Harmony Christian Church

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Channel • 2 Shows

Christianity

Christianity

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Christianity

Christianity

Updated 04/04/2022

06/11/2024

Week 1 – To Worry or Not to Worry?

How would life change if we actually believed God loved us deeply and had our backs? Let's dive in and find out! Join Kent this Sunday at Harmony. EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in the blank bulletins my.harmonychurch.cc/bulletins. ------------------------------- OPENING ILLUSTRATION: How many times a day does worry or anxiety pop up in your mind? I don’t want to lose you by getting you to jump into anxious thoughts, but think about it for a second… Here’s a few things I find myself anxious or worried about -I’m not sure how we’re going to pay that bill -How are we going to get everyone to where they need to go -When am I going to have time to finish that project with everything I’ve got to do -I’m afraid I’m not going to be home on time because of this meeting -Oh no, my phone is ringing, what do I do? ;) -I feel like I’m losing my kid -I wonder if a person is secretly judging me -I’m worried we won’t have enough for retirement -I don’t know what to do with my kids -I can’t figure out what I did wrong with my spouse I mean, let’s be honest, we could go on and on, couldn’t we? Worry and anxiety are at epidemic levels in our country. Look at this chart: [put chart on screen] If you are older, you don’t get it and if you’re younger, you don’t know how someone couldn’t get it… This calls for compassion and some reconsidering of our how we order our world… b I think it calls for going back to the one who created you and listening to see if His words could have some meaning in your life… I want to read some of Jesus’ words and look at them in the context of how we all live our everyday life and then ask the question What if we took Him seriously - what would life look like for you? Mt 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Does anybody else feel like at this point you are wanting to say to Jesus “don’t worry about life and eat or drink? That’s all I do Jesus is worry” I feel like some of us make worry out like it’s a sport - we’re so good at it that if there was an olympics in worry, we’d have been in Paris this last summer… I want you to notice something about what Jesus is doing here. Jesus is trying to elevate your vision - move your eyes upwards. b “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” ILLUSTRATION: Years ago, I had a really good friend who I was talking with. After a few minutes of talking with him he stopped me and said, “Hey, what’s going on with you, you haven’t shared one real thing about your life with me, you’re just keeping everything at a surface level.” Jesus is trying to get you past a surface level of life. He wants you to find joy and freedom, to be able to really embrace life - but you know as well as I do that when you are caught up constantly worrying about the next bill, worrying about your time, your food, your whatever that you are not living life, you are staying on the surface… Life is more… and your anxious, controlling, and predicting the future is keeping you from the now. 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? I want to ask you two questions that Jesus asks you here - really ask them. Are you more valuable than birds to God? It seems like a silly question at first - probably your instant answer is “yes”. But can I ask it another way? Do you really believe you are valuable to God? My experience has been most people can believe that others are valuable to God, but not themselves. I personally struggle with that. Intellectually I know God loves me, but at a gut level, I wonder how He could… Part of your anxiety, and mine, comes from an inability to rightly believe how much God really loves you. b What would change if you really believed God was good and that He loved you madly? some of you need to stop listening to this sermon and spend the rest of the service thinking about that question. Jesus asks - Can you add a single hour to your life through worry? No, we can theoretically add to our lifespan in modern times, but guess what, when you die, you are dead, there is no adding to that time. Your lifespan is not theoretical, at some point it will be defined. Your worry does not change that end - it’s an illusion. 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? The NIV always translates this as “you of little faith” or “why do you have so little faith”, but I’ve heard Greek scholars say it would be better translated as Little Faiths (the Greek word is oligó(little)pistos(faith)) Can I give you a little encouragement… Jesus is talking about this because He expects we’ll struggle with it. He gives the prescription because we all have the ailment. b His disciples who saw, walked, ate, ministered with Him - Jesus gives them the nickname “Little Faiths.” You are not alone in this… 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus very clearly tells us to not worry, but how can we do that? His answer is simple Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. b When worry pops up, when anxiety fills your brain - lift your eyes up, ask yourself, how can I seek His Kingdom and Righteousness today? Honestly, it won’t be long till that turns into, “Jesus, how can I seek your kingdom and righteousness today - here and now… God is saying, “when you care for the things I care about, I will take care of you.” Actually as I really meditated on this something hit me that had never hit me before. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: Recently Jenni and I had a huge financial burden strike us that we hadn’t expected. I was really freaking out if I’m honest - I grew up poor and feel an incredible responsibility to care for my family and honestly always try and keep us from being in that position. I didn’t know what to do. I prayed and just kept going towards Jesus and serving Him. Here’s what’s crazy. I got an envelope given to me - honestly, I didn’t even open the envelope for a few days. But when I did, I found out it had exactly the amount we needed to pay the bills. It was crazy. But can I tell you what’s even crazier? That has been my experience over and over again. That God takes care of our needs. He is faithful. One of the things that struck me is when you are seeking first God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness - you tend to be around people who are doing that as well - we call this the church. And all of the sudden we are taking care of one another. I don’t think Jesus is saying this will be magical. What He is saying is that when you are submitting your will to His Will, He will take care of you, part of how He does that is by using people who’s will is submitted to Him as well. Can I tell you a secret? This isn’t a get rich scheme. You can’t do this to get God to pay your bills. He knows your heart and what you really seek. What it is, is insurance that if you give up letting money and security be your God and let God be your God, that He will take care of you. A great example of this is I heard recently how one of our connect groups stepped up to help a family in the group and supported one another - people giving money to care for the needs of others… See, When you give yourself wholly to Jesus you find a holy Jesus who holds you in His hands. --------------------------------

