Sunday Sermons - Entries tagged "Not Going Back - Worship Rises"
SunSundayMarMarch13th2011
March 13, 2011 - Separating ourselves from the sin that separates us from God
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"Make confession to the Lord": Separating ourselves from the sin that separates us from God
Ezra 10
Todd Dugard
This is my testimony of overcoming the hindrances to worship in my life...
Sensing God's Spirit at work in me... (v. 1)
...I see the hope I have in the LORD (v. 2)
...and turn from my sin (v. 3-43)
- get specific (v. 3-8)
- call it out for what it is (v. 9-10)
- embrace the remedy (v. 11)
- follow a plan (v. 12-14)
- expect critics (v. 15)
- see it through (v. 16-43)
...fully realizing how hard this is going to be (v. 44)
Small Group Curriculum
1. How is worship rising in my life?
2. What specific thing am I in danger
of going back to?
3. Will I name it as sin or make
excuses? (vs. 9-11)
4. Make a plan:
- Radical
Amputation – What will I name?
- Radical
Accountability – Who will I tell?
- Radical
Affection – How will I increase worship?
5. Read verse 16. Have I signed on the line?
Breakout:
1.
What
specific action do I need to commit to before others?
2.
How
can we encourage each other this week?
Audio
Separating ourselves from sin.mp3
SunSundayMarMarch6th2011
March 6, 2011 - Confronting the hindrances to worship
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"Our guilt has mounted up to the heavens": Confronting the hindrances to worship
Ezra 9-10
Todd Dugard
I confront the hindrances to worship when...
I see the real problem (v. 1-2)
I am appalled by it (v. 3-4)
I throw myself before God in desperate prayer (v. 5-15)
- grieving (v. 6)
- revealing (v. 7)
- remembering (v. 8-9
- agreeing (v. 10-12)
- accepting (v. 13-15)
Small Group Curriculum
Any
hindrance to worship has to come from our side. Where do hindrances originate?
Consider the following areas:
1. Matt 6:21
In what areas can a lack of
generosity hinder my worship?
2. Matt
15:18 What kind of words hinder my
worship? Does this include
thoughts that I don’t express?
3. Matt 15:19 What actions are there that I tend to
overlook in spite of how they might hinder worship? What does repetitive disobedience really say about my heart?
4. Matt 18:35 How does unforgiveness, malice, anger,
or wishing someone harm become embedded in my life and therefore included in my
worship?
5. 1 John 3:17 Can there be true worship if justice
and mercy are being withheld? Read
James 1:27
6. Romans 10:1 If mission is actually an expression of
worship, what does my level of involvement indicate about my heart?
Breakout:
1.
What specific area do I need to confront? Spend some time praying for each
other. Consider the pattern of
Ezra’s prayer: Grieving, Revealing (honesty),
Remembering, Agreeing, Accepting.
2.
Commit to pray over the next seven days about how we’ll
respond to the call to eliminate the hindrances to worship.
Audio
Confronting the hindrances to worship.mp3
SunSundayFebFebruary27th2011
February 27, 2011 - Following godly leadership
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"The hand of the Lord his God was on him": Following godly leadership
Ezra 7-8
Todd Dugard
As a godly leader, do I have God's hand on me?
(as a godly follower, I'll follow this kind of leader)
I'll study, live out, and teach God's Word (7:1-10)
I'll see evidence of God's work around me (7:11-26)
I'll acknowledge that God gets the credit for that work (7:27-28)
And, I'll love those who are following me by leading them to... (8:1-14)
...serve the LORD (8:15-20; 24-30)
...trust the LORD (8:21-23)
...worship the LORD (8:31-36)
Small Group Curriculum
1. Am I stirred when our focus is put
on Jesus and all he has done for us in salvation? Briefly share your testimony of salvation.
2. “I will never see God’s hand on my life if I don’t have God’s Word in my life.” How can I make God’s Word pre-eminent in my life? (Ezra 7:10)
3. What evidence of God’s work are
you seeing in your life? (Ezra 7:11-26)
Is there something that only God could have done?
4. When do we tend to take credit for
things instead of giving God the glory?
(Ezra 7:27-28) How does
this balance with our responsibility to act?
5. Share a time you have gone out on
a limb for God. (Ezra 8:21-23)
6. Read Ezra 8:22 and Romans
8:28. What is the encouragement
for this side of trials? Have I been seeking God’s face or his hand?
Breakout:
1.
Am
I actively following, by pursuing Worshipping Christ, Walking with Christ and
Working for Christ?
2.
Take
some time to pray for anyone facing a trial.
Audio
Following godly leadership.mp3
SunSundayFebFebruary13th2011
February 13, 2011 - Realizing the blessing of simple obedience
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"The Lord Had Made Them Joyful": Realizing the blessing of simple obedience
Ezra 6:13-22
Pastor Todd Dugard
God's desire is to give us joy as a guaranteed blessing for obedience.
Joy realized: "I've got it!" (6:13-15)
Joy expressed: "I'm showing it!" (6:16-18)
Joy retained: "I'm keeping it! (6:19-22)
Small Group Curriculum
1. In what ways do we struggle with
believing the following?
- God
desires to give us joy!
