Shaped by the Master Sculptor

Allow God To SCULPT Your Life While In The Land Of The DYING

1. Submit to God's Sovereignty. (Rom 8:28 | Jer 29:11)
   
   
   1. Discover the power of "TIPHLAH" (Job 1:22)
   
   
2. Confess your Weakness.


1. Don't deny it or indulge it (Psalm 61:2) The ELIOENAI Treatment – 9 times


2. Remember what we really are
   
   
   1. Weak Sinners (Rom 5:6, 8 | Matt 26:41)
   
   
   2. Self - exaltation denounced by Paul (Rom 12:3b)
   
   
   3. God knows your frame (Psalm 103:12-14)
   
   
3. Realize that accepting weakness can breed strength (2 Cor 12:10)


4. Strength comes from humbly abiding in God's Presence (Ps 91:1 | Isaiah 57:15)


5. Don't LIMIT the Holy One by a lack of trust or unbelief (Psalm 78:41)


3. Understand God's Big Picture
   
   
   1. Develop a "Better than I deserve" mentality (Rom 6:23 | Luke 17:10)
   
   
   2. Remember God is the Creator and Owner
      
      
      1. You NEVER have a right to be ANGRY WITH GOD!!! (Matt 5:22)
      
      
   3. Remember: A strong root always produces fruit
   
   
4. Leave Self on the Shelf
   
   
   1. Change your focus to the Lord – BELIEVE (Psalm 16:8-9 | Isaiah 26:3)
      
      
      1. Not like Job (Job 29:20-23)
      
      
   2. BELIEVE (2 Cor 1:3) – "the God of all comfort"
      
      
      1. God is NOT a persecutor, abandoner, adversary, accuser, or prosecutor
      
      
      2. Replace your Why with a What (Acts 9:6 | 2 Cor 1:4)
      
      
   3. Don't just Live With your mistakes, Learn From your mistakes
      
      
      1. Don't live in the WHAT IF, but in the What Now (Phil 3:13)
      
      
   4. Confess rather than depress (1 John 1:9 | Proverbs 28:13)
   
   
   5. Use your gifts to serve others (Js 4:6 | 1 Pet 5:5b)
   
   
5. Praise God for His Provision
   
   
   1. Praise is the ULTIMATE "Depression Medicine" (Psalm 61:8)
      
      
   2. Take a "Scripture Prescription" and rejoice
      
      
      1. Psalm 16:8-9 | Phil 4:6 | 1 Cor 15:55-57 | Rom 8:37)
   
   
6. Testify to God's AMAZING GRACE
   
   
   1. The LIBERATING "Stephen Principle" (Acts 7:51-60 | Rom 1:20 | Eph 2:10)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Homosexuality

The Bible and My Response

- (Genesis 2:24-25)

Intro:

What is marriage in the eyes of God?

1. A Covenant relationship between a man and a woman.


2. A Picture of Christ and the Church.


3. A married couple enjoying a God Designed sexual expression.

Jeremiah Canfield - Pastor Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh East

Review: Leviticus 18:22; 20:13 | Romans 1:18-33

What do we do?

1. Stop Avoiding them.


2. Give them the Gospel first.


3. Love them, but not Accepting what they do.


4. Guide them as part of the body of Christ.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Genesis 2:24-25

1. What overall thoughts do you have from the message and what where some take-a-ways and "nuggets".

2. What other "street level" objectives have you heard. If so, talk about them and come up with an answer for them.

3. How do we show love and give the gay community the Gospel in today culture?

4. If you still have time and you would like to watch a 35 min video by Matt Chandler answering questions on this topic, you can find it on YouTube. He gave two talks on homosexuality and then took questions from the audience. The Q&A time is good, and it is 35 minutes.

Breakout Questions:
Spend time praying for those in the your small group who know someone that is struggling with this issue. Pray for God to free them of their bondage. 

