Framing Your Faith – Frameology Part 4

Watch the message here:

“Fight the good fight of Faith” – 1 Timothy 6:12

Faith Through The Roof

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ²They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,carried by four of them. ⁴Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”…vs ¹¹“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹²He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus saw their faith, Circle the words, “their faith.” This is one of the many stories where Jesus emphasized the power of faith. It wasn’t just the healed man who had faith but so did his four friends. When Jesus saw THEIR faith.

That is why we need to FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH …FOR OUR FRIENDS

Friends are important to our faith. It was not only the paralyzed man who believed but his four friends also believed. The four friends had faith. Jesus saw their faith. Often our friends encourage and enlarge the faith that we have. (That is what the story of Daniel is about, the four friends who helped each other be loyal to their faith and religious practices.)

A FRAME WORK OF FRIENDSHIPS

The ship of friends in your life.

relationships, friendships, companion-ships, kindships

Just a couple of observations about this story.

1. FRIENDS CARRY MATS.

THE MAT REPRESENTS WHAT PARALYZES US.

But, because he had four friends that were willing to pick him up and get him to Jesus everything changed for him!

That place of pain was also a place of connection and community.

That guy walked out of that house that day with NEW LEGS and a NEW IDENTITY because of the faith of his friends.

2. FRIENDS DO THE HARD WORK.

Someone else’s miracle lies on the other side of your willingness to embrace the inconvenient and the awkward.

Sweat is the stuff that waters the seeds of really great friendships.

Sweat equity builds relational equity .

3. FRIENDS CHANGE US.

FIVE KINDS OF FRIENDS WE ALL NEED.

1. SHARED VALUES FRIENDS

2. UNSELFISH LOVE FRIENDS

3. DEEP LOYALTY FRIENDS

4. TRANSEPARENT FRIENDS

5. FORGIVING FRIENDS

TWO QUESTIONS:

1. WHOSE MAT ARE YOU CARRYING?

2. WHO IS CARRYING YOUR MAT?

Dying FOR someone and dying WITH someone.

Jesus did both

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

“Fight the good fight of Faith” – 1 Timothy 6:12

Who are you fighting FOR and who are you fighting WITH?

COMMUNION IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.

FRAMOLOGY Part 3 Framing your Fatherhood.

“I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands” – 1 Timothy 2:8 (NIV)

We need a good framework and a good frame of reference for manhood and fatherhood today.

The point should be clear…..We cannot afford to plant our manhood in the midair of current sexual politics…when we ask what is a man today? – We are not going to look to John Wayne, Clint Eastwood or Mel Gibson.

Were not going to ask Tom Hanks, Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump, James Bond, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton – Nope all of these will never get us to the headwaters of the issue.

We’re going to ask our Creator what He had in mind when He formed man out of the dust of terra firma.

Many people have searched for the headwaters of the origins of men but they fall too short and did not take the river to the beginning.

You have to go all the way to the headwaters to find the source of origin .

So Discovery, put on your thinking cap lace up your hiking boots because this morning we are going to hike through some history and so frameology to the headwaters of what a father is.

THE HEADWATERS OF THE HEART OF A GREAT FATHER.

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹²(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)¹³The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. ¹⁴The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.Genesis 2:10 – 15

THE FOUR COMPASS POINTS/THE FOUR SEASONS/THE FOUR ELEMENTS AND THE FOUR HEADWATERS OF A GREAT FATHER’S HEART..

JUST AS THERE ARE FOUR CORNERS TO THIS FRAME.

NORTH. SOUTH. EAST. WEST. 4 POINTS ON A COMPASS
SPRING. SUMMER. FALL. WINTER. 4 SEASONS IN THE YEAR.
EARTH. WIND. FIRE. WATER. 4 ELEMENTS ON THE PLANET.
KING. WARRIOR. MENTOR. FRIEND. 4 RHYTHMS IN A MAN.

4 UNDERGIRDING LIFE RHYTHMS THROB IN THE VEINS OF EVERY MALE CHILD. THEY PIPE A 4 PART CADENCE TO WHICH EVERY MAN MUST MARCH IF HE CHOOSES TO BE A COMPLETE MAN. ALWAYS INTERMINGLED, NEVER EXCLUSIVE, THEY PROVIDE THE PRIMARY COLORS OF THE MASCULINE RAINBOW FROM WHICH ALL OTHERS DRAW THEIR HUE.

BLENDING PERFECTLY WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEY REFLECT THE LIGHT OF THE ONE IN WHOSE IMAGE THEY ARE MADE.

THE FOUR HEADWATERS OF THE HEART OF A GREAT FATHER.

1. KING

The heart of a provider.

2. WARRIOR

The heart of a protector

David didn’t go out planning to fight a giant …..he went out to give his brother some bread and cheese and Goliath got in the way.

3. MENTOR

The heart of a teacher.