- God
is greater than any opposition or circumstance!
- God
is willing to help us relearn faithfulness!
2. Joy only comes through a
relationship with Jesus. Briefly
share how this foundational relationship was established in your life.
3. Do we have joy shining through
our life? (vs. 16) What area of life tends to drive us to
substitute emotions or controlling our circumstances for joy?
4. Review the four ways joy can be
expressed in our lives. Discuss
how they might still be expressed during difficult times?
5. Read Ezra 6:22. What do we need to pursue to get it,
show it and keep it?
Breakout:
1.
Are
there any areas of partial obedience or rebellions large and small stealing
our joy?
2.
How
can we help each other overcome them?
Audio
Realizing the blessing of simple obedience.mp3
SunSundayFebFebruary6th2011
February 6, 2011 - Attributing worth to God in all my work
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"Let it be done with all diligence": Attributing worth to God in all my work
Ezra 5-6:12
Todd Dugard
Working with all diligence for God requires that...
...when I hear the Word (5:1-2)
...I get right to work (5:3-4)
...seeing his favour on what I'm doing (5:5)
...and remaining humble about what's being accomplished (5:6-612)
Small Group Curriculum
1. Todd mentioned that our whole
lives are worship. Hopefully it’s
to Jesus… but on this side of eternity we all have idols we’re tangling
with. Identify some of yours – and
how you can tear them down this week.
2. Read Ezra 5:1-2. We see here that the people accepted
the message from God that was taught to them. The reality is that whenever we crack open our Bibles we are
staring directly into the face of God.
Is that the sense you get as you read? Why or why not?
What are your motives for reading the Bible? We heard Sunday that we should read the Bible so as to
‘consider our ways.’ What things
do you need to consider this week as you’ve heard the Word preached and get
into it on your own?
3. Read Ezra 5:3-5. The people get right to work rebuilding
the temple. We’ve probably all
heard that God wants us in the game – serving and living for him – not just
coasting through a life of mediocricy.
What is that ‘something’ that you need to get to work on in your life so
you can be an effective worshipper?
4. Read Ezra 5:5. Pastor Todd mentioned that ‘the eye of God’ on
us could be a comforting thing or uncomfortable thing. As you assess your own life, does God’s
eye on you a welcome thing or something you want to run from (Adam and Eve in
the garden)? How can you get to
the place where you want nothing less than God’s watchful eye on your
life? How can your small group
help make this happen effectively in each others lives?
5. Read Ezra 5:6-6:12. The humility in the Jew’s response is
pretty inspiring. What does their
humility say about what their identity is wrapped up in? It’s also interesting to note that
humility doesn’t mean a lack of confidence. What does confidence wrapped in a deep humility look like
for you? For us as a small
group? For us as a church? How does Ephesians 3:20 encourage you
as you seek to live your life with all diligence?
Breakout:
1.
The
three obstacles in the face of obedience to the Word mentioned Sunday were
ignorance, discouragement and rebellion.
How do we counteract those in our lives?
Audio
Attributing worth to God in all my work.mp3
SunSundayJanJanuary30th2011
January 30, 2011 - Expecting opposition to faith and worship
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"Frustrate their purpose": Expecting opposition to faith and worship
Ezra 4
Todd Dugard
If I'm doing exactly what God told me to do, how is it that things can still go so wrong?
God doesn't keep me from being opposed (v. 1-3)
...his purpose is to set me apart from the world
God doesn't keep me from facing discouragement and fear (v. 4-5)
...his purpose is to have me know his power
God doesn't keep me from injustice (v. 6-23)
...his purpose is to have me man-up and trust him
God doesn't keep me from apparent failure (v. 24)
...his purpose is for me to know that his ways are far greater
Small Group Curriculum
1. Share a time when things went
wrong and God seemed absent.
2. Life’s difficulties happen to
everyone: How should our responses differ as believers?
3. How can we identify with the
person of Jesus when experiencing opposition to righteous living? (Read Matthew
10:16-33)
4. How does our culture disguise their opposition to our
“Mission” and “Message”? (Ezra 4:2)
5. Read 2 Timothy 3:12-14. What breaks
your resolve to live for Christ?
6. Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-10. What specific tasks would an increase
in God’s power encourage you to step up for?
7. Todd quoted Paul Tripp – “Waiting
is not a sign of God’s … inattention, but a loving tool of his delivering and
transforming grace.” In what area
are you leaning on God’s “until”?
Breakout:
1.
What
is a specific area of discouragement or failure you need to bring before God?
2.
Encourage
each other with Philippians 1:6.
Audio
Expecting opposition to faith and worship.mp3
SunSundayJanJanuary23rd2011
January 23, 2011 - Finding God in relationship not religion
Not Going Back - Worship Rises
"His house endures forever": Finding God in relationship not religion
Ezra 3
Todd Dugard
God loves me so much!
He treasures my family (3:1a)
He calls me to be part of something greater than myself (3:1b, 8-9)
He doesn't expect everything to be perfect now (3:2-7)
He encourages joyful celebration (3:10-11)
He allows for pain and sorrow (3:12-13)
Audio
Finding God in Relationship not Religion.mp3
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© Harvest Bible Chapel - Barrie