Christianity Archives - Lighthouse 805 Church https://www.lighthouse805.com/tag/christianity/ Church in Ventura Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:42:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://www.lighthouse805.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cropped-805-ventura-church-32x32.png Christianity Archives - Lighthouse 805 Church https://www.lighthouse805.com/tag/christianity/ 32 32 What Is True Faith Built On? https://www.lighthouse805.com/podcast/what-is-true-faith-built-on/ Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:39:49 +0000 https://www.lighthouse805.com/?post_type=podcast&p=2618 The post What Is True Faith Built On? appeared first on Lighthouse 805 Church.

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What is our faith founded on? What gives it structure? Can it hold up to all life holds in store for us? In this next message in the Faith Check series – “True Faith”, we’re talking about just that… time to check our faith. We’re doing a deep dive on FAITH through the book and lens of Jeremiah. It’s about the faith of believers during their exile, paralleled to the exile of our church members from our building. Want to know what Lighthouse 805 Church is really like? Well today’s message is a pretty good look at how we operate. We keep it real. We’re a family. We are Holy Spirit lead. We speak truth to one another. Wondering why we aren’t meeting together in person yet? Tune in.

Today we’re in Jeremiah 32

But first we’re going to look at Luke 6:47-49

“47Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When a flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!”

Your foundation is based on taking action from Jesus. Listen AND obey. They DUG deep, and BUILT.

Not talking about salvation – we’re talking about foundation. Salvation is secured, but it’s a firm foundation that allows you to grow, receive, and move forward with Christ to the promises God has for us. What does your foundation look like right now? How many of us are finding excuses to not build in this season? Without this foundation set and built on in this current season; we will not be able to hold or carry or move in the vision God has for our next season.

As your Pastor – I’m asking you to commit to making Jesus the foundation in your life now, in this season. Stop making excuses and get rid of anything that has taken up residence in your life distracting you from doing just that.

Jeremiah 32:8-16 “8‘Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, “Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.” ‘I knew that this was the word of the Lord; 9so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. 10I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11I took the deed of purchase – the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy – 12and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. 13‘In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so that they will last a long time. 15For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” 16‘After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:”

Purchase: What is the price we need to pay in this season of our church?

  • – Time
  • – Dedication
  • – Pride
  • – Reading and studying the Bible
  • – Genuine worship
  • – Take action on the Word of God

Through the purchase/setting Jesus as the foundation – 3 things happened:

  1. Public – The purchase was done publicly and had witnesses. This makes us accountable and invites others to do the same. This current season is calling us to do life together outside of the 4 walls of a church building. There’s a reason for that. It’s foundation building. If we don’t actively do it we won’t be able to carry the vision for the new season God has for us.
  2. Preserve – Jeremiah asked the purchase documents to be stored in clay pots. This was to preserve them for some time, awhile, the future. The Dead Sea Scrolls lasted in clay pots for 2000 years. When we pay the price of making Jesus our foundation we are preserved. Our faith is stabilized. It doesn’t fluctuate up and down with the weather or circumstances. We are steady.
  3. Patience – “When are we getting back to normal?” “When will we return to normal?” Wrong questions…. Right question…. “Am I ready for the NEW normal?” Are we patiently preparing for the next season? This is not a passive patience. It’s like the patience of a farmer who diligently plows deep, straight, consistent furrows. Then sows the right seeds, in preparation of the next harvest. We’re not sitting with a book waiting for this season to be over; we’re like the farmer from sun up to sun down preparing for what’s coming. You can’t wait on a crop that hasn’t been planted.

NEXT STEPS – Take action to set Jesus as the one and only foundation in your life.

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How do you have fruitful faith? https://www.lighthouse805.com/podcast/how-do-you-have-fruitful-faith/ Sun, 16 Aug 2020 19:41:37 +0000 https://www.lighthouse805.com/?post_type=podcast&p=2609 The post How do you have fruitful faith? appeared first on Lighthouse 805 Church.

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Is your faith genuine or fake? Real fruit or fruit flavored? Can it give nutrition, reproduce? Or does it rot over time, go stale? We’re continuing our deep dive into FAITH, in this message of our Faith Check series – Fruitful Faith.

Jeremiah 24

After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

3 Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. 6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

8 “‘But like the bad figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the Lord, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. 9 I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, a curse and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish them. 10 I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.’”

Let’s talk about this Bible verse not only as the state of the church in corona time – but also as believers in new seasons.

In this story there are 3 groups of believers:

  • The believer that refuses to move to the next season –
    • Bad figs represented not only those against God but those that refused to follow the direction of God.
  • The believer that moves to the new season but is waiting to get back to the old season
  • The believer that moves to the new season and trusts Jesus

So how do we develop faith like the believers that move into new seasons and trust Jesus?

1 – The Time to Build is Now

People were exiled from their homes. They needed to build a new home. Don’t sit around waiting to get back to normal. This is your new normal.

When we build, we work on our faith and our trust. God will build us up and will not tear us down.

****Doing life in the comments**** 

What is it that you need to build? What do you need to construct in your life? 

When we build inside of new seasons we become like a house vs a tent – there is…

  • protection
  • limitless power
  • sewage / sanitation
  • fresh water

When we enter new seasons we need to build and not lament. 