4. FRIEND

The heart of a giver

Conclusion: There are two questions a man must ask himself: The first is ‘Where am I going?’ and the second is ‘Who will go with me?’

“I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands” – 1 Timothy 2:8 (NIV)

Discovery Church, Discovery Prescott

FRAMING YOUR FAITH – Part 2

Here is the outline to this message.

1 Timothy 3:15, “I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church” (GW).

Last week: – GOD REMEMBERS WHAT WE FORGET.

“For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.” – Psalm 103:14

Ephesians 2:21 – “In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord”

This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. (the message)

Hebrews 11:3 – Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.

Who is in God’s family photo album ?

1 Timothy 3:15, “I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church” (GW).

We are the family of God.

Church is not something you go to. Church is something you belong to.

1. A FRAMEWORK OF FORGIVENESS

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him (and put me in the ministry),¹³even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ¹⁶But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. – 1 Timothy 1:12-17

“… it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family” (1 Peter 1:3, LB).

God loves tying knots.

A college student came to his pastor sand said; “Pastor, Ive done terrible things in my life….I know God could never forgive me. What can I do?”

Ah, answered the pastor, “all of us are connected to God by a piece of rope, one that is the same length for everyone of us. When we sin, sadly, we cut the rope that connects us to God. But, when we repent, God is in a hurry to tie the pieces together again. Every time you tie a knot in the rope, of course, the rope gets shorter.

So, those with more knots in their rope are that much closer to God.”

2. A FRAMEWORK OF FELLOWSHIP.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Everyone needs a “THIRD PLACE”

First place is our HOME.
Second place is our WORK.
Third place is our COMMUNITY.

Everyone needs a “THIRD PLACE”

First place is our HOME.
Second place is our WORK.
Third place is our COMMUNITY.

HAVE FUN

LOVE FRIENDS

SHARE FAITH

Every culture has celebrations – your job as a Christian is to engage in the celebration with those people. We bring the better wine – we bring what is lacking. We ought to be known as the greatest party people on the planet – we ought to party like crazy because we actually have something to celebrate – the resurrection of Jesus!

The smells of: Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, transparency authenticity.
“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” – 2 Corinthians 2:15

3. GETTING MY FRIENDS IN THE PICTURE. (No Selfies)

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God has given you a mission in this world. You’re not here to just take up space; you’re not here to just strive after your own personal goals.

You have an assignment from God himself. Once you’re in the family, your life changes. You have a new reason for living. Your life isn’t about you anymore; it’s about God’s mission.

And your mission fits into God’s mission for all of history. God created everything in the universe because he wanted a family. He didn’t need Earth. He didn’t need the other planets. He didn’t need the stars. He created all of it because he knew some of us would willingly choose to be a part of his family.

The mission God gave Jesus he now gives to the Body of Christ — the Church. He wants us to help get other people into his family. Jesus said it like this: “In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world” (John 17:18 MSG).

Once we know Jesus, we have to go! We must tell our friends and families about him. But we can’t stop there. God has never made anyone he doesn’t want saved. He loves everyone — across the entire globe.

God wants us to live out his mission everywhere: in our families, our communities, and our world. His mission for your life is both global and local. The Bible says, “Now the Lord says to me, ‘It isn’t enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth’” (Isaiah 49:6 CEV).

That’s God’s plan for the world. That’s his mission for you. He wants everyone on Earth to know him. And he wants to use you to see that happen. God didn’t just say that to missionaries or pastors. If you’re in his family, he gave his mission to you!

Discovery Church, Discovery Prescott

FRAMING YOUR FAITH – Part 1

FRAMEOLOGY – Here are the bullet point to the message.

FAITH DOESN’T ALWAYS GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME BUT IT DOES ESTABLISH THE OUTLOOK.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

²To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” – 1 Timothy 1:1,2 (NIV)

Ephesians 2:21 – “In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord”

Hebrews 11:1-3 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

²For by it the elders obtained a good report.

³Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

1. WHAT’S IN YOUR FRAME?

^”But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said,“Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:30 (NCV)

Do you have too much wind and too many waves in your frame?

Is Jesus in your frame? – Hebrews 12:2 – “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

Having more of Jesus in your frame keeps you from sinking.

2. WHAT IS YOUR FRAME OF REFERENCE?

What is framing your world?

Matthew 17:14-21 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizuresand is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”¹⁷“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

3. DO YOU NEED A FRAME CHANGE?

Change of place, + change of pace = change of perspective.

ADDITION

SUBTRACTION

EXAMINATION

1 Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself.”

GOD REMEMBERS WHAT WE FORGET.

“For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.” – Psalm 103:14

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Monthly Archives: June 2016

Framing Your Faith – Frameology Part 4

FRAMOLOGY Part 3 Framing your Fatherhood.

FRAMING YOUR FAITH – Part 2

FRAMING YOUR FAITH – Part 1