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Semester Plan: We need to vote

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Love Week need help with a plan for Sat. 2/18/2012

Notes from Sermon by Pastor Steven Week 1: Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24 Inspired by a book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller Is your story worth telling?

Pastor Steven defines as story as a character that something and overcomes conflict to get it. The ultimate story being Jesus. So why do our stories struggle so much: 1. We have cast the wrong main character: We always want to be the main character in our life. Pastor Steve says: I am not the main Character, Jesus is 2. We are working on the wrong screen play. We should be working on His script assuming that God is the director, writer, and star of the story of our lives. 3. What we want isn t worth enough: Disappointment doesn t necessarily come because we did not get what we wanted, but because what we wanted wouldn t bring us joy even if we got it. 4. We try to skip the scenes that make it matter: Every character that God has used had to overcome scenes of conflict before they accomplished what God had in store for them. It is easy to want to skip those stories in our lives. Embrace the story that God is developing in your life.

What a Story!!! The Story of Paul

Notes from Sermon by Pastor Steven Week 2: Scripture: Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11 What causes our story to stop short? There is tension between God s part in determining our future, and the role that we play by acting out his promises in our life. God wants to play an active roll in our story. The story of the Hebrew people in gaining access to the promised land (Canaan) is a great story waiting to be told. It should have been a great story, but instead an entire generation missed out on what God promised them. The story was not supposed to be a sad one. If there is no hardship, then the story is not worth telling. The story that you live is mostly determined by the report that you believe. You do not get to choose the setting of your story. You get to choose how you live it out though.

Notes from Sermon by Pastor Steven Week 2: One skill that can change your life and re-align your destiny is the Suspension of Disbelief. This is deciding to go along with the story and believe the truth rather than the facts. Suspending your disbelief is when you choose to believe there is a director who is going to make the good parts and the bad parts and somehow make a great conclusion in our story. Don t let your disbelief determine your destiny. Let His promises propel you into your future. Our story doesn t stop until we stop believing. Humans tend to get stuck and miss out on scenes. The saddest parts of our stories are the ones we never get to see. We give up when it gets hard because we think we are the director, when really our job is to hold the reflector to shine light back on God.

Notes from Sermon by Pastor Steven Week 3: Cancel the Audition Scripture: Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10 In the reality TV show The Voice, judges select contestants only on what they hear. Not what they see. God looks at our heart and not our appearance/external criteria. God selected you just like God selected Jeremiah. Cancel the audition because you already got the part. We wonder around in states of our life believing that if we ever hit the mark or make the goal our chair will turn around and we receive reaffirmation and credit. God anoints us based on what we have received not what we have achieved.

Notes from Sermon by Pastor Steven Week 3: Cancel the Audition When you were first called, you had nothing to offer God. God did something. That something is you. You are perfect for your part. God chose you and you were already given the part. See Ex 4:10: Correct, you do not have what it takes. But God does. Just stand up and deliver. The very thing that you want to hide, God wants to use for his purposes. Don t hide the very weakness that God wants to put on display. We serve a God who customer tailors a story that only you can tell.

Ref: Steven Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People In telling your story, always keep the end state in mind.

Ref: Steven Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Dependence Independence Inter-dependence

Putting words into action

Team 1: A wealthy 23 year trust fund man in charlotte named has been given much. His Dad just got him a brand new 2012 BMW. goes to clubs a lot and shows off his wealth + has little consideration for others. Despite all of this material wealth, he feels empty inside. Team exercise: How can you help this person tell a better story? What does his Canaan look like? What discomfort should he overcome to achieve what God has in store for his life? What script is feeding him lies? Other thoughts? Reference Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24, Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10, Report your findings to the rest of the egoup.

Team 3: is a hard working women with an uninspiring and difficult job. Her boss is unsympathetic and demanding. She would like to go back to college and upgrade her skill set, however, she does not have the money and wants to stay out of debt. Team exercise: How can you help this person tell a better story? What does his Canaan look like? What discomfort should he overcome to achieve what God has in store for his life? What script is feeding him lies? Other thoughts? Reference Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24, Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10, Report your findings to the rest of the egoup.

Team 2: is 21 years old and is very depressed. He grew up fatherless and does not have a good relationship with his Mom. He is unemployed. His girl friend just had a miscarriage. He takes drugs in order to deal with the pain. Team exercise: 1. How can you help this person tell a better story? 2. What does his Canaan look like? 3. What discomfort should he overcome to achieve what God has in store for his life? 4. What script is feeding him lies? 5. Other thoughts? Reference Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24, Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10, Report your findings to the rest of the egoup.

Team 4: is 19 years old, attends college, and lives with her divorced Mom. Her Mom goes out a lot on dates with guys that does not approve of. When tries to confront her Mom about the dating stuff, they end up arguing. As a result, the things have not been great at home. Team exercise: How can you help this person tell a better story? What does his Canaan look like? What discomfort should he overcome to achieve what God has in store for his life? What script is feeding him lies? Other thoughts? Reference Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24, Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10, Report your findings to the rest of the egoup.

Team 5: is 26 years old and has a good job in Charlotte. He does not have a great relationship with his parents. During he weekends, he spends all of his money and time at bars and night clubs. He is happy but feels empty inside. Team exercise: How can you help this person tell a better story? What does his Canaan look like? What discomfort should he overcome to achieve what God has in store for his life? What script is feeding him lies? Other thoughts? Reference Scripture: Colossians 1:16:20, Hebrews 12:2, and Acts 20:17-24, Numbers 13:1-30 and Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:10, Report your findings to the rest of the egoup.

Scripture passages

Col 1:16-20: 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Acts 20:17-24 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God s grace.

Numbers 13:1-3 and 17-30: 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders. 3 So at the LORD command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. 17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land. (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) 21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath. 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,[a] they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.

Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 1: 4-10: 4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 6 Alas, Sovereign LORD, I said, I do not know how to speak; I am too young. 7 But the LORD said to me, Do not say, I am too young. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

1 Cor 1:26-31 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

Exodus 4:10 10 Moses said to the LORD, Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.