“Forever Reign” What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:4

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Review: Week 1, we asked the question, “Is God Off His Rocker?” as we explored His outrageous, extravagant love for His people. We saw this “Crazy Love” of God illustrated profoundly in the book of Hosea and marveled at God’s grace towards the adulterous nation of Israel (and us).

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Review: Week 2, we jokingly referred to our sometimes feeble response to God’s crazy love as, “Lifestyles of the Lukewarm and Passionless.” We used several biblical thermometers to see just how “hot” or “not” our current response to God is. And we were amazed by God’s unchanging love toward us.

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Today: Although it is not “Father’s Day” we will explore the intense and infinite love of God our Heavenly Father towards us. (All Scripture references in NIV)

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father “dad” vs. “DAD” We tend to relate to God our Heavenly Father in much the same way we relate to our earthly father. For many of us, that can be a hindrance to deeper intimacy with God because our relationship with our earthly father has been non- existent or toxic.

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father “dad” vs. “DAD” Pause for a moment to think about your relationship with your earthly father and how it has positively or negatively shaped your relationship with your Heavenly Father?

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father “dad” vs. “DAD” Let’s set aside those influences from our earthly father for now to see what the love of our Heavenly Father is truly like!

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father God knows how to give ____ gifts to His children! goo d “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father God knows how to give ____ gifts to His children! goo d “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father God knows how to give ____ gifts to His children! goo d “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father God knows how to give ____ gifts to His children! goo d But what exactly are these good gifts we have received from our Heavenly Father?

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ___________ TENDERN ESS “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ___________ TENDERN ESS Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ___________ TENDERN ESS “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Matthew 12:20

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ___________ TENDERN ESS “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ___________ TENDERN ESS

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ____ TIM E “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ____ TIM E “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ____ TOIL So often we see work as a “necessary evil,” but it is something that God blesses us with not only for paying our bills, but for our _________. satisfactio n

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ____ TOIL “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil— this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:13

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ______ TRIALS “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ______ TRIALS “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons…Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12: 5-6, 10

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ______ TRIALS

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ________ TALENT S “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of ________ TALENT S

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of _________ TREAS URE “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20-22

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father The Gift of _________ TREAS URE

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Tenderness, Time, Toil, Trials, Talent and Treasure are all God’s gifts to you… What you do with them is your gift to God!

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Life Application: Gifts You Can Give to God “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.” Hebrews 13:15-18

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Life Application: Gifts You Can Give to God 1.Continually offer God praise and confess Him before others.

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Life Application: Gifts You Can Give to God 2. Do good things for others and share with those in need.

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Life Application: Gifts You Can Give to God 3. Be helpful to those in spiritual leadership positions.

“Forever Reign” “Crazy Love” Week 3: The Crazy Love of Your Heavenly Father Life Application: Gifts You Can Give to God 4. Pray for one another so that we all may live honorable lives.

See You Next Sunday!