Monday, February 17, 2025

Thriving in Babylon

 Monday, February 17, 2025

This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.” Jeremiah 29:4-7

Thriving in Babylon

Jeremiah was a prophet that was sent by God to warn the Jewish people that, because of their unrepentant sin, their God had turned against them, and He would deliver them into the hands of a pagan king. They would be exiled to Babylon because of their idolatrous behavior and sinful alliances. Jeremiah had been there preaching to them for 40 years and the people still were hardened against God and the warnings that Jeremiah had been sent to deliver. They were to be held in captivity in Babylon for 70 years. God promised them that in 70 years he would fulfill his promise to them to bring them back home. 

When we are in a season of exile a minute can feel like an eternity. For the people of Israel, the news of 70 years in captivity must have been overwhelming. They must have been drowning in thoughts of “What do we do now?” Maybe they felt hopeless and wanted to do nothing but sit and pout. Jeremiah gave them instructions from God for exactly what he expected them to do in captivity, and it is a word for us as well.

Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

The sentence of captivity seems like they would have no freedom to live normal lives, make choices about their lives, or thrive at all. The very word captivity seems to imply a hold of all things, where growth and freedoms would be stunted but that is not what Jeremiah told them. He said that God desired for them to thrive in their season of captivity. He told them to build houses and live. He told them to plant gardens and live off their bounty. He told them to marry and have children – to increase and not decrease. He wanted them to multiply in Babylon, just as they had in Egypt. Exile didn’t mean that God forgot about them or wanted to destroy them. He wanted them to not only thrive, but to help Babylon thrive and to be a blessing to the Babylonians. God exiled them and expected them to be a blessing in their exile – and to pray for the Babylonians as well.

Blessing the Babylonians was most likely not on the Israelites minds. Some of them knew they would die before they would ever get out of captivity. Some of them had plans for their future that were gone now. How hard would it be to face the truth of their circumstances, trust God and start thriving and blessing in captivity? But – how many lives were changed and how many blessings did they experience? Even in captivity. And how did they bless the community where they lived? 

Even in the “captivity” of our circumstances or the exile of our bad decisions, we can heal and thrive again – even before our circumstances change. Not only can we heal and thrive again, but we can engage with others and point them to him. God was with the Israelites in their captivity, and he is with us in our consequences, in every circumstance of life. This not only creates peace for us, but we are living and loving like Jesus in any and every way. He expects us to keep going, so that no matter what, we always seek him and bless others. He wants us to still bless others even in our pain. He wants us to reflect his glory and love in any circumstance/es and be agents of change wherever we are.

What is God’s call to the city and how are we to live out this call for His glory and their good?

They could have refused to go out in the community. They could have refused to build houses, plant gardens, and to marry and have children. They could have decided to decrease, keep to themselves and not pursue the well-being of the community. As Christians these are the things that we are supposed to do in any community we are in – exiled or not. No matter what the situation or circumstances we are always to thrive, engage in the community and reflect and glorify God in every single thing we do.  We are to go out into the community and be a light, do good things, and influence others for the glory of God by how we live our lives – in everything we say and do. 

Jesus said in John 13:35, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. We will be known by how we live our lives. We will make the community a better place if we are living The Jesus Way and stepping where the Spirit steps. We will show his love to others, glorify him, and point to him with our whole lives.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Core: Setting the Foundation for the Future “Community Engagement”

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Core: Setting the Foundation for the Future

“Community Engagement”
Jeremiah 29:1-7 (CSB)

 

- Key Truth: “Our values will determine how we think, what we believe, and how we live."

NSBC Vision- “Leading every generation toward a fully-formed life with Jesus.”

Our Sixth Core Value is… Community EngagementWe value that our first mission field is at home; in our families, our communities, our schools, the marketplace, and all our areas of influence. (Jer. 29:7; Jn. 13:34-35; Acts 2:41-47; Acts 17:22-34)

Main Question: What is God’s call to the city and how are we to live out this call for His glory and their good? 

