Sermon Notes Everything!

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3 Sermon Notes Everything! Big Idea: Application:

4 Discussion Questions Name some things God has done for you. Recognizing that God is our source through Jesus Christ, how has God empowered you recently? Is it the purpose of all creation to display the glory of God? Explain. How has God s grace toward you affected your thinking? Your actions? Where is God s glory being displayed in our church? In our community? How are you personally displaying God s glory in your life? Make journal entries each day and list the things God has done: 1. FOR you: 2. THROUGH you: 3. Give praise TO HIM for the great things He has done: One-Year Bible Reading Plan WEEK 1 Day 1 Mark 1 Ps 1 2 Day 2 Mark 2 Ps 3 Day 3 Mark 3 Ps 4 Day 4 Mark 4 Ps 5 Day 5 Genesis 1-2 Ps 6

5 Monday By Abby Hamm Picture this: you show up for Christmas dinner right on time. The table is set with the fine china reserved solely for this occasion. The centerpiece is elegantly prepared and can be admired from across the room. The tantalizing smell of honey roasted ham wafts throughout the dining room and your mouth begins to water. When you go to sit down you find that despite the appearance of a meal all that is left on your plate are crumbs. The crumbs taste delicious, but you leave the table unsatisfied and hungry for more. The table was set, the food was properly prepared, but you didn t get to eat it. One of our core values at First Baptist Church Palmetto is to equip the church through Bible study. One of the ways we accomplish this goal is through the devotionals in the bulletin every Sunday. Often our devotionals our filled with colorful narrative, prayer-filled wisdom, and a suggestion to read a passage the author has studied. It is incredible that we have individuals who love the Lord and desire to share their knowledge with others in this way. As we approach a new year, the way we are studying the Bible through our devotionals will shift in a different direction. We will still have devotionals like before, but we ll also be adding something new. Beginning this week, you ll see a passage of Scripture that you will dissect and prayerfully consider. We want our congregation to have the joy of eating a full spiritual meal. We want to give you the opportunity to develop your own knowledge in addition to reading about someone else s interaction with Scripture. We desire for you to grow closer to the Lord and develop a personal relationship with Him through your own study. The questions provided will walk you through interpreting the passage and lead you to see the application that uniquely applies to your personal situation. We want to guide you through the process of feeding yourself. The table is set, and the food is prepared. Are you ready to enjoy the feast for yourself?

6 Tuesday By Kenny Tibbetts Happy New Year, church family! I wanted to show in greater detail the changes to our devotional format. We have for the past two months introduced devotionals which look more like Bible study guides. We want to equip you to study the Scriptures in a deeper and more fruitful way, and we think this format will accomplish that. You will now see some of the devotionals looking like this: Scripture These devotionals will always start with a passage of Scripture to slowly and carefully read and consider. We believe the Bible is God s word which He gives graciously to us for our instruction and sanctification. We believe the best and most profitable instruction for our lives is found in Scripture. We will always ground our teaching in what God s word says. Pause The Scripture passage will be followed by a few thought-provoking questions crafted to make you think critically and carefully about what God s word is saying and how it meaningfully applies to your life. We ask that you take your time answering these questions that are designed for personal reflection, not to test your knowledge. Pursue God s word always demands something of us. We do not want to be like those described in James 1:22 who were hearers only. Under the heading Pursue you will see an action step. We will provide a logical and God-honoring next step for you to take. It may be as simple as memorizing a verse or reading a related passage of Scripture, or it may be something you can do in your home or workplace. We want to help you become doers of the word. Pray Finally, we will end each devotional with a call to prayer. Studying God s word should always cause us to seek the One who divinely inspired it. We cannot hope to understand what God s word means apart from a personal relationship with Him. We can best cultivate this relationship through the discipline of prayer. We will provide a few specific prayers related to the Scripture. Please do not think of this as a list of things you must pray, or that this is all you must say to God. We simply want to provide a way for you to get started.

