March 4, 2007 LIFE 360 CELEBRATION! Selected

LIVING LARGE!

*** Deut. 11:2 “Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him. It was you…who had these experiences. You saw the Lord's greatness, his power, his might….” [Today’s English Version]

1. WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT GOD!

A. IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD!

*** Matthew 10:39 “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.” [Message Bible]

B. GOD THINKS YOU ARE MARVELOUS!

*** Psalm 139:13-14 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous….” [New Living Translation]

C. WE ARE MADE BY GOD AND FOR GOD!

*** Col. 1:16 “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” [Message]

*** Eph. 1:11 “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ…, he had his eye on us, and had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” [Message]

2. WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE!

1. LIFE IS MORE ABOUT BUILDING CHARACTER THAN COMFORT!

*** Romans 5:3-4 “We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope.” [New Century Version]

EVERY PROBLEM HAS A PURPOSE AND THE PURPOSE

IS TO MAKE US MORE LIKE JESUS!

2. LIFE IS TO BE LIVED ON PURPOSE!

*** Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord has made everything for his own purposes….” [NLT]

· PURPOSE #1 - Living a Life Expressing Our Love for God = WORSHIP!

· PURPOSE #2 - Living the Same Love for Each Other as God has for Us =

FELLOWSHIP!

· PURPOSE #3 - Living like Jesus more an more each day! = DISCIPLESHIP!

· PURPOSE #4 - Living and touching others with the compassion and care of

Jesus! = SERVICE!

· PURPOSE #5 – Living out Christ’s Commission = EVANGELISM!

*** Eph. 2:10 “For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” [NLT]

*** Psalm 33:11 “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” [New International Version]

3. LIFE IS DONE BEST TOGETHER!

*** Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other.” [God’s Word to the Nations]

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ABOUT BELIEVING AND BELONGING!

*** Prov. 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” [NCV]

THREE OPTIONS:

1. STAY IN THE GROUP YOU ARE IN!

2. JOIN A NEW GROUP! 3. START A NEW GROUP!

*** Hebrews 10:25 “We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more….” [GW]

4. LIFE IS PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY!

*** Ecc. 3:11 “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart….” [New Living Translation]

WE CAN PRACTICE ON EARTH WHAT WE’LL PERFECT IN ETERNITY!

*** John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life.” [NIV]

NOW WHAT?

*** Phil. 3:16 “Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.” [Msg]

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*** Eph. 5:15 “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do.” [JB Phillips Translation]

LIVE LIFE 360!