Union Chapel Ministries

John 3: 1-17 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin….For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:20,23 I. Jesus knew what Nicodemus needed. It is so hard for people from legalistic religious backgrounds to know, receive and trust the love of God because they do not trust the God of love. A Core Value at UC: The people of God are inclined to honor and obey God. II. Jesus knew Nicodemus needed a new start. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the way of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive

John 4:1-20; 25-26; 29; 39-42 I. God is a seeking God. a. General b. Purposeful c. Particular II. God views us through our potential. III. The way of hope. a. Recognize your failures. b. Turn to Jesus.

I Peter 2:9-12 I. Children II. Youth 1. Short term gratification will bring long term happiness. 2. It’s hard to be a Christian. 3. You have to be rebellious. 4. Nobody understands. III. Young Adults 1. Core honesty 2. Core concern for others IV. Seniors “But the Godly shall flourish like the palm trees and grow tall as the Cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden and are under His personal care. Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green. This honors the Lord and exhibits His faithful care.” Psalm 92:12-15

Genesis 1:26-27 I. Communication “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 II. Sexuality The spouse test. The sibling test. “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” I Timothy 5:1-2 The platform test. III. Servanthood

Galatians 3:26-29 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus…There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 I. What is it? It is negative passion towards groups of people. Prejudice or prejudging people is arriving at conclusions without sufficient information about everybody. It’s imputing to an entire group of people the negative characteristics of a few. II. What causes it? Parents, families, teachers Economic Pressures Pressures of Conformity Human Corruption (sin) III. What’s the cure? 1. Heart (Attitudes and respect) “If a man claims to love God but hates his brother, he is a liar…” I John 4:20 2. Hands (Friendship and genuine connections)

Galatians 5:22-26 Life without limits always hinders creativity and productivity. I. Meekness and Self-Control and the character of God A. You cannot manifest the fruit of meekness until you are in a position of power. II. The fruit of Meekness and Self-Control A. A quiet trust in God. B. We overcome the root of bitterness C. We grow in our ability to reason, appeal, and teach D. We grow in rest E. Others grow in grace F. It heals G. It allows God to act because I am out of the way III. Increase in Meekness and Self-Control A. Submit to Christ. B. Submit to natural authority in the name of Christ. C. I refuse to use whatever power is mine to hurt, strike back, or execute vengeance. D. Be slow to defend yourself E. If meekness is the fruit of Jesus, then the way to be filled with meekness is to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 6, 32-40 Faithfulness is a lifestyle or state of being. It implies diligence, dependability, steadiness, and unchanging devotion. I. Faithfulness and the character of God II. Results of faithfulness a. If I grow in faithfulness, I grow in stability. There is no short-run substitute for long-run faithfulness! b. God will trust the faithful person with more. c. My/our faithfulness causes others to become stable. d. In relationships, it causes people to be free from fear. e. In the spirit, it breaks the power of satanic attack against my life. III. Increase your faithfulness a. I increase my faithfulness by constant dependence on grace (blood of the Lamb). b. We grow in faithfulness through constant commitment (the word of their testimony). c. Willing to pay the price for discipleship (loved not their lives even unto death).

Ten things I learned from my dad: 1. Community Matters
 2. Loyalty Matters 3. Be bold in your faith 4. The value of hard work 5. The value of sacrifice 6. Be gracious with people 7. Be an encourager 8. Pick and stick with the right woman 9. The value of a sense of humor 10. Family is everything Bonus: Place your ultimate hope in Christ

Galatians 5:22-26 Goodness: Goodness is an inner disposition causing an outward reality. Goodness is a state of being from which action emanates. I. Goodness and the character of God. It is not the goodness of God that separates me from Him, but rather my sin. The fruit of the Spirit of goodness is that which springs from the vine, God Himself. II. The counterfeit of goodness. 1. Self-righteousness or works oriented goodness. 2. The counterfeit goodness of the world III. Detecting a lack of goodness. 1. A clear sign of the breakdown of goodness is when you find authentic goodness mocked. II Timothy 3:1-5 2. The inability to be genuine in compassion and sacrificial in help. 3. Contradictory gaps in my life. 4. Teaches falseness and hypocrisy. IV. The fruit of goodness. 1. You will find usefulness. 2. Goodness will make me happy. 3. It helps others to be virtuous.

Galatians 5:22-26 Patience: To dwell richly, fully alive, in abundance, in the moment, regardless of circumstances. Isaiah 40:31; Luke 21:19 I. Patience and the character of God. II. The counterfeit of patience. It is fatalism, indolence, laziness, a resignation to events and circumstances. A patient person can hear the word NO and comprehend it. III. The fruit of patience and gentleness. Impatience with the sins of others is a betrayal of the reality that we are not confident of our own grace. IV. Increase your patience A. Remember the goodness of God in difficult circumstances. B. Claim the perfect timing of God. (This is tough!) C. Accept the imperfections of others and the imperfections of the world. D. Affirm that God is working on my imperfections.