7 Wednesday By Kenny Tibbetts Scripture I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 Pause 1. What do you think it means to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God? 2. In the last year, did you spend more time conforming to the world or being transformed into a person who looks more like Jesus? 3. Think of a time when you struggled to understand the will of God. Why is it so frustrating to feel like we re not sure what God wants us to do? 4.What are some ways you want to transform in 2019? Pursue Make a list of three areas of your life where you can look more like Jesus in the next year. (For example: I can be more generous; I can pray every day; I can serve others in my workplace.) Pray Thank God for His word and how He uses it to speak into our lives. Thank God that He accepts us just as we are but refuses to leave us there. Thank God that He transforms us into the image of His son. Ask God to reveal how you might present your life to Him as a living sacrifice, and what areas of your life you still need to give to Him.

8 Thursday By Kenny Tibbetts Scripture For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:3-8 Pause 1. Why do you think it was important to Paul that nobody in the early church thought too highly of themselves? 2. In verses four and five Paul compares the church to a body that has many different parts. How are a church and a human body similar? 3. In verses six through eight Paul shows how God gives us particular gifts that allow us to serve one another. Is yours on the list? If not, what are you good at that God can use to serve His church? Pursue SERVE Saturday is coming up on February 23 and teams are being formed to go out into our community and serve. Contact Joy Williams in the church office about where you might be able to use your God-given gifts and abilities to share the love of Christ with our community. Pray Ask God to give you clarity in your self-assessment. If you do think too highly of yourself, ask God to give you humility. Thank God that He gives us a church family we can find a place in. Ask God to show you the gifting that He has given you and how it corresponds to a need in our church or community.

9 Friday By Kenny Tibbetts Scripture Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 Pause 1. Paul transitions from providing very specific instructions meant for individual believers in the previous passage to giving these more general instructions meant for all believers. Which of these seems to come easily to you? Which ones are sometimes more difficult? 2. As you read through these instructions, does someone come to your mind? Who do you know embodies these markers of the Christian life well? 3. Who can you outdo in showing honor? Pursue Is there someone in your home you can outdo in showing honor? Maybe it s your spouse, a parent, a child or even a sibling. Get creative in finding ways to show honor to this person! Pray Thank God for His kindness. Thank God that He has not left us on our own to figure out how to live. Ask God to help you live as His word instructs us. Ask God to reveal to you who you can serve. Pray for our church, that we would be a church who truly embodies these instructions from Paul.

10 Weekend You re Invited By Phillip Hamm Remember how exciting it was to get a birthday invitation when you were a kid? You knew your Saturday afternoon was going to be awesome because you were going to celebrate your friend s birthday at a bowling alley, or putt-putt, or every parent s nightmare Chuck E. Cheese. There were two good things about being invited to a birthday party: 1) You knew you were invited because someone thought it would be a better party with you there, and, 2) they knew you would have a good time. I think this is how God sees us today. He invites us to some really great things. And He invites us because He wants us there. He knows it won t be the same without us. And He invites us because He knows how much we will enjoy being there. Too often, we see God s invitation as a burden or an obligation. In the process we miss out on some amazing things. Not only do we miss out, but the people there miss us. As you prepare for church on Sunday, open your heart as to what God might be inviting you into. Consider saying yes to whatever it is. And remember, it s just not the same without you. Prepare for Worship As you prepare your heart for worship Sunday morning read Psalm 132. Pray for the World: The Pacific The Pacific represents almost 3.3 million square miles, wit 25,000 islands this is larger than the combined areas of Africa, Asia and Europe. It comprises one continent (Australia), two large land masses (New Zealand and Papua New Guinea [PNG]) and 26 smaller island states and territories. Of the 36 million people who inhabit the islands of the Pacific, 74% profess to be Christian and 18% are Evangelical. The strength of Christianity in the Pacific is an answer to prayer. The Pacific was one of the first areas to be evangelized in the modern Protestant missionary era. By the end of the 19th Century, most of the Pacific region had become Christian through the sacrificial labors of early missionaries. Missionary casualties were high through disease, violent death and cannibalism, but great people movements brought whole people groups and islands to Christianity. (operation world)

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