06/11/2024

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42 min
12/04/2022

Week 1 – Lord Almighty?

"Hosanna, Hosanna" is what the people cried as Jesus made his entrance into Jerusalem. It looked like a parade, but to Jesus it was a funeral march. He knew that those same cries of "hosanna" would soon turn to "crucify him." This same pattern can even happen to us today. Do you shout "Hosanna," only to later say "crucify him," when it's convenient or is Jesus really Lord Almighty? When you give at Harmony, you are investing in life change and are Advancing the Kingdom! GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give . ------------------- Sermon Notes Slide Key: Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to I grew up in a fairly contemporary and modern church. Our worship center looked a lot like this one. We had the lights like we do in here. Instead of pews, there were chairs. The worship songs we sang were similar to the ones we sing here. It was your standard modern sort of church. When I went off to college, though, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to multiple different ways of having church. There were people at my school from all different backgrounds. One of my roommates actually grew up with the total opposite church experience. He was episcopal. For those that are not familiar, the episcopal church is what we often consider “high church.” This is a church experience that is much more “classical” if that makes sense. It’s the stained glass, wooden pews, hymnals, and stuff. People might consider that “old school.” I was actually invited a few times to attend service with him and it was so wild seeing how they do church. I knew what hymns were and all that stuff, but there was an entirely other level To their services that they called “liturgy.” The liturgy was just the way that they had service. It was always the same. Every week they said the same prayers, said the same words before communion, and there was this call and response part. They would say stuff like, “May the Lord be with you,” and the people would respond, “and also with you.” There was what they called “pew aerobics” where they do things like stand, they may kneel for a part of service, and then stand again, they might sit for a while, but it was just constant movement. Now I am not going to be running off and joining an Episcopal church any time soon. It was cool but it still wasn’t my thing, but there were a few things that they did that I thought were just awesome. One of them is what they call a liturgical calendar. Their entire denomination keeps the same calendar. This means that if you were traveling away from your home church, you could stop by any episcopal church on a Sunday morning and basically have the same service you’d have at home. You’d sing the same hymns, in the same order, with the same prayers, and the sermon would even be based on the same themes and Bible verses. It was crazy to me! The liturgical calendar also has it’s very own seasons. This was the coolest part for me. My roommate would share with us what season we were in. The neat thing is that the seasons come with special emphasis so it tells you how you should prepare your hearts and minds as you live through the year with Christ. For example, near Christmas time is the season of Advent so you’d focus on the coming of Christ and prepare his way in your life. He would remind us of the season and it would help me focus on different aspects of my relationship with Jesus. It was actually really helpful for me. Even though we don’t really use it here at Harmony, I still keep one eye on the liturgical calendar so I can sort of feel how Christ moves in my life throughout the year. Right now, we’re in the season of Lent. Unlike Advent, lent is not what I would call a happy and joyous season. While Easter Sunday is always a celebration and is like a party, Jesus has to die first in order to be resurrected. That is not so fun. The entire point of lent is preparing ourselves to die with Christ on Good Friday. We focus on his death and the reason he had to die. So it’s a pretty rough season where we deny ourselves and focus on our own sinfulness and repentance. That’s what I’m hoping to do over these next two weeks. I’m wanting to help you prepare your heart for Easter but to do that we have to really get ready to die. It’s not necessarily going to be fun or joyous, that’s what Easter is for. Instead, these sermons are going to be a bit rough and convicting, but just know I’m not just trying to beat you up. God has already worked me over as I’m writing this sermon, so if you’re feeling a bit sore after this sermon, I’ve been going through the same thing all week, but it’s important because I want to fully experience