1.        God will not abandon His people (Jeremiah 29:1-3a)

 

2.        God calls us to be faithful witnesses in the culture  (Jeremiah 29:3b-7)

a.     Establish a presence in the city. (vs.5-7)

b.     Seek the peace of the city. (vs. 7)

- “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”- John Wesley

After the Message: Read Matthew 5:13-16. How are you being salt and light in that areas of influence that God has place you? How are you purposefully allowing your good works to be a beacon through your home, workplace, school, and community so that those that see them will glorify God?

Friday, February 14, 2025

Is Salvation Your Hearts Desire?

Friday, February 14, 2025

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation… For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Romans 10:1; 13-15

Is Salvation Your Hearts Desire? 

Paul had not been to the church in Rome but as a fellow believer he wrote to them out of concern.  The believers at the church were still trying to earn their righteousness by following the old law, the law that Jesus had come to abolish. They rejected faith in Jesus over submission to the law instead of submission to God through faith in Jesus. Paul begins chapter 10 expressing that their salvation was his prayer and his heart’s desire. Why have the Israelites not confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believed in the resurrection? It's not because they had not heard or didn’t understand. He tells them how they only need to confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead they will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved – Jews and Gentiles alike. Salvation is for everyone. 

Before they can believe, they need to hear the Gospel, so the Gospel must be shared, and before the Gospel can be shared, someone must go – or be sent.  Paul was fervent in everything he believed in. He fervently loved Jesus and wanted to share his good news with as many people as he could as fast as could happen. He knew the urgency of the times. He understood the call and the command upon the church from Jesus to go and make disciples. 

Paul’s example for us is that we should all have a heart’s desire like him – we should be praying for those that are not saved to be saved, especially the people we know personally. Do you know someone who is not saved? A friend, co-worker, or family member? Do you treat them with the love of Christ and pray for their salvation or do you avoid them, staying as far away as possible and not engaging in conversation with them? Do you truly desire for them to come to salvation in Christ? Even to the point of sharing the Gospel with them if that what God lays on your heart?

As Christians we have been entrusted with the most important job to share the most glorious truth humanity can ever hear. Paul says that we can either be the one sent to tell the Gospel or enable others to go and share truth. But we are not permitted to do nothing. Maybe you are not the person that needs to share the Gospel with that difficult person in your life, but you are the person who should be praying for their salvation. 

Who can you pray for to come to salvation? 

Who can you share the Gospel with?

Who can you support so they can share the Gospel? 

 

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Your Life - A Testimony of Your Faith

Thursday, February 13, 2925
But tell the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. Psalms 78:4 

Your Life - A Testimony of Your Faith
Have you ever seen a domino effect contests where they set up thousands of dominos spaced just right so that when one falls it starts a chain reaction that goes from domino to domino? That is a good visual depiction of the impact of our choices.  Two thousand years ago by one righteous act Jesus set something in motion that continues to multiply today. It is multiplied through the millions of believers who respond to his love toward them by investing kindness into other people’s lives.  Why does God wait until the end of the age before the Judgment Seat of Christ? We really don’t have a biblical answer to that question but logically the full effect of your life will go on for generation after generation.  And the total effect has certainly not yet happened the day you die.  I am convinced that when we get to heaven, we are going to be amazed at the impact our lives had.  All we see is the immediate impact. We just see a few dominos out. But in reality, everything you do is to some degree affecting other people.  That is both good news and bad news.  If you have kids or grandkids, how is your life affecting them? How about friends, neighbors or co-workers?
The Lord reveals - We teach.
God doesn’t constantly reveal Himself and His Word to each new generation. That’s not how He works.  The next generation learns from the previous. We have all heard parents say that they will not force religion on their kids - they will just remain neutral and let their kids decide for themselves when they get old enough. Of course, a child must decide for himself, but they need the previous generation to teach and guide them. Faith is not just about us. It is about keeping the torch lit and passing it on to the next generation.
We hide the things of God by not teaching them. 
To fail to positively, purposefully, and systematically teach the Word of God to our kids hides something they desperately need.  That’s why Sunday school, youth activities, children’s church, and all of the other kid’s ministries around here are so important. These supplement what kids from Christian families get at home and provide what a lot of kids get nowhere else.
We hide the works of God by not recalling them.
(Testimonies) Our kids need to hear how the Lord has rescued us in the face of temptation. They need to hear about how He answered our prayers.  We need to tell them about His guidance and faithfulness to us in the defining moments of our lives. To hide the works of God from the next generation is to deprive them of something vital.
We hide things of God by our hypocrisy.
Our teaching matters, and our example is critical. But so is our honesty. Our kids need to know that we struggle, that life is not always easy, and that sometimes we fail. They need to hear our testimony that, even in those hard times, God is good, faithful, and gracious. They need to learn about the compassion of God and not just His commandments and judgement. They need to know that our God is a God of second chances, even third and fourth chances. We would never want them to presume upon the forgiveness of God, but neither do we want them to forget it. 