Seeking God

Lessons from the Life of King Asa

- (2 Chronicles 14-16)

Intro:

Romans 15:4 - For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

A Person Who Truly Seeks God is One Who:

1. Is Serious about it. (2 Chron 14:2-7)


2. Makes it Personal. (2 Chron 14:11)


3. Perseveres in their seeking. (2 Chron 15:7)


4. Is Serious about it. (2 Chron 15:8-16)


5. Is not without Flaws. (2 Chron 16:1-12)

HBCPN Elder - Mark Ort

View fullsize

Click illustration to enlarge

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 2 Chronicles 14-16

1. Christians live under the New Covenant. So why is it important to study the Old Testament?

2. Describe what 'seeking God' really means?

3. What obstacles are in your way that prevent you from a serious pursuit of God? What kind of plan will you put into place to change that?

4. How can other believers help you in your quest to seek the Lord? In what ways will you help them in their quest?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another to act on their plan to intentionally seek God this week. Hold each other accountable in this plan. 

Worth Repeating

Alex Giannetti - alexgiannetti.com

With over a decade of Real Estate experience, Alex began as an investor and at the market's peak in 2006 owned 11 properties including his personal residence. The bubble burst and hit his family hard, but they regrouped and carried on with a No Debt Philosophy thanks to discovering the teachings of Dave Ramsey. Alex and his wife, Stacie, began teaching Dave's course, Financial Peace University and to date have helped hundreds of people to pay off over a million dollars in debt. Alex and Stacie are members of Harvest Bible Chapel with their two teen boys, Christian and Samuel

Intro:

Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

• There is no such thing as Good Debt. (Prov 22:7)


• Protect your Four Walls. (Prov 21:20, 13:22, 22:6)


• Align your finances with True North. (Romans 12:2, Phil 4:6)


• Keep it Real. (Prov 6:1-5)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Proverbs 6:1-5

1. Money and sex are probably the two areas of our lives that separate us most from God.
   Why do churches then avoid these topics?

2. Proverbs 22:7 reads, "The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender."
   Have you ever borrowed or lent money to or from a friend or family member? How did that work out? Is your relationship the same today?

3. US consumer debt is at an all time high. What would you do if you were completely debt free?
   - For your family
   - For your church
   - Would your giving look different? How

4. Who is teaching your children about money and do you know what they are learning

5. Money problems and money fights are the #1 cause of divorce.
   How would you rate your communication about money?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for each individual and their relationship with money as God has design us to. 

David: Failure and Redemption

Brandon Stephenson - onechurchPGH.com

Brandon Stephenson was born and raised in Butler, PA. He was a part of North Street Christian Church where Pastor Jeff used to serve. Brandon is married to his amazing wife, Danielle, and they have 3 boys: Noah, Drew and Coby. They are currently planting a new church in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh called One Church.

Intro:

2 Samuel 11:1-3* (NIV) - In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."

2 Samuel 12:13 (NIV) - Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."

We are just like David.

Romans 3:23* (NIV) - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Our sin doesn't Define us, our Reaction to it does.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 2 Samuel 11:1-3 and 2 Samuel 12:1-13

1. Ice Breaker: What was something you always got in trouble for when you were a kid?

2. What stood out from the message and why?

3. For some people we remember their failures first, for others we remember their achievements while often times overlooking their failures. From your perspective, why do we do that?

4. David is one person we tend to view in a positive light despite doing some really bad things. In 2 Samuel 11 what were key elements that caused David to fail so bad?

5. In 2 Samuel 12:1-13, what were the causes of David moving towards redemption?

6. We're not so different from David. What causes David to see redemption is his reaction to his failure. Brandon said, "Our failure doesn't define us, our reaction to it does."
   What did he mean by that in reference to David’s situation? How does that relate to your life?

7. David's repentance led him to worship God by writing Psalm 51. What does (or should) your repentance lead you to do?

8. We serve and believe in a God that loves redemption. How do you see God using you to bring redemption to you and those around you?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.