Element Christian Church

People everywhere have at least some difficulty knowing how to pray. We tend to default to the way we have heard others pray. Because we've heard people being "eloquent" as they pray, we think God wants us to step up our vocabulary to a higher level, so we try to learn the new spiritual dialect, but God wants to have a relationship with us as we are. Today and this week we are going to take a look at a METHOD of prayer that became popular several years ago, called the ACTS Method. It is meant to help us guide our prayer time and bring some balance to it at the same time. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

It is interesting that Jesus' disciples never asked Him to teach them how to prophesy or preach, but they did ask Him to teach them how to pray. Most often, Jesus taught others how to pray by simply praying. He would pray where the disciples could see and hear Him, but He also went off to pray by Himself (sometimes at the most inconvenient times) and the disciples had to take care of themselves. That alone time was important for Jesus in how He modeled a life with God in front of the disciples. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Some people pray and are constantly wondering if God hears them. If and when we do pray, we usually expect God to interact with us in a way that we find acceptable. When He doesn't, we may think there is something wrong with the relationship or with God Himself. We are told that God is like a Father, which is wonderful, but some people view that relationship as one where God must always give us the answers we are seeking. Prayer, for some people, simply becomes a way to avoid the anxiety and responsibility of making a choice. As a Father, God knows that there are many times we will grow more when we have to think about what truly glorifies Him, asking others for wise counsel, and choosing to take responsibility. As a good parent, God is wise and will make sure that His children learn to choose the correct course, because there is no other way to grow character. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Unanswered prayers can be challenging for us on an individual level. They can be especially challenging in a group/community setting, where different opinions/interpretations of why they've gone unanswered come to the forefront. This sermon challenges the misconceptions we often have and shows us how we can offer Gospel encouragement to one another in the midst of our waiting-when we've yet to see/hear an answer from God or when He doesn't respond in the way we would like. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

In order for us to have a deep relationship with God, we must know and trust who He is in His person. Too often, we make up who we want God to be and then worship that image as God. Rather than living in the truth that we are made in His image, we try to remake God in our image and that never goes well. One of our biggest obstacles to prayer is that often we are praying for what we want rather than what God wants for us. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Christie and Aaron sit down and discuss why she began journaling and how it has helped. Offers some simple ways to begin journaling for others. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THIS WEEK’S TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

This week kicks off our sermon series dedicated specifically to prayer. There are many ideas about what prayer is or isn't throughout the world, and prayer can seem overwhelming or intimidating to a lot of people. However, the Christian faith is centered on a personal God revealed in Jesus Christ, and we are allowed to approach Him anytime and in full honesty through prayer! Prayer is not about our work, vocabulary, or righteousness; rather, it is about God's work in our hearts. As with any relationship, communication is central. By knowing who Jesus is and experiencing His grace, we are drawn into prayer with Him. It is also through prayer that we continually encounter Him and grow in faith and maturity. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Church discipline sounds controlling; yet Jesus teaches us that in love and grace confrontation may need to happen. Why should one Christian confront another? WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Aaron and Russ Sharer sit down to discuss 1 John 3:9, and how this series (Never Read A Bible Verse *without context) has helped Russ. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THIS WEEK’S TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… God has called His people to be on mission for Him in the world, but what does that mean? Kevin DeYoung says, “The mission of the church is the task given by God for the people of God to accomplish in the world.” We make disciples by bearing witness to Jesus and what He is doing as the Son of God. • Mission is not just for other people that aren’t us. • Mission is how all of us are called to live. • Mission is not an intangible goal; it is normal life lived in new ways. Many people feel that the term “mission” is so far above them. For some, mission is only feeding the homeless, painting a house, or taking someone a meal; mission can be those things, but mission is simpler and deeper than that at the same time. The mission that we are on is to make disciples. It is us being able to understand the Gospel in tangible ways so that we come alongside each other in order to help one another live each moment in Christ. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWN

Starting with Jesus and going down the line, the Bible is mostly about people whose faith in God not only does not prevent their suffering but very often causes their suffering. No one consoles someone else in the Bible with, "God won't give you more than you can handle." WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Anxiety is real and can have a myriad of causes; if you struggle with it, please understand that you are not alone. The Greek word for anxious in Philippians 4:6 literally means to “have cares”; it has the connotation of letting your thoughts be overly focused on one thing. A lot of the advice in our world regarding anxiety is unhelpful, but Scripture offers much wisdom in how a healthy view of God can help us alleviate our own anxieties and worries. Rather than turning our gaze inward, our focus should be on God. In Matthew 6 (the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus teaches us a few lessons: 1) Anxiousness can come from a lack of faith—while our salvation is secured by trusting Jesus, our practical unbelief can contribute to worry. 2) Anxiousness can come from a confused priority—Jesus reminds us that all the things we need to exist will be given to us. 3) Anxiousness can come from a lack of focus—If you are constantly thinking about tomorrow, you will fail to live today as God intends you to….for His glory. WATCH

This week, we continue to explore how reading Scripture out of context can lead us to wrong or dangerous conclusions. The verse Steve covered (Philippians 4:13) has often been used to boost morale or celebrate human accomplishments, centering the focus on us and what we can do (with God’s help, of course). Essentially, it has been interpreted as a “Christian” version of, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” This can be problematic when things don’t go the way we want them to—does that mean we are in sin, don’t have enough faith, or that God is not as powerful as we thought? WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

We live in a time and place of significant material blessings. Because of this, it can be deceptively easy for us to live as if we don’t really need anything from God—to live as practical atheist—becoming complacent and self-reliant in our relationship with God. This is what happened to the Church in Laodicea. They trusted in wealth rather than in Jesus, and in doing so, they lost their zeal and fellowship with Him. Jesus is shown on the outside of the church, standing at their door knocking; this is an invitation to believers, not unbelievers. Jesus is speaking to His church that became self-sufficient and complacent. They have become lukewarm rather than being hot or cold. They’ve become ineffective for God’s kingdom. They are blind to their true condition. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Aaron and Joy Snyder sit down to discuss her question, “I have a friend who is a Jehovah’s Witness, how do I talk to her about Jesus? WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THIS WEEK’S TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

Aaron sits down with Christina Sultan, the director of CareNet Pregnancy Center to discuss the Dobbs case, abortion, and what CareNet does and is doing. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THIS WEEK’S TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

When Jesus dies for our sin and rises from the grave, He sends His Holy Spirit to be our advocate, our counselor. The Holy Spirit is not just limited now to prophets, the Spirit now dwells in those who have placed our faith in Jesus. In the New Testament we see Jesus’ followers start to change the world, men and women both. The first people Jesus revealed Himself to after the resurrection were women, which scholars today say is some of the best evidence for the resurrection. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them…” These words were unique in the ancient world, men do not bear or reflect the image of God any more than women. All humankind is made in God’s image. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Aaron uses the internet to show some tools to help you study the Bible. What does it mean? How can we learn and understand verses that are confusing? Do you have questions? Email questions@ourelement.org WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THIS WEEK’S TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

The main story of the Bible says that we CAN’T save ourselves, that we can’t work for our salvation. So why does the Apostle Paul say, “as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”? Is this contradictory or could it be something else? Three principles to remember, to help us study our Bibles in context: 1. Remember The Big Picture 2. Remember The Way Words Work 3. Remember The Context WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE