The conclusion to our Love Thy Neighborhood series, "Love Overcomes Everything" emphasizes the interconnectedness of loving God and loving people based on What Jesus said in Matthew 22:34 - 40. Loving our neighbors as ourselves is paramount according to Jesus, summarizing the Law and Prophets. The importance of practicing love within the church community as preparation for loving others outside the church is highlighted. By embracing faith in Jesus, believers can overcome obstacles and spread love in their neighborhoods as victorious ambassadors of hope.

SERMON SUMMARY:

An essential theme in 1 John is LOVE. When it comes to loving our neighbors and our neighborhoods, our actions will either confirm or betray what we say we believe in. Love finds its origin in God, and His love goes beyond mere words or feelings, it takes action. God's love goes, gives, and guards. God's love gives us liberty, banishes fear and bolsters the enthusiasm to express love towards others. As believers and followers of Jesus, we not only have a belief in love but we are commissioned to express it through actions.

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In Week 3 of our "Love Thy Neighborhood" we unpack the resistance faced by believers in the pursuit of living out Jesus's teachings. John prepares us for the reality of encountering hate and hostility towards the teachings of Jesus and God's love, especially in environments where these principles aren't accepted or practice. The confrontation of opposition is a necessary step in enacting Jesus' teachings. To do this we have to maintain the right perspective and practice righteousness.

Sermon Summary:

Combining certain elements can create something powerful. This also applies to the supernatural work of loving God and others through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Hate is described as the absence of deeds of love, which only adds to the importance of actively loving others. The challenge is to reflect on our love for God and our neighbors. Living in hate leads to a denial of God's presence and a destructive reality for everyone involved.

Discussion Questions & Study Guide

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Sermon Summary:

The sermon "Live in the Light and Look in the Mirror" by Pastor Brad McMahan focuses on loving God and our neighbors, drawing inspiration from Mark 12. Believers are called to love and make disciples, following the example of Jesus and John's teachings in 1st John. Self-reflection and confession lead to God's forgiveness and fellowship, enabling believers to share Jesus' message with humility and grace.

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Pastor Brad McMahan's sermon "The Way of Surrender" highlights the significance of having a clear ethos to guide our lives, emphasizing the battle against internal enemies like envy and greed. By addressing the role of money in our hearts, he shows how Jesus leads us to find true fulfillment and purpose in discipleship. A new ethos of stewardship, sacrificial giving, generosity, and service is encouraged as a way to defeat inner enemies and grow in faithfulness. The sermon encourages cultivating a receptive heart and mind to let the Gospel take root, bear fruit, and bring blessings to both ourselves and others.

Rick Kyle's sermon on "The Way of Selfless Servanthood" focuses on the importance of serving others, using Jesus washing the disciples' feet as an example of humble service. Serving others not only connects believers with God but also leads to true significance in life. The sermon emphasizes serving beyond loved ones and highlights the rewards in both earthly and heavenly realms for those who choose the path of selfless service. Ultimately, by giving to others and surrendering to God, believers can find fulfillment and blessings through serving with a humble heart.

This week focuses primarily on the Biblical ordinances of tithing and sacrificial giving, emphasizing that it's not merely a financial action but a spiritual discipline that cultivates courage, unselfishness, and sacrifice. Tithing is about giving 10% of income to the church, rooted in faithfulness and obedience to God. This week delves into biblical origins of tithing and sacrificial giving and emphasizing the importance of sacrificial giving in protecting one's heart and soul. Through tithing, individuals honor God's ownership, demonstrate faith, and experience blessings through faithful giving.

The sermon "Radical Stewardship" delves into the importance of ethos in our lives, specifically focusing on our attitude towards money and possessions. It contrasts ownership and stewardship mindsets, emphasizing that all resources belong to God and should be used to meet the needs of others. The sermon stresses that faith and faithfulness are crucial in stewardship, leading to true peace, joy, and satisfaction. It explores the impact of different economic ideologies on our ethos and concludes by urging a shift towards a stewardship mindset for a fulfilling and purposeful life.

