Video: 8-18-20 Kenwood Online Bible School

Click on this link to watch a video of our 8/18/20 Kenwood Online Bible Study: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/ztNQFJTtxE5ISZ316HrAcb4HAo3leaa82nNK_acLzixDor6erFVWZNvveRv2hhA

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VIDEO: 8-16-20 Sermon "WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Encouragement is Happening"

 As we worship together "from house to house," we want to encourage and lift up one another.  We cherish the opportunities to help one another during this difficult time.  We pray for one another while we cannot see one another.  We join in worship together as we are united in our praise for our King.

If you cannot join us this Sunday, we invite you to sing along with the worship videos.  We encourage you to take the Lord’s Supper.  In this way, we can take communion together even though we are apart.  Pray for one another.  Watch my message WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Encouragement is Happening.  Respond to the invitation.  Enjoy the bonus video.

WORSHIP

COMMUNION

Read 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  Here is a possible communion prayer to say before you take the bread and the juice, "Father, we are grateful for your love.  We place all of our anxiety on you as we remember that you bore our sin and sorrows on the cross.  We can live life free of anxiety because of the work of your spirit in our life.  We are thankful for the realities that we do not fully understand.  In Jesus' name, amen."

Take the Lord's Supper.

PRAYER

Pray for encouragement for those who find themselves confined due to COVID-19.  Pray for ways to be the encouragement someone else needs.

MESSAGE

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

CHALLENGE

Write down the name of 2 people that you will encourage this week. Commend them to love and perform good deeds. Encourage them to meet with their brothers and sisters in Christ this week. Remind them that the finish line is in sight. 

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word at Kenwood Church.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I encourage you to speak with me via phone (248-476-8222) or an email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org).  I would be honored to speak with you about what God is doing in your life and try to connect you with a community of faith in your area.

Bonus Video

WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Encouragement is Happening (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Sermon Outline (a blog post for a video sermon for Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on August 16, 2020)

 WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Encouragement is Happening (Hebrews 10:24-25) - August 16, 2020

 

INTRODUCTION

 

We are the church where encouragement is happening.

 

Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out -- a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing. But his mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures. Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure. 

Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993, pp. 4-5

 

We need to be able to spot excellence in the midst of failure.

 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

 

I.  SPURRING ONE ANOTHER ON

 

A. Spur - paroxysm - “stab”

1. Poke/prod/push

2. One another

B. To love

1. Love of God

2. Love of others

a. The church

b. The world

c. Our enemies

C. To good deeds

1. Works of righteous

2. Compassionate acts

 

II.  MEETING TOGETHER

 

Jean Nidetch, a 214 pound homemaker desperate to lose weight, went to the New York City Department of Health, where she was given a diet devised by Dr. Norman Jolliffe. Two months later, discouraged about the 50 plus pounds still to go, she invited six overweight friends home to share the diet and talk about how to stay on it. Today, 28 years later, one million members attend 250,000 Weight Watchers meetings in 24 countries every week. Why was Nidetch able to help people take control of their lives? To answer that, she tells a story. When she was a teen-ager, she used to cross a park where she saw mothers gossiping while the toddlers sat on their swings, with no one to push them. "I'd give them a push," says Nidetch. "And you know what happens when you push a kid on a swing? Pretty soon he's pumping, doing it himself. That's what my role in life is--I'm there to give others a push." 

Irene Sax in Newsday

 

A. A good habit

1. The norm of meeting together - synagogue

2. The struggle of meeting together

3. The reality of meeting together

 

B. A bad habit

1. The call of not meeting together

2. The struggle of not meeting together

3. The reality of not meeting together

 

III.  ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

 

Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father: "Let's play darts. I'll throw and you say 'Wonderful!'" 

Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, p. 24

 

A. To encourage parakalountes - “To call to one’s side” (original verb)

1. To address, speak (in general)

2. To admonish, to exhort (in specific)

B. “All the more as you see the Day approaching.”

1. The finish line

2. The end is near

 

CHALLENGE

 

Write down the name of 2 people that you will encourage this week. Commend them to love and perform good deeds. Encourage them to meet with their brothers and sisters in Christ this week. Remind them that the finish line is in sight. 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I would be honored to speak with you in the upper parking lot following the service about what God is doing in your life.

Video: 8-11-20 Kenwood Online Bible School

Click on this link to watch a video of our 8/4/20 Kenwood Online Bible School: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/4JZJPY_exCRJRNb853DwXLUxRb_OX6a81CBMrvEMnhzkYp-TYi4WDG4t8C33_Ww9.  