2 – It’s Time to Plant in New Seasons

To set down roots in a new season. Roots represent a source of life. People did not leave when God told them to leave. They thought their source of life was connected to the routines and city they lived in rather than God.

The soil determines the growth of the plant. The root pulls the nutrients from the soil and the plant grows. Jesus is the root, but your season determines your growth.

Some of us are stuck in past seasons. All the nutrients have already been used. Jesus, the root, is telling us to move to the next season for new growth.

We need to move to the next season – mentally, physically and faithfully.

God’s desire is for us to connect to Jesus more that we connect to soil. Meaning – connect more to what Jesus is doing right now and right here; than what He did back then.

Complaining and grumbling is failing to see Jesus in this season. 

Xerox Case Study:

Xerox had the most successful single product of all time. They revolutionized businesses and homes.

They had ground breaking research; but the people in charge decided it wasn’t for them and gave all the technology to Steve Jobs. Xerox had the future in its hands, but the ownership thought it was meant for someone else.

Xerox is like a lot of believers… Reading the Bible and thinking it’s not for me its for someone else.

Jesus is speaking – are you listening to grow?

https://artgrid.io/clip/83735/paper-moving-through-rolls-on-printing-machine

***Like Xerox when we fail to listen, we fail to pivot***

When we fail to pivot into new seasons there are consequences.

3 core consequences from Jeremiah 24:10 as illustrations on this side of the cross and new covenant. 

  1. Sword – When we fail to move into our next season we fight God, and we fight people that are living in the new seasons. We can become frustrated and angry with different viewpoints.
  2. Famine – We are starving for Jesus to speak to us in our past seasons, but He is speaking from your new season. So you refuse to consume new insights.
  3. Plague – Your mind becomes twisted and your heart is hardened towards the freshness of Jesus

2-Part Next Steps:

Part 1 – Build 1 new routine.

Part 2 – Leave 1 soil behind.

Let go of 1 thing from a past season. Maybe it was a glory that was awesome but God is calling you to a new glory. Maybe it was something tragic, and you have been holding onto that pain.

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How to Find Peace in a Crisis https://www.lighthouse805.com/podcast/how-to-find-peace-in-a-crisis/ Sun, 19 Apr 2020 19:52:29 +0000 https://www.lighthouse805.com/?post_type=podcast&p=2385 Finding peace in an extended crisis… is that even possible? Today we find ourselves in unprecedented times; stuck behind closed doors. How are you coping with the extended timelines? Does fear overwhelm you? Do you look for things to occupy your time? Do you turn to humor and try to laugh it all away? We […]

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Finding peace in an extended crisis… is that even possible? Today we find ourselves in unprecedented times; stuck behind closed doors. How are you coping with the extended timelines? Does fear overwhelm you? Do you look for things to occupy your time? Do you turn to humor and try to laugh it all away? We all have a default coping mechanism we use, but there usually comes a breaking point. Today, in the last message of our Get Behind Me series – “Behind Closed Doors, Going Beyond Social Distancing” – we’ll look at the disciples in the midst of crisis.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

John 20:19

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Fear – Fear placed the disciples behind closed doors, instead of behind Jesus.

Suddenly – Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! This is a promise of God. Wherever you have locked yourself up, or barricaded your self in; Jesus is there with you. 

Peace be with you and evidence – “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side.

Revelation – They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Until they were filled with joy they were filled with fear.

Peace be with you – He repeats himself. Jesus repeats himself again because for whatever reason the disciples didn’t catch it the first time…

Sent – Jesus is calling us to give what we got. The peace and revelation we have needs to be shared. 

Empowerment – Receive the Holy Spirit. We have gotten so that we can give.

peace, empowerment, revelation…

This series is entitled Get Behind Me. Are you behind Jesus following after Him or locked up in fear behind closed doors? In this moment of social isolation, if you do not have peace, and joy and empowerment; I challenge you to reach out for prayer right now through our contact form here: lighthouse805.com

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Celebrating Easter At Home Together https://www.lighthouse805.com/podcast/celebrating-easter-at-home-together/ Mon, 13 Apr 2020 01:30:17 +0000 https://www.lighthouse805.com/?post_type=podcast&p=2370 Easter 2020 will be one we all remember… it was the Easter we were all stuck at home under quarantine. Yet it’s somehow fitting, as the message this week takes place in someone’s home. Today we celebrate Jesus shaking death, hell and the grave, off himself and giving every person the ability to do the […]

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Easter 2020 will be one we all remember… it was the Easter we were all stuck at home under quarantine. Yet it’s somehow fitting, as the message this week takes place in someone’s home. Today we celebrate Jesus shaking death, hell and the grave, off himself and giving every person the ability to do the same through Him!

How do you respond to Jesus and what He did and is doing?

We are in the middle of our sermon series Get Behind Me. Each week we are looking at different instance of the word opiso, a Greek word that means behind, follow, or following. What does that have to do with Easter? Everything…

Follow along here:

Luke 7:36-50

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” 50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

2 People Responded to Jesus:

The man followed his own agenda

The woman followed after Jesus

Is your response to Jesus costly or cheap?

If you are listening or watching this live and you want to respond to Jesus by rededicating your life or accepting Jesus into your heart for the first time would you press the respond to Jesus button to be prayed with? If you are watching another way i challenge you to message us through social media or use the contact form on lighthouse805.com…

We want to pray with you as you respond to Jesus today, just like this woman did.

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