what God wants me to have on Easter and to do that we have to get ready. (Linking Statement) So we’re going to look at a story of how an entire city prepared for Easter and how they really messed it all up to use as a warning for us to not make the same mistake. [Body] (Proof 1) - Do you treat him like a king? (Explanation) We’re going to start with a story that happened right at the end of Jesus’ life on Earth. He and his disciples were approaching the town of Jerusalem. This was the capital of the Jewish world. Instead of just strolling right on into the city he decides that he needs to really make an entrance. Jesus knows that his time on earth is running out and he wants to make an important statement about who he is. Also, he needs to still fulfill a prophesy as well. He tells the disciples to go to a village and there they will find a donkey tied up with her colt. They are to bring them back to him and if anyone asks just say, “The Lord has need of them.” They go ahead and do this and brought the donkey and the colt back to Jesus. They laid their coats over the animals and Jesus sat on them. Word had spread that Jesus was entering the town, so a large crowd had gathered to see him. They began taking off their cloaks and spreading them on the road. They were also cutting down palm branches and spreading them before Jesus on the road as well. The entire time the people celebrated the entrance of Jesus and shouted “Hosanna!” which was a cry of praise. This is actually the sort of welcome that a king would receive upon entering a town. This must have been an amazing moment for the disciples. All these people are praising Jesus and treating him like the King that he is. For the disciples, it must have felt like the people finally understood. Jesus is their Lord and King! For Jesus, though, what appeared to be a parade for a king was really a funeral march. He knew what was going to happen to him. In a week’s time, he would be arrested, tried, tortured, and crucified. He would be abandoned by everyone. His own disciples will fall away from him. Even worse, these people who are shouting “Hosanna” and praising him, in just under a week would be shouting “Crucify him” instead. It can be shocking to view it in that way. These people who seem to be affirming that Jesus is their Lord and God can so quickly turn on him and call him a criminal and call for his death. It’s like getting whiplash. How do the hearts of these people change so quickly? First, you have to understand that this isn’t really anything new for Israel or for God. They have constantly struggled to recognize God as their king. That may sound weird, because of course God is our king. There is no one higher or greater than he is. It seems like a pretty simple thing to grasp, and it is, but it’s a totally different thing to say God, or by extension, Jesus, is your king and to treat him as such. That was Israel’s problem. They did a great job at declaring God as their king with their mouths but they failed to do so with their hearts and actions. When you read the Old Testament, you can very clearly see this sort of pattern emerge among God’s people. They praise God and keep his word, but then something draws them away from God. They live apart from God and dishonor him. God sends the Israelites into exile under another country. They cry out to God and turn back to him. God saves them from exile. Then the cycle repeats over and over again. Eventually, God has enough. In Malachi, the very last book of the OT before Matthew, God addresses his priests about this. Look at Malachi 1:6 Malachi 1:6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.” Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name?” You all play really good lip service to me. You say I am your father and your master, and yet you don’t treat me like that? You don’t fear me or respect me. I am your Lord only in word, but not in your hearts. Jesus mirrors this same sentiment later in the gospels during his ministry. Look at Luke 6:46 Luke 6:46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? Jesus has just gotten done teaching some of his most important lessons in his ministry. He just finished this amazing sermon and begins to close it with this saying. Just like everything that Israel had done before, they listen to God’s word and hear it, but they always fail to follow it. So Jesus hits them with this. You call me Lord but you still don’t do the things I tell you. (Illustration) This lesson is illustrated in our own lives in no better place than with those parents out there with teenagers

12/04/2022

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10/07/2024

July 7th, 2024 – Week 1 – Dean Rase

Join us today as Dean Rase gives us a word about Gods Grace!