Galatians 5:22-26 John 14:26-27 Definition: Peace is a state of being. Peace is a state of heart. It is an inner reality which is ministered to me. Peace is that which God ministers to me. I. The peace of God 1. Passes understanding. 2. Keeps your heart and mind 3. Through Jesus Christ. II. The counterfeit of peace 1. Self-confidence 2. Induced, extra-personal peace You cannot induce peace into your life from the outside, this is a fruit only of the Spirit. III. How do I increase my peace? 1. Grow in righteousness. 2. End the doublemindedness. 3. The peace of God is eternal. 4. Establish Christ's Lordship in your life. 5. Receive the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26 Nehemiah 8:10 I. Joy and the character of God. The object of God's joy is us! II. The counterfeit of joy. III. Joy applied to life. 1. Joy is connected to grace not judgment. 2. A lack of joy is indicated by a lack of a sense of humor. *A sense of humor is the ability to laugh at yourself. IV. The fruit of joy. 1. I will grow in strength. 2. It liberates others. V. Increase your joy. 1. It is the will of God for you. 2. Repent of situational happiness. 3. Train your spirit to rejoice. 4. Depend on Him in everything and your joy cannot be stolen because no one can steal Him from you. The secret to real joy is absolute dependence on God! The joy of the Lord really is my strength!

Galatians 5:16-26 Love Defined: Love is not a special way of feeling. Love is volitional good will. It is a matter of my will, my choice. If it is good will, then it is to will good things for someone else. Love is anchored in principle and conviction. A. Our inability to make sacrificial choices. B. Self-absorption, self-pity, self-centered, self-aggrandizing, constantly the center of everything. C. A coldness to God, the things of God, and the people of God. A. The ability to make decisions of importance. B. Become grace motivated and not judgmental. C. Grow in wisdom and discernment. D. Others are affirmed and set free in my presence. E. Love drives faith. Love is the power by which faith works. Galatians 5:6 F. Love is the key to success in life. Loving God is the key to overcoming. G. Love glorifies God in the world.

1 Samuel 1:1-11, 20, 20-24 1. Hannah’s Problem 2. Hannah’s Prayer 1 Samuel 1:10 – “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” Has the problem in your life fueled your faith or has it fed your fear? Psalm 18:6 – In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 1 Samuel 1:11 – And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me and not forget your servant but give her a son then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 3. Hannah’s Promise Hannah surrenders to God before she knows the outcome of her prayer. 1 Samuel 1:11 – And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me and not forget your servant but give her a son then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be us

I Kings 19:1-9 The wilderness is different from the valley, because time in the wilderness usually lasts a lot longer. I. Your deepest need becomes a gift, when it drives you to depend on God. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. I Kings 19:5b-6 Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is rest in the presence of God. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is just take a breather, and let God restore your soul. He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  1 Kings 19:10 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart

Psalm 84:5-7 We may enjoy God on the mountaintops, but we get to know Him intimately in the valleys. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7 I. Seek His strength. If you don't know God intimately, then what you have is all you have. God gives us a strength that goes beyond just what we have. II. Fix your mind. "Set your mind on things above, not on things below." Colossians 3:2 "If anything is excellent or praise worthy, or admirable, or lovely, think about such things." Philippians 4:8 III. Dig a well. Most often, the way is through the valley, not out of the valley.

Acts 27:20-26 Never allow the presence of a storm to cause you to doubt the presence of God. I. Keep your courage. he said, "…Everybody else deserted me. No one stood by me… But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." II Timothy 4:16-17, I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8 Real peace is not found in the absence of a storm. Peace is found in the presence of Jesus. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, for I have overcome the world." John 16:33 II. God is not finished. III. Have faith in God. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:1-3

Matthew 28:1-20 “The evidence for Jesus's life, death and resurrection has been shown to be satisfactory (according to the standards of any historian). It (holds up) according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece as carefully as any judge reviewing the most important case. I have myself done this many times over, not to persuade others but to satisfy myself. Throughout my life I have made a career of studying the histories of times and events, examining and weighing the evidence for what was written about each of them, and I know of no other one fact in history which is proved by better and fuller evidence than this one: Jesus Christ died and rose again from the dead.” Dr. Thomas Arnold I. The women, who respond with fear and great joy. "If Jesus resurrected, none of these things that cause you grief—guilt and injustice and addictions and pain and death and the loss of loved ones—have the final word. I could do other

Matthew 27:27-56 I. The suffering criminals, who rage against God. “The God of the gospel is the only God that doesn’t simply offer platitudes and perspective about pain, or say merely, ‘Here is an explanation for your pain.’ He’s a God that came down and shared in the forsakenness that we feel in a universe gone wrong. He’s the only God that did that.” Michael Green II. Creation itself, quaking under the weight of glory displayed. III. The outsiders, who recognize He is doing this for them. IV. Simon of Cyrene, who helps carry the cross.
 “It wouldn’t matter if Jesus died 1000 times if no one ever heard about it!” Martin Luther

Matthew 26:57-67; 27:1-26 I. The threatened. II. The distracted. Trifle not with Christ, whose hands and feet were nailed to the accursed tree for sinners such as you. Trifle not with his precious blood, for that is your only hope of redemption. Trifle not with the Holy Spirit, for if he should leave you to perish, your case would be hopeless. Trifle not with the gospel; what would the lost in hell not give to hear another proclamation of mercy! The devil does not trifle; he is very earnestly seeking your destruction. God and Christ and the Holy Spirit are not trifling with you, and (I am) not trifling with you either. Charles Spurgeon It was not unbelief that sent Pilate to hell; it was indifference. III. The guilty. IV. The despairing (or unbelieving).