What is your life saying to your kids, grandkids, or other people in your life about your faith?  About your God?  Be intentional with sharing what your faith means and what God has done in your life with those you have influence over. Your life may be the only testimony of faith they have ever been exposed to.   

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Who? Me? Beyond My Door...

 Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. Colossians 4:2-6

Who? Me? Beyond My Door...

The church of Colossae was under attack by false teachers undermining Christ. They were saying that he was not actually God. Paul writes, having never even been to the church, to give his wisdom on this difficult situation they were in. He wanted to make sure they understood the truth about God and his goodness – not the false teaching that was circulating. In the passage above he gives wisdom and advice on dealing with “outsiders,” making sure that we always remember that we are a representative of Christ, and we want “outsiders” to be drawn to what we have that makes us different. To be this kind of follower we have to go and do instead of staying inside the walls of the church and relishing our knowledge above witnessing. 

Knowing must never replace going

Even "living water" can stagnate if it simply pools together and stands for too long of a time without any activity.  God intended the living water He gave to flow out, to move toward those who did not know Him. Paul is writing from prison and is unable to "walk" about as he would like. He is writing to a people that are free to carry the gospel to others but have chosen to be "knowers" and not "doers" of the Word.  

 (PRAY) To pray for the lost beyond our doors –

What begins with prayer (talking to God about men) ends with evangelism (talking to men about God).  Paul calls the Colossians to be continually devoted to prayer as they should, but he also calls them to pray for them and for open doors of utterance. 

Most corporate prayer time is dominated by crisis prayers of sickness or distress.  Paul is charging the church to engage in Kingdom prayers that will advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. We too, should learn to pray beyond ourselves, for those without Christ. Who do you know that is not a Christian? Pray for them to come to know the Lord and be open for any opportunity that the Lord might place you in to share with them. 

(GIVE) To give to the work beyond our doors – 

Paul desires the church to partner with him in missions and ministry. When we give to missions we place ourselves in a partnership. It is as important that we give as it is that they go. Have you prayed about giving to missions? Has God laid it on your heart already? 

(GO) To go to the fields beyond our doors – 

Paul instructs the Colossians to Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. The term outsiders has a double application – those without or outside our walls; and those without or outside of Christ.  If we are to engage the lost, we are to engage them beyond our doors. We are to go where they are and present Christ in grace and with salt. In other words, our speech and lives should produce a thirst for the Living Water of Jesus Christ.

Christ urges us in the Great Commission to take his words to the ends of the earth. Let it flow from you to those around you. Paul reminds us that we should always speak with grace – God’s grace and our graciousness – when speaking to non-Christians and seasoned with salt. They need to hear the truth, but they need to hear the truth spoken in love. We speak with grace and salt both with words and with our lives before the world. Walking with Jesus, stepping where the Spirit steps, gives us the grace and wisdom we need for each and every person we have the opportunity to speak with. 

 

He told them, The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.  Luke 10:2

Monday, February 10, 2025

A Testimony to All Nations

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

A Testimony to All Nations

Jesus is speaking with the disciples, answering some questions they have for him about the end times. They want to know how they can know when the end will come. Jesus’ answer is charge for all Christians at all times. It was for them that day and it is for us today. 