10/07/2024

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40 min
04/01/2022

December 26, 2021 – Dean Rase

Do you like to Golf? Join us this morning as Dean Rase brings a very unique lesson on Jesus and golf. When you give at Harmony, you are investing in life change and are Advancing the Kingdom! GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give

04/01/2022

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39 min
07/09/2025

September 7th, 2025 – Scott Taube – Elijah,Hearing from God

Harmony Christian Church

07/09/2025

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40 min
03/09/2025

August 31, 2025 – Do Overs

Harmony Christian Church

03/09/2025

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35 min
19/04/2023

Week 3 – The Beatitudes (SECTION 49)

The Kingdom Jesus came to initiate inside of you is so wildly different than what our world expects, you almost look lucky. Tune in today to learn how your citizenship and not your circumstances determine more about you than you know. Jump in with us in Sections 49 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT'S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). OPENING ILLUSTRATION: I am perhaps one of the most unlucky people you will ever meet! I’m telling you, if something could go wrong, it’s going to happen to me. The first time this hit me was when I was a kid, we had been going off and on to this church - they were having a meal afterward and it was a fancy church. Like, they had real crystal and china for church meals - none of this paper plates and red solo cups! For some reason, my parents asked me to carry the tray. I think they were trying to empower me. But as I was carrying this tray, I started to fumble it and everything flew off of it. crashing to the floor, tons of crystal and china. You could see in the old lady’s faces that I had just committed a mortal sin. Ha. And since that point in time, that’s basically the story of my life… So much so, that I’ve learned to use my bad luck to my advantage. I’ve found that if I’m in a doctor's office and I’m really getting into an article in a magazine that the doctor will call me to come. I used to hate this, but now I use it to my advantage :) Can I ask you a question? Who are the people you consider “lucky” in our world? If you’re like me, you’ve got a person in your mind who nothing ever goes wrong for. The person who just lucks into meeting famous people, the person who starts a business and it all just seems to go well for. I’ve got a buddy who is hyper-aware of his luck and he will tell you right away, he doesn’t know why, but he always seems to be in the right place at the right time… What are the things you would use to say a person is lucky? b Did you know Jesus talks about who gets to be lucky in this world? Ah, some of you are like, “Kent, this sounds like witchcraft - I don’t remember Jesus ever saying anyone was lucky” Let me read you the passage and then it will make sense to you, you ready for this? As I read this passage, every time you hear the word blessed, I want you to use the word “lucky” in your mind. Matthew 5:1-12 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then[a]he began to teach them, saying: Blessed are those who are happy and have it all together, for they will be the envy of all Blessed are those who are surrounded by loved ones, for they never have to experience true loss Blessed are the powerful, for they get whatever they want Blessed are those who are hungry for more and more, for their hunger will only grow Blessed are those who are in control and overpower, for they get to be in charge Blessed are those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, for they will be feared by all Blessed are those who will do what it takes to win any fight, for they will never lack an opponent Blessed are those whose life is easy and never has to stand against or for anything, because their life will be easy and relatively meaningless Ha, some of you are like, “wait a second, I don’t think that’s right…” I made up all those blessed/lucky