 42:7-9
• Acts 21:27-32 – They almost murdered Paul because of an assumption.
• John 5:8-9, 16
• John 7:21-23 – They assumed Jesus was breaking the Sabbath with His miracles.
• Do we assume there are problems when there are not? Our imaginations can lead us down dark alleys. We have to be comfortable with, “I don’t know.”

Focus mainly on self.

• II Timothy 3:1-2
• I Corinthians 8:8-13; 10:24 – Be willing to set your liberty aside for the sake of offending your brother.
• James 3:13-16 – If you want trouble, have selfish ambition.
• A self-centered life is a small life full of misery.
• Luke 9:23

Keep a running list of wrongs.

• I Kings 21:1-4, 8-10, 15-16 – Jezebel killed Naboth because he “wronged” Ahab.
• Esther 5:11-13 – Haman could not let go of being “wronged” by Mordecai.
• Ephesians 4:31-32

React quickly no matter what.

• Matthew 16:21-23 – Early on, Peter moved much too quickly. Despite good intentions, he was working against God’s plan.
• John 18:10-11
• Proverbs 18:13
• James 1:19 – Be swift to hear, slow to speak.

Introduction

• Matthew 22:36-40

Us – what kind of people do we want to be?

• Psalms 128:1-6 – A beautiful picture of a family that fears the Lord.
• Maybe we are Christians that love to travel or love animals or love to be social or …

Our legacy – What values do we want to pass on to our children / grandchildren?

Our goal – In the end, what will make us feel like we had a successful life?

• Matthew 25:34 – This is the ultimate goal.
• II Timothy 4:6-8 – When we get to the end, can we say we have kept the faith and fought a good fight?
• If we share the end goal, we should be able to share the path to that goal.
• Proverbs 15:16-17