2. Isaiah 57:14 And it will be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the road. Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” The Story of Hope Community

3. Seven Couples and a Church

6. welcometo

7. Call to PRAYER! Sundays 11:15- 11:45am Mon - Fri 5:30-6:30pm

13. Why do people go to this church?

14. 1.We keep God central in all that we do. It ain't about us; it's about him! Why do people go to this church?

15. 1.We keep God central in all that we do. It ain't about us; it's about him! 2.We take the Bible seriously and take time to preach, teach, and explain it. Why do people go to this church?

16. 1.We keep God central in all that we do. It ain't about us; it's about him! 2.We take the Bible seriously and take time to preach, teach, and explain it. 3.We take culture seriously, working hard to find connecting points with people who are just “kicking the tires” of Christianity. Why do people go to this church?

17. 1.We keep God central in all that we do. It ain't about us; it's about him! 2.We take the Bible seriously and take time to preach, teach, and explain it. 3.We take culture seriously, working hard to find connecting points with people who are just “kicking the tires” of Christianity. 4.We have created an atmosphere of authenticity. Why do people go to this church?

18. 1.We keep God central in all that we do. It ain't about us; it's about him! 2.We take the Bible seriously and take time to preach, teach, and explain it. 3.We take culture seriously, working hard to find connecting points with people who are just “kicking the tires” of Christianity. 4.We have created an atmosphere of authenticity. 5.We have created a place where people feel welcome. Why do people go to this church?

19. You

21. The Authority of the Son

22. Jesus as Savior says… Jesus as Lord says…

23. Jesus as Savior says… You are forgiven. Jesus as Lord says… Go and sin no more.

24. Jesus as Savior says… You are forgiven. It costs you nothing. Jesus as Lord says… Go and sin no more. It costs you everything.

25. Jesus as Savior says… You are forgiven. It costs you nothing. Come and live. Jesus as Lord says… Go and sin no more. It costs you everything. Come and die.

27. Consistency inside and out Matthew 23:25-28 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

30. Spiritual formation is the grace-enabled effort whereby we adopt God’s thoughts with God’s passion resulting in Christ-likeness

31. Spiritual formation is the grace-enabled effort whereby we adopt God’s thoughts with God’s passion resulting in Christ-likeness

32. Jesus as Authority over our Minds Hosea 4:6, 14 6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge… 14 a people without understanding will come to ruin.

33. The power of ideas and images

40. Jesus as Authority over our Minds Romans 8:5-8 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

41. “ That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.

42. “ A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God. A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

43. Spiritual formation is the grace-enabled effort whereby we adopt God’s thoughts with God’s passion resulting in Christ-likeness

44. Jesus as Authority over our Hearts Isaiah 29:13-14 13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

45. Jesus as Authority over our Hearts What is the underlying condition that is giving rise to these feelings?

46. Jesus as Authority over our Hearts

49. Galatians 5:22-25 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self- control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

50. Spiritual formation is the grace-enabled effort whereby we adopt God’s thoughts with God’s passion resulting in Christ-likeness

51. “ Concretely, we intend to live in the kingdom of God by intending to obey the precise example and teachings of Jesus. This is the form that trust in him takes. It does not take the form of merely believing things about him, however true they may be. Indeed, no one can actually believe the truth about him without trusting him by intending to obey him. It is a mental impossibility…The idea that you can trust Christ and not intend to obey him is an illusion.

52. “ There are no formulas – no definitive how-tos – for growth in the inner character of Jesus. Such growth is a way of relentless seeking. Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

53. “ People do not drift toward holiness. D.A. Carson Professor of New Testament

55. Jesus has Authority over Hearts & Minds Are you giving Jesus authority over your heart and mind?