New Work Fellowship Podcast

What Does It Take? FOCUS (06/27/21)

Together

“What Does It Take? FOCUS"

Luke 7:36-47

 

Key Truth: Your need determines your focus. Your focus determines your presence.  Your presence determines your connection.

 

You can create Christlike connections by:

1)   Focusing your thoughts on the Lord. (Luke 7:36-40)

Do an “I” exam:

A)   Who am I in God’s eyes?

B)   How am I gifted by God?

C)   What am I called by God to do?

 

2)   Focusing on the person, not the problem. (Luke 7:41-47)

A)   Who are they in God’s eyes?

B)   What does God want for them?

C)   How can I join in the Lord’s work in their life?

Illustration: “I can do that?!”

 

3)   Focusing on a gospel-centered connection. (Luke 7:48-50)

A)   Pray specifically.

B)   Be intentional.

C)   Act.

 

Final Thought:  Believers who love one another well and focus on gospel-centered connections will have a huge impact in our world.  Be that kind of Christian.

Time (06/20/21)

Together

“Time"

Mark 6:30-31

“Jesus called his twelve disciples together…”

Matthew 10:1a

“…when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.”

Mark 4:34b

“Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him…”

Luke 9:18

 

How to Become Time Strategic:

(1) Time is limited; that’s why it is so precious.

Psalm 39:4, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.”

 Ephesians 5:15-16, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”

 

(2) Time flies; you are the pilot.

v31a, “Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves…’”

 Psalm 39:6, “We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.”

 Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another…”

 

(3) Time is yours; make it behave!

Time principle: “If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not important.”

 v31, “…they didn’t even have time to eat.”

 Galatians 6:9, So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

 

(4) Time is Life; enjoy it.

v32, “So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.”

 Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice in it.”

 Ecclesiastes 11:9, 12:1; “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do… Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old…”

 

Final Thought: Today is the TIME to surrender your most precious GIFT to the Lord. Give Him your time. He gives you eternity.

Endure with Expectancy (06/13/21)

Thrive

“Endure with Expectancy"

Genesis 50:20

 

Key Truth: The end of the story matters when we must endure with expectancy!  Genesis 50:20

 

You can endure with expectancy by:

1)   Living in the awareness of God’s presence.

a.    Receive grace. (Genesis  39:2 & 21)

b.    Give grace. (Genesis 41:51-52)

Gospel Truth: If you are a Christian, Christ is with you. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Practical application:  Talk to the Lord about everything.

 

2)   Not losing it. (Genesis 42:6)

a.    Keep yourself on track. (Proverbs 4:20-27)

b.    Don’t sin in your anger. (Numbers 20:6-13)

 

3)   Living a Christ-centered life. (Genesis 50:20)

a.    Remain in Christ. (John 15:4)

b.    Know that you are not stuck. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

 

Final Thought: You can endure with expectancy by fixing your eyes on Christ. (Hebrews 12:1-4)

Venture into Valor (06/06/21)

Thrive

“Venture into Valor"

Judges 6:11-16

 

Isaiah 44:3-4, “…I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessings on your children. They will thrive …”

 

How do we Step into Valor?

(1) MOVE (Beyond your fear!)

See Judges 6:1-10.

“You can run away from what you are afraid of, but you’ll be running the rest of your life. At some point you have to face your fear. And when you do, you’ll discover that fear itself is a coward in the face of courage.”

Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion

 

(2) BELIEVE (Beyond your knowing!)

See Judges 6:13-14

Isaiah 30:21 (KJV), “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

 

 (3) EXPECT (Beyond your limits!)

See Judges 6:15-16.

Ephesians 1:18-20, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” 

 

Final Thought: Valor, is believing and moving forward because with God, we expect well beyond our limits.

Imagine Taking the Initiative (05/30/21)

Thrive

“Imagine Taking the Initiative"

Genesis 28:10-22

 

Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

 

Between a rock and a hard place? Take the Initiative:  

(1) WAKE UP

v10, “Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba…”

v12, “As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven…”

v16, Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”

Ephesians 5:14, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

 

(2) GET UP

v18a, “The next morning Jacob got up very early.”

v17a, “But he was also afraid…”

“It’s not too late to change the story that you’ll tell one day. You can start something new. No matter how desperate, uncertain, afraid or stuck you may feel right now, your story isn’t over. It’s not too late to change!”