Jesus simply answered that the end will only come when the Gospel has been proclaimed in all the world – to every tribe and nation and people group in the whole world. It is hard for us to believe in our modern world that there are still people groups who have never even heard the name of Jesus, but there are. Jesus modeled how we are to spread the Gospel when he was here on earth. As he left earth, he gave us clear instructions that we were to carry on what he had started. It begins where our feet are planted but ends at the ends of the earth when all have heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

If people do not know about the Gospel and what Jesus did for them on the cross, they cannot make the choice to follow Jesus and accept his gift of salvation and eternal life. We are getting closer every day to the day when Christ shall return. We should be very busy with the business of spreading the Gospel as much as we can. Time is of the essence and the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus’ first coming as a baby and living on earth as a man was the first coming of the Kingdom. We work and we share the Gospel in the anticipation of his second coming. It is our job to share as a witness to what God has done in our own lives and to let others know they can have the same thing – salvation today and eternal life in the future. 

Our lives, and the way we live life, our actions and reactions, all lay the groundwork for us to sow the seed of the Gospel. Living our lives in such a way as followers that glorifies God will be evident to others around us. We live out what we believe as a testimony of God’s power, grace, mercy, and salvation in our own lives and others see. They pay attention even if you don’t think they are. 

The Gospel is shared many ways, but the most significant way is though word of mouth. Our testimony is more powerful than reading the words on paper. Our story of how the Gospel changed our lives speaks loudly to a person lost in sin and searching for a way out. Firsthand accounts of the transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ holds weight as the stories are passed from person to person. 

We have no way of knowing when we are close to reaching the ends of the earth. We have no way of knowing how long it will be or how close we are to the second coming of Jesus. But Jesus does not want us to know. Instead of only watching and waiting for his second coming, he wants us to be working to spread the Gospel as far and wide as we can. We are to be working while we wait. 

When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone far from God? Will you ask God to place someone on your heart this week with whom you can share a witness for the Kingdom of God? 

Be Ready

Monday, February 10, 2025

Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:13-18

Be Ready

Peter was no stranger to persecution. He had been threatened, arrested, flogged, and imprisoned. Here he is writing both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong, not be intimidated or fearful to share the Gospel, trusting and obeying Him, even in unjust suffering. Peter tells them (and us) to be ready to defend what it is that gives them the hope on display in their lives. Suffering while doing good will be part of that testimony. 

How can we be the most effective in fulfilling Jesus’ call to be intentional witnesses? 

One way we can be more effective in fulfilling Jesus’ call to be intentional witnesses is to live intentional lives. As followers of Jesus if we are living the Jesus Way, stepping where the spirit steps, our lives will automatically reflect the glory of God, and his goodness and love will flow out of our lives. People will notice a difference, especially when we live out the Gospel with our lives during times of adversity and suffering. People watch closely to see if we walk the walk even when life squeezes us. Peter talks about the possibility of suffering while doing good – unjust suffering. When people see us reflect hope in times of suffering, they want to know what the source of that hope is. 

Another way we can be more effective in fulfilling Jesus’ call to be intentional witnesses is to be vocal about our faith and what Jesus has done in our lives. Peter says we don’t need to feel intimidated or fear those who don’t know him. We should live and witness with the expectation that they want to hear the Gospel. We need to follow the Spirit’s leading and share when the Spirit leads, trusting him for the right words at the right time. We can trust that he will go before us and though we might not always be received in love, a seed is still planted. 

Another way to be more effective is to be ready – we can become more effective in fulfilling Jesus’ call to be intentional witnesses by regarding Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Peter warns that we will be asked at some point in our lives, and we can be a most effective witness by being ready when the time comes. If we study God’s word and have a growing relationship with him, we will be ready to give a defense. We should not answer defensively but reflecting the hope and love and joy in our hearts as a result of our salvation. This hope they see in our lives is what prompts the question. It is the light they are looking for. We are to do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shameWhen we are accused, if we answer with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscious, they will be put to shame even though they may be trying to cast shame on us. If we keep our cool and do not react with hostility, but instead react with gentleness and respect, we are adding to our testimony and reflecting him even more. 

As Pastor Jim told us yesterday, the Gospel is confrontational. The world is living in sin and Gospel confronts sin, exposes sin. Sometimes people will want to know where we find our hope, but they don’t want to be held accountable or change, so the world may resist change and will sometimes push back against us. Honoring Christ as sovereign over everything rather than focusing on our fears or on those who intimidate us is a natural result of our relationship with him. We belong to him and are created for his purpose and our lives should reflect this in every way. 

Are you ready to give a defense for what you believe? For where you find your hope?  