In the sermon "The Way of Warrior Disciples," we explore the concept of Ethos and its significance in the Christian faith. Ethos refers to the spirit, character, and customs of a community. The sermon highlights the transformation of Jesus' disciples from fearful and doubtful individuals to courageous and bold warrior disciples due to His resurrection. Through faith and discipleship, one can reshape their ethos, breaking away from pain and struggle, to find satisfaction and peace. The vehicle that Jesus used to wage war on the enemies of our hearts and the strongholds they create was money. Jesus warns against trying to serve both God and money and states that it's impossible to try serve both. He explains that where our treasure is, is where our hearts will be also. For Jesus, money wasn't a finance issue, it was a faith issue. Stewardship and generosity don't merely fund the church, but instead they are disciplines and training exercises that are directly tied to growing and strengthening our faith.

This sermon discusses the discipline of relational intentionality in fostering transformation and connection. It acknowledges the failure of typical resolutions and suggests that the problem lies in our method of change. Jesus' life and teachings are used as examples of intentional practices that shaped his character. Relational intentionality involves actively seeking connections with others, following Jesus' example of presence, connection, and commitment. The sermon challenges the congregation to apply this discipline to their own lives, nurturing relationships and fostering a community of love and transformation.

This week we're unpacking the importance of worship in our lives. Exaltation (worship) is one of the disciplines that Jesus practiced and taught. Worshiping Him, keeps us close to Him and leads us to a secure and fulfilling life. True worship involves revering God and acknowledging the truth about ourselves and the truth about God. By continually practicing worship in spirit and truth, we can experience a transformative connection with God that brings acceptance and restoration.

This week we are exploring the concept of being word centered. Brad used the analogy of climbing Mount Everest to emphasizes that disciplines are training activities that enable us to do what we couldn't do just by trying harder. Brad discussed the significance of abiding in Jesus' word, explaining that it allows us to experience truth, freedom, love, and bear fruit that brings glory to God. Brad cautioned against relying solely on increased knowledge of the Bible and challenged us to center our lives on the truth of Scripture and actively align our lives with it.

This week emphasizes the importance of true discipleship and obedience in the life of a Christian and poses the question of how many problems would be solved if Christians practiced the disciplines of Jesus. We explore the challenging aspect of obedience and highlights Jesus' uncompromising stance on it in discipleship. Discipleship requires complete obedience and aligning oneself with the purposes and will of God. Ultimately, we must examine our own lives and strive for true discipleship through obedience to Jesus.

Jesus' discipline of prayer doesn't just teach us to pray how He prayed, it teaches how to become a praying person like Jesus was.

By engaging in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, obedience, centering on the Word, worship, and relational intentionality, true transformation can occur.

At Christmas, we celebrate the moment when the truth of Jesus’ abundance broke into our reality of scarcity.

Sometimes the Jesus we want doesn't line up with the Jesus that actually is. When this happens we run the risk of rejecting the real Jesus and going with a version of Jesus that we make up for ourselves.

The sermon "Ingredient Jesus" discusses how our society is consumed by endless choices, leading to decision fatigue and a distorted view of Jesus. Many treat their faith like a spiritual buffet, picking and choosing only what suits them. Others have been hurt by false representations of Jesus and fear making another wrong choice. The goal is to encounter the real Jesus by surrendering our self-made idols. Jesus offers a unique, genuine, and abundant life that can only be found by making Him the main ingredient in our lives.

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In this sermon, Pastor Brad McMahan discusses how people often settle for counterfeit versions of Jesus in their faith. He emphasizes the desire for a personalized Jesus and the dangers of idolatry. Pastor Brad uses anecdotes and biblical references to illustrate the importance of encountering the real Jesus and allowing Him to transform our lives completely. He concludes by challenging the idea of Jesus being a backup plan and emphasizes Jesus' desire for a central role in our lives.

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