- Craig Groeschel, Divine Direction

 Zechariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”

 

(3) STEP UP

v20-21, Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me … and if he will provide … and if I return safely… then the Lord will certainly be my God.” 

Ephesians 3:20, “Far more abundantly that what you can think, ask or imagine…”

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of light with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  

Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

 

Final Thought:  Even when I take the initiative with God—I discover that it was God who was always taking the initiative with me.

Release Your Loss (05/23/21)

Thrive

“Release Your Loss"

Genesis 15, 18, and 21

 

Loss is __________ .

 

What loss have you experienced in the last weeks, months, or years? 

 

In Christ, you can release your loss:

1) Gain a clear vision of your future.  (Genesis 15:1-6)

a. There is hope in Christ. (Revelation 21:1-7)

 

2) Be real about where you are. (Genesis 18:1-15)

a. Brokenness from loss is real, but there’s more. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

 

3) Release loss by taking hold of life in Christ. (Genesis 21:1-7)

a. How then shall we live? (2 Corinthians 4:16)

 

Final thought:  In Christ, you can experience life, even in the midst of loss.

Hold On To Hope (05/16/21)

Thrive: Beyond Survival

“Hold On to Hope"

Ruth 1:1-7

 

“…I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,
and my blessings on your children. They will thrive …”
Isaiah 44:3-4

 

·      Trust is confidence in the reliability of God.

·      Hope is the expectation of God’s goodness.

 

Hope Is …

(1) BIGGER than your troubles

• v1, “In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land.”

• Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

• Job 5:7, “People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.” 

(See Romans 8:35-39… nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.)

 (2) BETTER than your history

• v1b. “So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab.”

• The problem of Moab: (see Genesis 19, Numbers 22-25)

• Isaiah 40:31 (NIV), “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

  (3) BEYOND anything you can imagine

• v5b, “This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.”

• v6, “Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.”

• See Ruth 4:14-17.

 Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Trust the Father (05/09/21)

Thrive

“Trust the Father"

Joshua 3:1-13 & Philippians 4:6-8

 

“…I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessings on your children. They will thrive …”

Isaiah 44:3-4

 

Cultivating Trust:

1. Trust is Hard, because of the Unknown

v4 “…you have never traveled this way before…”

Philippians 4:4a. “Don’t worry about anything.”

 Trust Principle: In the unknown…do not worry about anything.

2. Trust is Hard…because of my blind spot

v3, “when you see…the ark” 

v4, “…stay about a half mile behind, keeping a clear distance…”

 Philippians 4:6b, “…instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” 

Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…”

Trust Principle: In the blind spot…pray about everything. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

 

3. Trust is Hard…because of my faulty thinking

v12, “Now choose twelve men…” (see chapter 4)

Deuteronomy 8; “That is the time to be careful, …do not forget the Lord…Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.”

 Philippians 4:8, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”.  

Trust Principle: Even in bad things…think about good things.

Romans 8:28 (NIV), “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

Final thought: As I trust my Father: I find my equilibrium in God’s Sovereignty.

Endure Suffering (05/02/21)

Cutting Straight

“Endure Suffering"

John 16:33

You can embody a biblical response to suffering by:

1)   Listening to Jesus and finding peace in Him. (John 16:33a)

• How do you listen to Jesus?
  • Through scripture. (Joshua 1:6-9)
  • Through prayer. (Philippians 4:6)

2)   Walking with Jesus through trials and sorrows. (John 16:33b)

• How did Jesus go through trials and sorrows?
  • By the word of God.

3)   Living in the victory of Christ. (John 16:33c)

 

You can help one another by: (Hebrews 10:19-25)

1)   Gathering with other believers. (Hebrews 10:25)

2)   Growing in God’s word together. (Hebrews 10:23-24)

3) Praying together. (Hebrews 10:19-22a)

Fighting Temptation (4/25/21)

Cutting Straight

“Fighting Temptation"

Luke 4:1-13

 

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

“Do your very best to present yourself before God as one who has passed the test – a workman who has no need to be ashamed, who can carve out a straight path for the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15 (NTE)

 

We are all on a Trip

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit … led by the Spirit … into the wilderness where he was tempted…”

• John 16:33 (NIV), “In this world you will have trouble…”  

• Matthew 6:34 (NIV), “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

 

We all get Tripped-up

Satan’s ‘old tricks’:

• pacify cravings

• prestige of power

• presumption of pride

 

We all need Recovery

• Hebrews 4:15, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”

• John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

Link to the “Word Hand”  

 

Final Thought: