Pocket Theology

"Sometimes provision doesn’t come until we are in heaven, but if your faith is not in Jesus, where then is your hope? Does the hope in your other source satisfy even unto death? Don’t be a Solomon that turns away from God and looks to other things that will never satisfy. Learn to be like Elijah who had a simple faith, simple trust, and simple obedience and understanding that God uses his own resources to provide for you." - Megan Dennis 

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:25-33

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

SCRIPTURE

John 15:4-5

4 Remain in me, as I also 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.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Mark 8:33

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The world tells us to rest from our work, but God tells us to work from our rest! Sabbath rest is found in God, in Worshipping Jesus, in Christian community where we learn to encourage, delight, laugh and be the hands, feet, eyes, ears and words of Jesus to each other and with each other. Repent of STRIVING and confess and to God your tendency to either resist, fear or redefine rest.

Weekly Prayer

Father,

In Jesus’ name, I reject the lies of the Devil. I confess that I placed my hope, trust and freedom in the wrong things. So, Holy Spirit Come! Come and move in me. Move in my heart to love Jesus even more. Reveal in me striving, uncover what has been hidden. Help me come out of hiding. Calm the worry and the busyness of my mind and my heart.

Show me your glory and power. Help me to rest in the power and presence of King Jesus!

In your powerful name Jesus, Amen!

Key Scripture

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message Translation)

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.

Because of Jesus, you have been rescued from sin and death. Jesus set you free from the shame and guilt of sin, but more importantly from the power and reign of sin! Only Christian’s are truly free to not choose sin! Real Christian freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want, but the ability to not be controlled, driven, mastered by every desire, impulse and sin that wants me.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Peter 2:16

16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

Our struggle is believing in God’s promises. It is resisting the lies of the Devil who works overtime to try and get you to strive! It’s not uncommon for people to not understand what the authors of the Bible mean by the word HOPE! Tune in to learn more.

Psalm 147:11

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Romans 5:3-5

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

1 Thessalonians 5:8

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.Ephesians 1:4

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

Join us as we kick off a new series titled "You've Already Got It." Everything we believe about God, about faith in Jesus and about being a Christian is pointless without God’s Promises!

KEY SCRIPTURE

Ephesians 1:3-4

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

1 Timothy 6:11-12

Flee from sin, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Corinthians 1:20

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

God created you for a specific purpose in mind and your purpose is separate from your calling. God created each of you with the purpose to serve Him but where that service happens is a matter of calling. 

The Purpose Driven Life Sermon Series: http://zionclearlake.org/media/series/dfqwmt5/the-purpose-driven-life

5/21/23 Sermon Notes: http://zionclearlake.org/5/21/23