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Core: Setting the Foundation for the Future “Intentional Witness”


Core: Setting the Foundation for the Future

“Intentional Witness”
1 Peter 3:13-18 (CSB)

 

- Key Truth: “Our values will determine how we think, what we believe, and how we live."

NSBC Vision- “Leading every generation toward a fully-formed life with Jesus.”

Our Fourth Core Value is… IntentionaWitnessWe value the call to actively bear witness in word and deed to the gospel of Jesus Christ for all who will hear. (Matt. 5:14-16; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20; Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:8; 1 Pt. 3:15; Rev. 12:11)

Main Question: How can we become more effective in fulfilling Jesus’ call to be intentional witnesses? 

1.        The gospel is confrontational (1 Peter 3:13-14)

a.     The gospel is contrary to the world.

b.     The gospel confronts sin

c.     The gospel calls for change.

d.     The gospel has consequences.

 

2.        The gospel is life  (1 Peter 3:15-17)

3.        The gospel is a person.   (1 Peter 3:18)

- Gospel Definition: The Gospel, or the Good News, is this: that the Kingdom of God has come through Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Christ, the King, God’s one and only Son. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, was resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. In His great love and by His amazing grace, God our Father saves everyone who repents of their sin, believes the gospel, and follows Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. When King Jesus returns on the last day, everyone who has followed Him will enter the eternal Kingdom of God. (Mk. 1:15-17; 1 Cor. 15:3-7; Eph. 2:1-10).

The Gospel Proper (1 Corinthians 15:-8)

The Kingdom of God has come

Jesus is the King

Jesus died for our sins

Jesus rose again to give us new life

 

The Gospel Response(Matthew 3:2, 4:19; Mark 1:15, 17)

Repent

Believe

Follow

 

 

After the MessageRead Matthew 24:14. When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone far from God? Will you ask God to place someone on your heart this week with whom you can share a witness for the Kingdom of God?

  

Friday, February 7, 2025

The Simplicity of His Commands

Friday,  February 7, 2025

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:25-31

God is never late nor does He go missing from our lives. Hgives simple commands and little detail. We hear the simple commands, but we want more details.  Sometimes God does not give details at all, just direction.  These directions may look crazy to everyone else, and they wonusually make any sense to us. God is simple in what He asks, and many times we try to make it more complicated than it is.

The Simplicity of His Commands 
Come  Just come  to Him. Thats all, but we are programed to want more. Peter and the disciples were in a boat in a storm, and Jesus comes walking on the water towards them, telling them Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid (Matthew 14:27). Peter replies Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water. Jesus invites him to come and Peter steps out of the boat, taking careful baby steps on the surface of the water, keeping his eyes on Jesus. But then, Peter looks away, focusing on the storm  the waves and the wind and he begins to sink. So come but keep your focus on Christ all the way. The minute we take our eyes off of Him, our faith shifts onto something that will not keep us afloat in the storm. 

Stay  Even in the storm, He sometimes says Stay because He has a purpose in the storm and a blessing on the other side. We skip right over the Stay and look for Him to either make the storm stop or deliver us out of the stormBut there is always a lesson in the storm, and it is always a lesson we needWhen we are called to stay in a storm, we must keep our focus on Jesus or we will sink. The wind and waves will crash around us and into us, but He is our anchor. He can keep us steady and give us peace.  Staying, especially when we dont understand why, is the hardest thing to doand it requires greater faith. But if He tells us to stay, He will give us everything we need to stay well

Go  where? Sometimes we dont even know the where when we hear the Go. In Genesis Abraham heard the Go and God said He would tell him where later. He had to have a lot of faith in God to pack up his whole household and go to a location to be disclosed at a later date

Love  Who? Everyone. Everyone. That means the hard to love people also. The sinners (we all are!), the outcasts, the down-and-outs. We are all created by the same God and He doesn’tlove us any more than He loves them. We are given so much grace by Him, how could even think of not having grace for others? 

Rest  This one is hard. Rest in Him. Trust in Him. Let it go and let Him have it all. Stop. Whatever has you spinning and reeling, just stop and sit with Him. 

Abide  And then, when you stop and sit with Him, remain in Him. Continue to dwell in Him and with Him in everything you do every day. 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16

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