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Life is hard and will drain you of joy, unless we commit to a habit of honoring the Sabbath. Sabbath: a day of rest and worship. Reminders: 1. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:8) Know who is Lord! 2. Jesus invites us to himself for restoration. (Matthew 11:28-29) We need Jesus for soul rest. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Suggestions for Sabbath:  Physical rest  Worship  Read scripture  Family time  Serve those in need

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

“Do you believe God, Our Heavenly Father, loves you?” How you answer this question reveals whether or not you can love others as God commands. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” This seems to imply to love others requires us to know God’s love for ourselves. We can’t give away what we don’t have. Jesus would answer for himself,”Yes!” From Matthew 3, Baptism of Jesus, we learn: How God the Father loved his Son Jesus, and how we can love others likewise. (Five Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman) a. Acts of service (v.15) b. Quality time (v.16) c. Receiving gifts (v.16) d. Touch (v.16) e. Words of affirmation (v.17) 2. More importantly, Jesus’ baptism tells us God loves us too. (v.13-15) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

Matthew 7:7-8 7 “ASK and it will be given to you; SEEK and you will find; KNOCK and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. A: Who Are You ___________________ ? S: What Are You _________________ ? K: Why Are You ___________________ ? ASK, SEEK, & KNOCK

What is the one main idea of this entire message? What will happen to you if we misunderstand this teaching or take away the wrong message? Three CLUES… The MAIN IDEA: Your _____________ must ________ that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. The FORMULA: You have heard it said [blank]… But I tell you [blank]... What all SIX “but-I-tell-you-es” have in COMMON: 1. They are impossible to do (by yourself) 2. They are different not in quantity but in quality 3. They are actions and attitudes that can only come from a whole new heart The MAIN APPLICATION inevitably leads you to a _____, a ______, and a whole new heart! So what does this LOOK LIKE? • When you go back home? • With an EGR person? • For parents? • The next time you feel unappreciated?

Certified = endorsed reliable, verified, validated Before Jesus started his ministry on earth, God allowed him to be tested by Satan. Although tempted, he did not fall to temptation. Jesus is worthy to be our Savior. From Matthew 4, Satan tested Jesus 3 times, tempting him in 3 naturally occurring, innocent desires or needs: 1. The Need for Sustenance (Hunger). (v.2-4) Application: Resisting Satan’s temptations requires supernatural spiritual power from the Holy Spirit and from knowing God’s Word. 2. The Need for Security (Protection). (v.5-7) Application: Trusting God means waiting on God’s timing, so that we are neither reckless nor overly cautious. 3. The Need for Significance (Power). (v.8-10) Application: When we worship and bow down to God, Satan retreats.

Why are we going through the Book of Matthew (BOM)? Intro to BOM • The author and his self-deprecating identifying clue (10:3) • The five sections or “chunks” • The original audience and purpose • The emphases of BOM: Jesus is the ________ ____ Two Simple Words • Leave everything behind • Get to know the One who is supremely worthy • How? I commit to reading the Gospel of Matthew devotionally for the next six months, doing my best to go through one chapter per week. A suggested method for Bible Reading: A.P.T.A.T. taken from J. Piper (Admit you can do nothing without God/Pray for help/Trust a specific promise/Act/Thank Him for His provision) __________________________________________________ signature date

A key difference between the first followers of Jesus and American Christians The Twelve Who were they? What were the group dynamics like? A Learning Community What was the method of learning? A Loving Family What did they fight about, and how did Jesus finally get through to them? How it ended (and how their story relates to yours)

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

When Jesus (and Paul) talk about “going to church” they mean something very different from American Christians. Mark 3: 31-35 “Going to church” isn’t being a ________ of a _______ but rather it’s being a ______ of a ______. What “going to church” meant for Paul: 1 Cor 12: 26 So now what are we called to do? - Join a group - Go deeper Mark 10: 29-30 According to Jesus, Christian community is not something you ____ __ do, but something you ___ __ be a part of. A last word to parents

If from the beginning, as seen in Acts 2, followers of Jesus Christ gathered together in community, why should that be any different today? Life is good together in Christian community, and even better in small groups. 1. Spiritual Growth a. Learning (v.42) b. Worship (v.42, 43, 46, 47) 2. Character Growth a. “Family time” (v.42, 44, 46) b. Social action (v.45, 47) 3. Numerical Growth a. Soul winning (v.47)

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

Do you know who Manoah’s wife was? Don’t feel bad if you don’t; the Bible does not even tell us her name. Yet she is a great woman of faith in the Bible. Her story should be an inspiration and a hope for anyone who has not been treated with respect or trust by others; in her situation, by her own husband Manoah. Different from the world, God chose to use Manoah’s wife in a mighty way to save the Israelites, even though others, especially her husband, thought she was insignificant and not trustworthy. God is full of surprises. For God to be able to use us for His purposes, we need to be like Manoah’s wife. From Judges 13 (based on J.I. Packer, Never Beyond Hope), comparing Manoah to his wife: 1. While Manoah knew only religion, Manaoh’s wife truly knew (loved) God. 2. While Manoah was prideful, Manoah’s wife loved her husband by accepting her position with great humility. 3. While Manoah wa

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.