1. God’s Day Of New Beginnings
Today, God has new beginnings to give us
The old is ending and something new is beginning in our lives and in our church and in our community
And here is God’s word for us
God’s Day Of New Beginnings
14 Days OF Prayer Commissioning

2. GOD’S WORD FOR ALL OF US HERE
[write it down in your box]
Here is another way to say it
How you begin determines your blessings

3. GOD’S WORD FOR ALL OF US HERE
We are in 14 days of prayer
For many of us here
God is ending an old season – to begin a new
God is ending old patterns to begin new ones
And this principle is important (principle of the first determines your future)
(flight to California – began poorly- missed flight – lost the blessing)
(nothing wrong with the plan, the flight)
My beginning – set me up for frustration – set me up for sin
Nothing wrong with the speed limit, with baggage policy, with re-booking
How you begin your dating relationship?
How you begin your financial life out of college?
How you begin retirement – priorities and patterns
How you begin school year – determines your friends?
How you begin to decide about a job or change?
Beginnings are blueprints
I can tell you how your day will go by how you begin it
How your relationship with go
Today
How you begin determines your blessings
Beginnings are blueprints

4. GOD’S WORD FOR ALL OF US HERE
First
Fresh
By faith for each person
Here is the story of the church of Antioch
It’s first season
And then a fresh season
Story of what we are doing here today
(Read in handout –story of its first season)
Notice how a church begins –notice its blueprint it should onto
A day of new beginnings for two churches & every hungry heart

5. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
V19 – They knew pain / Faith despite pain & problems
-those who were scattered (because of persecution)
Group of people who experienced tragedy, injustice and pain
not perfect people but a perfect Father in heaven
(cornerstone 37 -a healing center) (Motivation – starts with faith) – blueprint
Church’s go through tought time –crazy family
WE HAVE FAITH
(v19) Faith despite pain

6. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
Look at the type of people – Jews / Foriegners / so different
People so different – loving one another
This is what our world needs
Starts with us
Age, culture, ethnic, education, politics, economic
Pray – thy kingdom come, thy will be done
That’s heaven
People who celebrate, not hate, their differences
The learn instead of condemn
Cornerstone – great days ahead
Motivation –this is our DNA
(v19) Faith despite pain
(v21) Love in Diversity

7. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad
– Visible grace that someone from the outside could see
That’s what it takes for different people to come together
(Barnabas came and saw it, felt it, experienced it)
Cornerstone ministers (volunteers)
Look like heaven, feel like heaven, work like heaven
We need grace to grow
Condemnation of people isn’t holiness
Condmenation of sin is
Grace is what we do – miracle can happen every Sunday
(v19) Faith despite pain
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v22) Visible Grace

8. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Churches stray from this
Their cause
Their generation
Their politics
Their passion in the kingdom
Only Jesus
Don’t get past Jesus -spiritual warfare very different close to Jesus
Protests and politics – very different when faithful to the Lord not fearful or reactive of man
(v19) Faith despite pain
(v23) Jesus-Centered Purpose
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v23) Leadership with integrity & faith
(v22) Visible Grace

9. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
– leaders were filled with integrity, the Holy Spirit (not personality or talent), and faith (that there are greater days ahead)
You don’t want leaders who only point out what is wrong
You want leaders filled with faith in the good God is going to do
That there are greater days ahead
That we should take risks to bring more glory to God
Comfort is not the goal
Leader represents your vision – unity -how different people get one thing done
Blessed to hve Dr. Rhoden, Gary Williamson, Wayne Mancari, now me
Now Travis
Leader integrity to not do everything you want – larger vision
(v19) Faith despite pain
(v23) Jesus-Centered Purpose
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v24) Leadership with integrity & faith
(v22) Visible Grace

10. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.
Not just inspiration – teaching
Discipleship not just salvations
Sunday – greater move –me too
Greater move isn’t just worship – teaching
Don’t lose the next generation
We all do that –small groups
(v19) Faith despite pain
(v23) Jesus-Centered Purpose
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v23) Leadership with integrity & faith
(v22) Visible Grace

11. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
They were in the community
Motivation / Cornerstone – a sign and wonder in our community
(v19) Faith despite pain (v26) Publicly Known
(v23) Jesus-Centered Purpose
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v23) Leadership with integrity & faith
(v22) Visible Grace

12. Acts 11 / Antioch’s Beginning
The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
This is the blueprint of cornerstone and motivation
We begin that way – by god’s grace we stay that way
See how all these stayed as the blueprint and basis of a fresh season of faith for them – ACTS 13
(v19) Faith despite pain (v26) Publicly Known
(v23) Jesus-Centered Purpose
(v26) Teaching Priority (v21) Love in Diversity
(v23) Leadership with integrity & faith
(v22) Visible Grace (v29) Generous

13. They let God change them through new relationships
Acts 13:1
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.”
Fresh seasons of faith
New beginnings
Happen when we say yes to new relationships
The blueprint of love in diversity has grown
Barnabas is a jew
Simeon & Lucius are African
Manaen is roman
Saul is jewish
They chose to love one another – reach out and learn from each other
TRAVIS – Motivation – reaching out to families
Cornerstone – reaching out through new small groups

14. They let God call them to new prayer
Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed . . .”
That place of prayer and faith –never stopped
TRAVIS – Intercession teams (SLIDES FROM STEVEN>)
Sunday intercession –sign up on connection card

15. They let God send them to new territory
Acts 13:3
“So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
Someone planted them –new territory –those first from Jerusalem
Now they there was new territory –beyond Antioch
V2-3 – they started new church families where there was none
They had learned to love one another so much they longed for the world to have what they had
They had a family – and saw someone else who didn’t have one
TRAVIS
Cornerstone – Latino community (first service)
Small groups outside of Wednesday and Sundays
Motivation – Falling creek
Do this now – worship and call Motivation & BW forward

16. New beginnings come when we say yes to new people, prayers and places for Jesus’ sake
My prayer – give them these new people, prayer and places
For Cornerstone
- New groups, new discipleship, new businesses, new people groups