statements b Some of you know that’s not what Jesus said - but this is what you would expect if you were making a list of what makes a person lucky, right? b I did this because I want, when you read Jesus’ actual list of what makes you lucky or blessed, for you see it for what it is - strange… Mt 5:1-12 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then[a]he began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So, what’s the deal? Why does Jesus’ list seem so backward from what you would expect? -poor in spirit? Mourning? humble? Matthew has just got done at the end of Chapter 4 telling you how Jesus has been preaching the Kingdom of God, and now, Jesus is going to sit down and tell you what it’s like for someone who lives in the Kingdom - for the person who has found the treasure of God. When you have the Kingdom of God in your life, you have the luckiest of all lives! But why? Jesus’ point is that circumstances don’t determine your status - your citizenship does… -you can be depressed -you can be the janitor sweeping up after people -you can be the lowest of the lows and still you have been translated from a life of meaninglessness to a life of complete meaning. This kind of perspective allows you to live with a freedom others find perplexing -You can say no to things that seem like absolute opportunities ILLUSTRATION: Not taking a promotion to stay with the team you’ve been able to share Jesus with, guy who chose to stay in prison as a Christian so he could continue to share the gospel -You can say yes to things that seem like the absolute wrong thing ILLUSTRATION: kids going to bible college when their parents told them not to, missionaries going on the field, giving up a secular job to work at a church Reminds me of what Paul says…: Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. When you are “in Christ” you are already “in” What does this mean for us? It means if you AREN’T “in Christ” (never committed your life to Him as Lord & Savior) then you better worry… (Matthew 21:44) It means if you ARE “in Christ” you can hold the things of this world loosely - your time, your treasure, and your talent all become opportunities for God to work rather than means by which you gain significance (Philippians 3:8) It means rebooting and reinstalling an entirely new way of thinking about life that is counter to our culture (Romans 12:2) Just because you are saved doesn’t mean your body, mind, and heart doesn’t need to come under the thinking and way of the Kingdom. This is why you NEED to be in a connect group - around other Christians who can help challenge you. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: The day we visited the Mount of the Beatitudes in Israel was July 5th, in the US on the 4th, there had been an attack where some people got shot in Chicago - our tour guide had been quiet. We found out it’s because his dad had been shot and was in the hospital. He finally shared as we were getting off the bus - he had talked to his dad that day and found out he was ok. But as we were getting off the bus - it hit me that 11 years earlier on July 6th, my dad had died. That morning, I had talked to him because he was in the hospital and he had used the same words, “don’t worry about me, I’m fine” I tried to hide my face as this flood of emotions ran through my bones. I held back from the group, spent time by myself. We all gathered by this church and someone from our group just spontaneously started to read the beatitudes… 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. as he read those words “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”, I felt Jesus speak to me, “this is for you too Kent”… I couldn’t handle it, I walked off by myself - what were the odds that I would be there on that day, that series of events would happen, all so God could speak to me and say, “you too”. Listen, the list of Beatitudes matters - because I believe if you have made Jesus your savior, He’s looking right at you and wants to speak to you today and say, “you too” Why not give Him your entire life? Your entire heart?