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VIDEO: 8-9-20 Sermon "WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural"

As we worship together "from house to house," we feel the pain of separation from our church family.  The familiarity of seeing the same people every week or so has been replaced by the unknown of when we might see one another again.  As we look toward the day when we will never be apart, we patiently wait for his appearing and long for his return.  

If you cannot join us this Sunday, we invite you to sing along with the worship videos.  We encourage you to take the Lord’s Supper.  In this way, we can take communion together even though we are apart.  Pray for one another.  Watch my message WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural.  Respond to the invitation.  Enjoy the bonus video.

WORSHIP

COMMUNION

Read Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  Here is a possible communion prayer to say before you take the bread and the juice, "Father, we are grateful to know your Son- the One, the only name under heaven by which we must be saved.  We are thankful for the salvation that is found in Him.  In Jesus' name, amen."

Take the Lord's Supper.

PRAYER

Pray for someone outside your family that is suffering during this time of turmoil.  Pray for someone in your family that is not dealing with our current circumstance.  Pray for light for yourself to know how to help them both.

MESSAGE

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CHALLENGE

List 3 people you could invest in spiritually. Circle the one you could develop a discipling relationship with in the near term. Let that person know you would like to help them become a follower of Jesus. Begin the discipline relationship.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word at Kenwood Church.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I encourage you to speak with me via phone (248-476-8222) or an email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org).  I would be honored to speak with you about what God is doing in your life and try to connect you with a community of faith in your area.

Bonus Video

WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural (Matthew 28:18-20) Sermon Outline (a blog post for a video sermon for Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on August 9, 2020)

WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural (Matthew 28:18-20) - August 9, 2020

INTRODUCTION‬

We are the church where mentoring is natural.

Discipleship is the human part of God’s plan for us. It is relational like the incarnation.

“The Word became flesh--and then through theologians it became words again.” 

Karl Barth

Kierkagaard in "And I looked around and nobody was laughing" says this, "I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."

“We keep them how we win them.”

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I. THE CIRCLE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Disciple means follower.

A. The logic of discipling

1. The leader/follower model (not master/servant, teacher/student)

2. The circular logic of teaching following

B. The need for unbroken discipling

C. The beauty of interlocking circles

1. The strength of a chain

2. The continuity of a chain

II. THE CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP

“It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder.” 

Dwight L. Moody

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Because being a disciple involves a relationship with a person, we must believe in that person and spend time in fellowship with that person. Being a disciple is like being a professional athlete or a physicist. A person who admires professional athletes or physicists, but who never enters into a relationship of learning and emulation with one, is not a disciple. At most, such a person is a fan or an interested onlooker. Disciples observe, emulate and become like the one they are learning from and into whose image they are being conformed (Romans 8:29).”

Chris Scruggs

A. The call to a disciple - “follow my example”

B. The life of a disciple - “as I follow the example of Christ”

C. The roll of disciplemaker - a lead follower connection

III. THE CRISIS OF DISCIPLESHIP

2015 “The State of Discipleship” by the George Barna Group

• Only 1% of church leaders say “today’s churches are doing very well at discipling new and young believers.” Few believe churches – their own or others –are excelling in this area.
• Participation in discipleship activities (e.g. Sunday school, spiritual/mentoring group Bible study) is weak – as low as 20% in our churches.
• The 2 most significant barriers to spiritual growth are the “busyness of life” and a lack of commitment to discipleship. Among a significant number of Christians there is simply no “drive to prioritize spiritual growth.”
• A large number of Christians prefer to pursue spiritual growth on their own (this is of the 37% of those who say that it is important); an even larger number (41%) consider their spiritual life “entirely private.” This is a big problem when we consider the importance of relationships to transformational discipleship.
• Among Christian adults, 35% are using only some sort of non-personal discipleship (podcasts or listening to music).
• In order to create a healthy culture of discipleship, senior leadership must lead the way and a clear plan needs to be in place. In exemplary churches, discipleship is not a program or even a “ministry”; it is part of the church’s core identity.

A. Intent

B. Content

1. Go and make

2. Baptize and teach

C. Importent (IMPORTANT)

CHALLENGE

List 3 people you could invest in spiritually. Circle the one you could develop a discipling relationship with in the near term. Let that person know you would like to help them become a follower of Jesus. Begin the discipline relationship.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I would be honored to speak with you in the upper parking lot following the service about what God is doing in your life.

Video: 8-4-20 Kenwood Online Bible School

Click on this link to watch a video of our 8/4/20 Kenwood Online Bible School https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/19x-dYn9p15IWbfgsGH2YK1iIZ--eaa82iRP8vIPmE6pgHM1Nc0Okd-VftGq3-Nc?startTime=1596582731000

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