09-19-2021

09-19-2021
Dr. E. Dale Locke (Loxahatchee, WPB & Online), Rev. Efrain Silva (COH Español)
Sermon Series: I Am Community of Hope
Week 3: Behind The Scenes
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español

1. Icebreaker: Other than spiritual things, what’s something that someone observing your life might say you’re passionate about?  How does that passion show itself in your life?

2. Read our memory verse for this sermon series: Matthew 28:16-20: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

·      In week 1, we looked at our church’s mission to interest disinterested people in Jesus Christ, and Pastor Trevor said the first step of evangelism isn’t talking, but listening in order to learn what the other person believes and get to know them.

·      In week 2, Pastor Dale looked at Romans 2:4 and reminded us that God uses kindness to draw people to himself. This idea has been foundational for our church. 

What’s one idea from the sermon series so far that was helpful to you personally?

3. Read Nehemiah 1:1-4: The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

      3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

     4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

     Nehemiah was a descendant of the Jewish families who had been forced into exile when the Babylonian empire conquered Jerusalem in 586BC.  Later the Persians defeated the Babylonians and became the new rulers over the Jewish people, who were still in exile. Nehemiah was appointed by the Persian King Artaxerxes to the honored position of “cupbearer” to the king meaning before the King drank anything, Nehemiah tasted it to see if it was safe. 

    When he got the news that the walls and city of Jerusalem had been in ruins for so long, he felt it made a mockery of God and damaged God’s reputation in the world. That broke Nehemiah’s heart. 

What helps a person’s heart grow more concerned about the things that break God’s heart?

4. Abraham Maslow believed humanity has a hierarchy of basic needs and that each of the lower levels of need has to be met before people can move to the next level. Similarly, Pastor Dale identified some levels people tend to go through in their spiritual journey as they grow from being an unchurched person toward becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ.

Level 1 - Self-Interest

Level 2 - Spiritual Gratitude

Level 3 - Spiritual Obedience

Level 4 - Spiritual Vision/Love

Share how you’ve experienced some of these transitions from one level of spiritual growth to the next. 

Nehemiah did three things that every follower should do to be part of God’s work in the world: 

(1) Nehemiah cried out to God.

5. God invites us to pray about anything that troubles us. But our prayer life shouldn’t always only be about ourselves. Eventually our prayers should include asking God to help us see the world the way He does and to grow in our concern about the spiritual condition of the world. God gets His work done in the world when His people begin to see the world as he does. How does God want us to see the world? 

(2) Nehemiah moved toward the mess.

6. Read Nehemiah 2:4-5: The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah was willing to step out, take a risk, and move toward a need that he believed God cared about. What could you do to step out and take a risk that would help God’s purposes be accomplished in the world around you? 

7. Pastor Dale said, “The worst kind of injustice inflicted upon a group or person isn’t hostility, it’s indifference.”  What did he mean by that? 

8. What causes indifference in us?  How can we work against those things to grow our hearts? 

(3) Nehemiah owned the part of the problem that he could.

9. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by how many people need Jesus and by all the needs in our world, but God doesn’t ask us to reach everyone or fix everything. He just asks each one of us to do the part that we can do. What’s one thing that you could do that might help some people in your world connect to Jesus Christ? 

Getting practical: 

·      Hold your group meeting in someone’s front yard or driveway, where neighbors can see you, and see if it opens any conversations with the host’s neighbors.

·      Talk together as a group about how you could use your hobbies or kids’ activities to build relationships with unchurched people. 

·      Plan a “Matthew party” – a fun social event where you mix your Christian friends with your unchurched friends. (The name comes from Jesus’s disciple Matthew who had a dinner party for Jesus and his disciples together with his tax collector friends in Matthew 9:10.)

Ready for your next step? – If you would like to take a next step in your faith journey, such as trusting your life to Christ or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we’ll contact you to help you do that.

News and Announcements:

·      New Here?  Let us know who you are by texting “connect” to 561-264-6079.

·      Connections Class - Sundays 10:15-11:30am starting October 3: A 4-week class on how to live the Christian life.  This is the best way to get more connected at Community of Hope, and we hope everyone who attends our church will take this class. You’ll learn about our mission, values, and statement of faith, and you’ll have the opportunity to become a COH partner, if you wish, which opens more opportunities for leadership and service. The class will be offered in-person and also over Zoom for those who can’t attend in-person.  Register at: https://communityofhope.church/connections

·      Financial Peace University: Dave Ramsey's 9-week class that teaches you how to pay off debt, save and invest for your future. Our Loxahatchee FPU class will meet Thursdays at 7pm starting September 23. Our WPB Campus FPU Class will be on Wednesdays at 7pm beginning September 22nd.  Free childcare is available. Course cost of $64/family is paid directly to Ramsey+.
Register for Loxahatchee:  https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/classes/1139003
Register for WPB: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/classes/1140856

·      Dad’s Group, Sundays 4:30-6:00pm starting September 26 – Loxahatchee Campus.  We’re starting a new Dads Group led by Omar Vega meeting Sundays at 4:30-6:00pm at our Loxahatchee Campus.  Childcare will be provided. The group will trade off between Bible discussion and discussing how to be an effective dad. Once a month will be a fun activity with kids instead of the regular meeting. Register at: https://communityofhope.church/groups/  

·      Our Support Groups are always available for anyone to join. If you or someone you know needs support to get through a challenging season like grief, divorce, mental illness, recovery, go to our groups page to register: https://communityofhope.church/groups/  These groups are a great opportunity to connect someone you know to Jesus Christ. They are open to everyone, whether they’re believers or not. 

·      Our Skeptics group is designed for people who aren't yet sure about Christianity to provide a safe place to discuss typical barriers to faith like, “Why is there suffering and pain in the world?”, “What happens to people from other religions?” and “Does the Bible conflict with modern science?” Skeptics will meet Mondays at 7pm at the Copans' home in Wellington starting September 27.  We’ll meet outdoors on our patio to help everyone stay safe, and people are welcome to Zoom into the meetings as well. This is a great opportunity for you to invite a friend or loved one who doesn’t believe or who doesn’t have a church home. Sign up at https://communityofhope.church/groups/

·      COH Has Job Openings!  Learn more at https://communityofhope.church/employment

Thank you for your financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to you and to our community! Consider setting up automated giving to help you be consistent even when you’re traveling. To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give