19/04/2023

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40 min
14/03/2023

Week 2 – Eat With Me (SECTION 40)

What would change about your life if you lived like you believed you'd live forever? How would your worry change? How would you invest your time differently? Today, Kent is going to unpack a surprising way this idea could change your life. Jump in with us in Sections 40 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT'S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever sat in a church and heard a pastor talk about how someday you’re going to have an epitaph on your gravestone? We will ask the question, what will you want to be remembered by… the real question is, ‘what kind of legacy do you want to leave?’ It’s a great question, right, because it gets you thinking about the brevity of life on earth. But something I’ve been thinking about lately is a different way to highlight what is important. Can I ask you a question? What would change about the way you live, if you ACTUALLY believed that you were going to exist for the rest of eternity? What I mean is this: I think most of us know that eternal life is a huge part of the gospel message b But how many of us ACT as though we believe that? Let me put it another way I heard Francis Chan use this illustration once and I thought it was genius… [Pull out a long thick rope] Imagine this rope represents the length of eternal life - it extends into all history - [have the rope going off stage to where you can’t see it anymore] Most of us live like this first little inch of the rope is the most important part - We build our own little empires. The new dream is to have the way we want it, gather as many resources for ourselves as possible We even have sayings like, “carving out your own piece of the pie” But somehow, we neglect that this is only one little tiny part of the life and existence we will inhabit. b And the empire we build in this part of life, won’t come with us into the next. So, let me ask you again If you really believed that once you’ve placed your trust in Jesus as your ultimate leader, you have eternal life - what should change about the way you live? I want to show you just one way it might change, we’re going to take a quick look at a moment from Jesus’ life… Mt 9:9-13 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Mark & Luke tell us that this tax collector’s name is Levi, only Matthew tells us this is actually the author of the book you're reading who is writing his first-hand account - he’s actually going to give us a detail the others leave out… Here is Matthew sitting at his tax collector booth near the Sea of Galilee. This guy would have been so hated. In our day and age, you might think loan shark… these were people who were sanctioned by Rome who took advantage of their people - he would have been the guy who was taxing Peter, Andrew, James, and John… it’s this guy that Jesus says this too… “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” You get the picture? Jesus has called the wrong guy… b All three gospels make sure you know that the Religious leaders talked to the disciples instead of Jesus about this I’m not sure if this is just a coincidence or if it’s because these guys know that Jesus’ disciples can’t be happy about this either… So, they ask the disciples “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners” ILLUSTRATION: In ministry, you’ll have people come up to you and say, “there are some people who are upset about something…” I learned a long time ago to not allow “some people” to exist - if you ever try that on me, I’m gonna say, “who are the 'some people'”. I learned from Jesus that you don’t let junk like that get in the way and cloud the mission… Jesus doesn’t let this stuff slide… Jesus knows what they are saying, the grumbling in the background and He immediately addresses it. Jesus is SO sharp - I’m just always amazed at how much of a punch he can pack in so few words “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” and this is where Matthew will interject something Jesus says that lets you know this is eyewitness testimony, listen to In Mark and Luke, Jesus just skips to, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” But Matthew includes Jesus saying this, But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ b Why? Why does Matthew include this and the others don’t? I think Matthew remembers Jesus saying this because he was the object of Jesus’ mercy. b Mercy has been a hallmark of followers of Jesus James, the brother of Jesus, will say it this way: James 2:12-13 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. b Mercy triumphs over judgment b There is only one thing that will move from this life to the next. People, that’s it. Everything else stays here. You can see in Jesus’ ministry how He prioritized people over everything else. He went after their hearts, He cared for them, He loved them. Jesus was merciful where others would be harsh CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: As I’ve grown older, I’ve found it easier for me to be judgmental, for me to side more with the religious leaders than with the savior. Have you found that? You’ll know this is you if you find yourself angry about everything, you’ll find yourself saying things to justify yourself and labeling people so you don’t have to see them as people. This is what the religious leaders did They labeled people “sinners” because at that point they ceased to be people and they became a category. b Mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy isn’t deserved Mercy isn’t earned Mercy is given - and it triumphs because it has the power to move hearts back to God in a way judgment never could Don’t believe me? Look at Matthew… [Download and play: youtube.com/watch?v=7IUL9yq0We8 ] Who could you show mercy to and change their world?

