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Luke 10:25-37 (NIV) // On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Embracing relationships with our heart and soul includes loving our neighbor. Who Is My Neighbor? Leviticus 19:18 // “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. The Answer: Our neighbor is anyone we encounter regardless of their race, beliefs, or actions. Do I Have To Love Them? Luke 10:27 // He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The Answer: Yes! We show our love for God by the way we love people. Loving our neighbor is reflective and responsive. How Do I Love My Neighbor? Luke 10:27 // He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The Answer: We should love our neighbor practically and sacrificially. Ephesians 5:29 (NLT) // No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. Our challenge: See a need, meet a need.

Marriage is the safest relationship on the earth when God’s laws for love are honored. Genesis 2:20-25 // So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. The Four Laws of Love 1. The Law of Priority Genesis 2:24 // That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Exodus 34:14 // Do not worship any other god,for theLord, whose nameis Jealous, is a jealous God. 2. The Law of Pursuit Genesis 2:24 // That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 3. The Law of Partnership Genesis 2:24 // That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 (NKJV) // Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 4. The Law of Purity Genesis 2:25 // Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Purity paves the way to intimacy.

Love 1. Put everything in its proper season Song of Solomon 8:4 // Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. 2. Become the person you’re looking for is looking for 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 // Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Marriage 1. Don’t confuse your spouse with your Savior Colossians 2:9-10 // For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 2. Fight to kill unrealistic expectation Expectation says “You Owe Me” Love says “You Before Me” Baby Carriage 1. We raise to release Psalm 127:4-5 (NKJV) // Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them 2. You’ll never be a perfect parent but you can be a praying parent Psalm 138:8 (NLT) // The LORD will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Proverbs 13:22 (ESV) // A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. Financial Inheritance Honorable Name Inheritance Spiritual Inheritance

“Isolation is the modern day leprosy.” - Mother Teresa Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) // And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 1 Samuel 14:1-15 // One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; 6Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcisedmen. Perhaps… Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15Then panicstruck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raidingparties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. Godly inspiration requires collaboration which cannot happen in isolation. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. Good friends… 1. Challenge your Mentality. 2. Stretch you Spiritually Hebrews 11:1 // Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 3. Support you Wholeheartedly Insulation vs Isolation Heart & Soul - Who has your back? 4. Help you think strategically Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) // Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. 5. Propel you Supernaturally. Consumers & Contributors Mark 2:1-13 // A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son…”

Nehemiah 1:3-4 // “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.’ When I heard these things I sat down and wept… Nehemiah 6:15-16 // “So the wall was completed … in fifty-two days … with the help of our God.” Nehemiah 2:20 // “The God of Heaven will give us success; We his servants will arise and build.’” 1. God CENTERED (God of Heaven) Nehemiah 1:4-9 // “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: ‘Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’” Self Centered - Insecure Looks Centered - Unsatisfied Failure Centered - Discouraged Others Centered - Competitive Problem Centered - Despondent 2. Faith FOCUSED (Will Give Us Success) Nehemiah 2:20 // ‘The God of Heaven will give us success; We his servants will arise and build.’” 3. Servant-HEARTED (We His Servants) Nehemiah 2:20 // ‘The God of Heaven will give us success; We His servants will arise and build.’” Nehemiah 2:11-12 // “I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem ...” 4. Future ORIENTED (We Will Arise and Build) Nehemiah 2:20 // ‘The God of Heaven will give us success; We His servants will arise and build.’” Philippians 1:6 // being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  

"Prayer is how we write history before it happens." - Mark Batterson How many of us believe in the power of prayer? 
Do we actually pray like it? James 5:16 // The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) // So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. “The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked.” - Mark Batterson Following Jesus was never meant to be safe. 3 Dangerous Prayers Acts 4:8-10 // Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Acts 4:13 // When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Idiōtai - Ordinary Acts 4:29 // Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 1. Lord, make me bold. Acts 4:30-31 // Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Boldness triggers spiritual opposition Boldness is often the prerequisite for a miracle 2. Lord, search me. Psalms 139:23-24 // Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) // “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” What have I rationalized? Psalm 51:10 // Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 3. Lord, break my heart. We cannot fix what we cannot see. Jeremiah 8:18, 21 // My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken... 21 I hurt with the hurt of my people. I mourn and am overcome with grief. It’s better to hurt with a purpose than to exist without one. ASAP vs ALAIT

Acts 9:10-18 // Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. New Is Not Improved Jeremiah 18 says the potter makes a new vessel with the marred clay. Isaiah 43:19 // See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 1 Corinthians 2:9 // But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Amos 3:7 // Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Transformation Is Required Acts 9:18 // Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 2 Corinthians 5:17 // Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Romans 12:2 // And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Leave Yesterday Where You Found It Philippians 3:13-14 // Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

How do I hear the voice of God? We serve a speaking God. John 10:3-5 // “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Proverbs 3:6 (MSG) // Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Luke 8:8 // “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” God doesn’t have a speaking problem, we have a listening problem. Luke 8:5-8 // “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Luke 8:11 // “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.” 1. The polluted heart. Luke 8:12 // Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. James 1:21 (NLT) // Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your soul. Repent - Turn Around 2. The distracted heart. Luke 8:13 (NLT) // “The rocky soil represents those who hear the message with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. They believe for a while, but they wilt when the hot winds of testing blow.” Luke 10:39-40 (AMP) // And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching. But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving. 3. The immature heart. Luke 8:14 // “The seed that fell among weeds stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they don’t mature.” Proverbs 12:15 // The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Maturity comes when we stop making excuses and start making changes. 4. The prepared heart. Luke 8:15 // But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. How do we prepare our heart? Repent. Refocus. Revive. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (MSG) // Let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. God’s voice is clearest in a prepared environment.

Psalms 116:12-13 // How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Luke 14:25-33 // Large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Four things to confirm the real cost The cost to Love the church doesn’t look for a bargain The cost to love the church is daily not one moment in time The cost to love the church doesn't attempt to negotiate Luke 14:28 // Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough. John 15:18-19 // If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love, you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you, out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 4. The cost to love the church is authentically studied Luke 14:27 // And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 // Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) //Never stop praying. “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ― Martin Luther King Jr “I never pray more than 20 minutes. But I never go more than 20 minutes without praying.” ― Smith Wigglesworth Luke 18:1 (NLT) // One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. John 15:4-5 // Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 1. The Priority of prayer. Daniel 6:10 // Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 2. The Place of prayer. Mark 1:35 // Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Third Place 3. The Plan of prayer. Luke 11:1-2 (NLT) // Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This is how you should pray…” 4. The Persons of prayer. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MSG) // The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. The amazing grace of Jesus. Hebrews 4:15-16 // For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 // My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. The extravagant love of the Father. How you see God affects how you relate to Him. Ephesians 3:14 // For this reason I kneel before the Father… Psalm 103:8-13 // The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. The intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 // And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. Parakletos Amazing Grace Extravagant Love Intimate Friendship