Vista Community Church

Trust God. Psalms 84:12 Proverbs 3:5 Don't Fear Matthew 6:27 Matthew 6:33-34 2 Timothy 1:7 Find Opportunity Matthew 5:14-16 Share Hope 1 Peter 1:3 1 Peter 3:15

Big Ideas: We are free in Christ. What we do with that freedom determines who we're becoming; as individuals and as the church. Paul calls the strong/mature to take the form of a servant to win the weak into a more robust faith. Your knowledge of Christ should never outpace your service to Christ. Paul calls the weak to allow the strong to help them mature in their faith. The weak need to acknowledge why their conscience won't allow certain things. The end goal for the strong and the weak is mutual submission. We have to discipline ourselves to submit our lives to one another. When we do this, we show the world around us that we've found a better way to live; a way to true freedom.

Big Ideas: In order to discern when something is okay or appropriate for a Christian to engage in it is helpful to ask several questions. Can I do this? 1. What does the Bible say? 2. What does my conscience allow? Should I do this? 1. Is it helpful/beneficial? 2. How will it affect those around me?

Scripture envisions two different kinds of judgment, one of which is good and healthy, the other of which is bad and unhealthy. The Church's tolerance can damage her witness as much as her intolerance.

1. Spiritual leaders must be humble servants 2. Spiritual leaders must be trustworthy stewards 3. Spiritual leaders must recognize that they will be judged by God 4. Spiritual leaders must know their Bibles 5. Spiritual leaders must be prepared for sacrifice 6. Spiritual leaders must set an example to follow 7. Spiritual leaders must understand where their strength/power comes from 8. Spiritual leaders must discern when to use the gentle hand of grace/patience and when to use the firm hand of discipline/rebuke

Paul addresses the division in the Corinthian community by calling it a sign of spiritual immaturity. Because when we stand in self-righteous judgment of someone else's spiritual immaturity, we've merely revealed our own.

After the Apostle Paul plants a church in the city of Corinth, he leaves to plant other churches elsewhere. However, once Paul leaves the young church encounters many problems. One of the big problems is that there is not unity among the people. There are a lot of divisions and factions within the church that threaten to tear the church apart. So, Paul pens his first letter to the Corinthian church to address the problems.

In John 1:35-49, we read a cluster of stories about evangelism. But modern people are increasingly uncomfortable with evangelism. Why? And what does it look like to do evangelism Jesus's way?

For his first public miracle, Jesus chooses to turn 150 gallons of water into wine. Why? Because the gospel is good news of great joy for all people, and Jesus wanted the world to know God was throwing a party for all creation, and everyone was invited.

The Gospel is more than just a set of theological principles. It is also a narrative story of God's promises and fulfillment of those promises. God works to reveal himself through a specific group of people. We ultimately see the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ who comes as the Messiah... the savior of the world. Today, the church continues to reveal the beauty and character of God to a broken world through the sharing of this gospel story.

The church's purpose is to be a kingdom of priests; to connect others to God and to show the world what He is like. The church lives in such a way that brings God's future into the present. When we do this, people don't need to be pressured into following Jesus, but they are drawn to him by the way we live. So how do we live this way? We submit to a rule of life that we call the Discipleship Pathway; a set of five actions that are measurable and doable. They are worship, connect, give, serve and go.

Joseph, Jesus's earthly, adopted father, is confused, insulted, and left in the dark due to the strange pregnancy of Mary. Why does God make Joseph wait for an explanation? Why does God make us wait for explanations? And in what sense has Jesus already explained everything we need to know?

At Christmas we remember and celebrate the first Advent (coming) of Christ. As believers, we also look forward to another Advent (the 2nd coming) one day. But there is also a current advent where Christ longs for us to know Him, hear from Him, and be used by him in our lives. How can prepare rather than procrastinate when it comes to this current advent?

John the Baptizer prepares the way for Jesus by preaching a message of judgment and repentance. But behind John's judgment, there is a deep and severe kindness, because the God who comes to judge us is the same God who loves us unconditionally, and is committed to our redemption and renewal.

Join us as Austin and Dave wrap up our Sex Talk Series.

If we're honest, we probably all have to admit that we've failed when it comes to sexual sin in one way or another. So, the question becomes... what do we do about it? The good news is that Jesus has already done something about it. His sacrifice for us both pays for and cleanses our sin. We need to acknowledge our sin and realize that it is a big deal to God despite what our culture says. Then we must receive and live in the forgiveness, grace, and love of Jesus, remembering that there is no condemnation for those who are "in Christ."

What does Scripture say about homosexuality? What does that mean? How can the church be a place that is faithful to Scripture and welcoming to those who experience same-sex attraction? Big Ideas: -The church has a history of singling out homosexuality for an especially severe condemnation while turning a blind eye to many other forms of sexual sin. -When it comes to homosexuality and Scripture, there are two primary views: the traditional view and the affirming view. Read Romans 1:26-27 before jumping into the questions. Q1: What was most interesting or encouraging to you this week? Q2: What was most challenging or raised questions for you? Q3: What have you done, personally, to look into this issue and discern whether homosexual relationships can be holy? What did you learn from that? Q4: As the traditional view was discussed, what parts of it did you find most persuasive and what parts did you have questions about? Q5: As the affirming view was discussed, what parts of it did you find most persuasiv

What is God's design for gender? How has sin corrupted God's design for gender? How is Jesus redeeming God's design for gender, and what does that look like in the church? Message Title: Battle of the Sexes Message Date: 11/3/2019 Big Ideas: -Genesis 2 describes the creation of gender as something characterized by equality, similarity, and complementarity. -This relationship was infected by sin, resulting in a battle of the sexes where men dominate females. Q1: What stood out to you this week? Q2: What was most challenging or raised questions for you? Q3: What, if anything, is problematic about trying to make males and females equal by making them the same? Q4: What are some ways you have seen patriarchy at work in the world? Q5: We discussed two biblical options... Complementarianism: men and women are equals in Christ, designed for different roles, and it’s the role of men to lead the church and the family. Complementary egalitarianism: men and women are equal in Christ, des

We live in a culture that is absolutely consumed by sex. Our culture says a lot of different things about sex, but what does God have to say about sex? What is a proper sexual ethic for believers and how do we live in the midst of a culture that send such confusing messages? The truth is that sex was designed by God and given to us as a gift to be shared within a particular context... the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Sin corrupts and perverts God's good gift and the consequences have far reaching effects.

Does America have a race problem? How much should Christians care? What can Christians do? In discussion Changes by Tupac Shakur, we address these questions and try to understand why racial reconciliation is an essential feature of the gospel.