14/03/2023

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42 min
18/02/2025

Week 3 – Love & Respect – Part 1

Are we loving our wives like Christ loves the church—unselfish, undivided, unstoppable? What kind of man are we choosing to be? Tune in to be challenged and learn how to grow in your relationship with your spouse! EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in the blank bulletins my.harmonychurch.cc/bulletins. OPENING ILLUSTRATION: I asked Jenni to tell me what the most frustrating about being married to me and she said, “I just have to pick one thing??" Ha, that’s the truth, right? There are so many things that can get under our skin in marriage -how you squeeze the toothpaste -leaving dirty underwear on the floor -constantly changing the channel -how you talk about one another -how you talk to one another -the way you spend money -etc. Marriage can be frustrating, but it can also be exhilarating and liberating b The question is how do we go from frustration to liberation? STUDY: This morning we are going to open up to Ephesians. Paul is in the middle of giving Godly advice for how to have all kinds of relationships, but in this particular passage he has zoned in on marriages and how a Godly marriage is supposed to work Ephesians 5:33 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. There was a Christian relationship book written using just this one verse, the book is called “Love and Respect" -the author takes Pauls basic statement and makes the argument that men and women both need something different -Men need respect most and women need love most (this is not to say that women don’t need to be respected or men don’t need loved) ILLUSTRATION: When my kids were young, they used to pick out a gift for their friends that they just KNEW they would love! They’d watch with anticipation as the kid opened the gift at their birthday party and then toss the gift in the pile of other gifts and say thanks. I can remember once watching my kid go over and timidly say, “um, can I play with it?” They were giving the gift they wanted, not necessarily the gift the other person would want b This happens in relationships all the time… We give what WE want rather than what THEY need b I think most men tend to want to fix things and give distance. Most women tend to want to give love, words, and closeness. and we try and give what we want… How many wives have been frustrated by a husband who wanted to fix their problem? How many men have been frustrated by a wife who just wanted them to talk more about what was going on… We end up giving one another what we want and both parties leave feeling unfulfilled, unloved, and uncared for... b Paul’s answer: Men - love your wives Women - Respect your husbands Simple, done, sermon over! I wish it was that simple -but men, what does it mean to love your wife? -women, what does it mean to respect your husband? How does that play out in the middle of a big fight? -what does it look like to love your wife day in and day out? -what does it look like to respect your husband after a long day of work? This is where the rubber meets the road, this is where Paul's words are like fresh oxygen to a person who is running out of air MEN, what does it look like to love your wife? Ephesians 5:25-31 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. b Paul gives us a very clear picture of what it means to love our wives, we love them like Christ loved the church b Christ’s love for the church was UNSELFISH, UNDIVIDED and UNSTOPPABLE UNSELFISH because He chooses the needs of His brides above His own needs - even to the point of death UNDIVIDED because He had eyes only for His bride - He was solely focused on winning her UNSTOPPABLE because He would let nothing keep Him from His bride - not the perception of others or the fear ofrejection Husbands, what kind of a man are you? -unmarried men, what kind of a man are you? Are you worth marrying? Men, does concern for your wives needs and her desires trump your own? -Christ was unselfish.. Your wife should be able to trust that every decision you make has her best interest at heart -Men, does your wife have to vie for your attention? Is the game more important? Do you talk about other women? Do you look at pornography? -Christ was undivided in his love and attention for His bride -you are killing her when you let other things take the place of her in your heart -every time you talk about another woman or look at another woman you are telling her that your love for her is not totally secure -Men, do you focus on being right instead of telling your wife that there is nothing she could do to lose your love? -Christ was completely unstoppable in His love. The rebellion of the bride, the hurtfulness, etc. could not keep Him from loving her ILLUSTRATION: Even when my daughters were young, I could see this desire to be loved and chosen like this. When they are hurt or sad or even mad they do one thing consistently, they run to their room and hide. They are in there waiting for me to come find them and hold them in my arms and tell them that I love them. Men, our ladies are much more sophisticated than that, and it may be an over simplification to say they just want you to hold them and tell you that you love them -but they do indeed need and want to know that you will have an unselfish, undivided, unstoppable love for them -you must find a way to show them, even when they push you away and run from you. Next week I’m going to talk about what it looks like for a wife to respect her husband, but this week. Men, I want you to start to consider the type of man you want to be… CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: I recently took my son on a trip for his 16th birthday, I asked him if he knew what it meant to be a man. He had a pretty good answer. But as we talked about it, I told him my definition. It’s being strong, but using your strength for others. There are plenty of strong men out there who are violently using their strength for their own ends. they ignore their wives, they abandon their children, they rage through their house, they drown their demons in a bottle or vaping it away. Men, God created you to be fierce. One time, years ago I was put in a position where someone I loved was being attacked and I literally grabbed the person who was attacking them, threw them on the floor and started slamming their head into the floor and yelling at them. I didn’t know that was in me to fight for someone I loved like that. Some of you don’t know it’s in you because you’ve never been told as a man to be fierce, but to be fierce for God and for His Kingdom, for the ones He’s put in your path to lead. When I was growing up church leaders would say the husband is the leader of the family. I never knew what that meant. Now I believe it means it’s my job to get my family to heaven. To literally die for my bride if it’s what it takes. What about you? What kind of a man are you going to be?

18/02/2025

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37 min
03/08/2023

Week 5 – Anthony Bowman

Harmony Christian Church

03/08/2023

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14 min

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