Colossians 3:16-17

16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

“Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

• The Word in us
  • Word of Christ refers to the word to Christs teachings
  • Dwell – to be at home. Like when someone says “make yourself at home”.
    • visitor vs family
  • Richly – abundance. more than you need to survive
  • Have the teachings of Christ in you.
  • When the teachings of Christ are missing – humanity feels a soul craving that it trys to fill with nonsense
• Share the Word
  • Teaching – sharing what you are getting – after service!
  • Admonishing – has to do with duty. we owe our brothers and sisters
• Praise God
  • And sing, sing your hearts out to God!
  • Taking in the teachings of Christ then sharing the teachings of Christ with each other – Praise should be the immediate result

Colossians 3:17

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

• Don’t act or speak unless you have the teachings of Jesus dwelling richly in your life.
• Your mouth and your actions can hurt more than help.

So for us…. don’t waste a good pandemic.

Meaning, you have time to press in.

Mark 2:1

“When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home.”

• Theologians believe Jesus made his home at Peters house
• People could find Jesus not at the church, but by finding the disciples.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me….And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

• What will they think if I ask to pray for them?
• If I win the lottery then I can tithe, but until then I can’t afford it.
• I can’t talk about Jesus to that person.
• Conditional faith – we will see what happens. I can’t… until…

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

John 13:35

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Mark 9:33-37

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

1. Fail to pay attention- Jesus is speaking, are you listening and discerning.

• The drivers seat belongs to Jesus
• Your focus is on the driver and the passengers
  • Jesus (listen, understand, see how He is leading you especially in hard times
    • Psalm 23:4
    • Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
  • Yourself (follow and don’t be a backseat driver trying to tell Jesus where to lead you)
  • Others (if your seats are empty practice inviting) I believe loneliness can be a tool that Jesus can use. So we are forced out of our comfort zone to bring others in.

A diet will change how you look, but a fast will change how you see.

Matthew 9:27-31

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

• blind from denial
  • things have changed but you have refused to adapt and follow Jesus into the new season.
  • covid has shaken up the world, and a chunk of believers have refused to move and follow Jesus.
• blind from selfishness
  • I don’t like that. Jesus didn’t ask about whether you liked it. He asked you to follow Him.
• blind from bitterness
  • someone or something hurt you, now your bitter.
• blind from isolation
  • the more alone we become the less community we have. we lose the vision of the kingdom of God
• blind from disobedience
  • Psalm 119:29 – Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.

• Pursue Jesus
• Know the authority of Jesus
  • First time in New Testament the title of Jesus was called out. They knew the position Jesus held as Messiah.
• Have some Faith
  • It’s, “Because you have faith,” not “In proportion to your faith.” Jesus did not provide healing according to the amount of faith the blind men had.

• he was a precise note taker
• knew the Old Testament
• took the livelihood away from people

• wrote a book in the Bible
• provided livelihood to people for all of time.

Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

― Frederick Buechner

Hosea 6:6

6 I want you to show love,

    not offer sacrifices.

I want you to know me

    more than I want burnt offerings.

Ever see a child open a present they “needed” at Christmas but not what they “wanted”? Thanks for the socks and underwear Grandma. As a society we have come to place greater value on what we want than what we need. But Jesus was the ultimate need gift and still is today. We are in our sermon series – Change Your City – it’s all about Jesus showing up on the scene of a city called Capernaum and the city was changed; which then changed the world. Capernaum means – village of comfort – your ability to change your city is linked to moving past your comfort. Today’s message is “All I Need For Christmas”…

There are no mentions of Christmas in Capernaum. But the Holy Spirit began to speak and prep my heart after I read a historians look at Capernaum. Josephus, who turned to be the best historian for this time, writes about the area of the sea of Galilee and Capernaum:

“The country also that lies over against this lake hath the same name of Gennesareth; its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty; its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it, and the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there; for the temper of the air is so well mixed, that it agrees very well with those several sorts, particularly walnuts, which require the coldest air, flourish there in vast plenty; there are palm trees also, which grow best in hot air; fig trees also and olives grow near them, which yet require an air that is more temperate. One may call this place the ambition of nature, where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together; it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if every one of them laid claim to this country; for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men’s expectation, but preserves them a great while; it supplies men with the principal fruits, with grapes and figs continually, during ten months of the year  and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together through the whole year; for besides the good temperature of the air, it is also watered from a most fertile fountain.”

The Holy Spirit revealed to me what was happening to the plant life in Capernaum and paralleled it to believers.

A plant needs 3 things to live –

1. soil,
2. environment,
3. water –

A believer finds all 3 of those in Jesus

All I need for Christmas…The Gift that is Jesus:

1 – Soil  – The success of a plant depends on it remaining planted in the soil that feeds it.

John 15:1-4 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

REMAIN* – stay planted. Stop hopping into a spot you think will be fruitful for you. All you need for Christmas is Jesus. Stop confusing your pruning for your relationship with Jesus.

Doing Life Together –

When we are planted where Jesus wants us planted we dont choose who or what  we are next to. Jesus chooses. I love the quote from Josephus. “it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together”. What does the verse John 15:1-4 on remaining planted mean to you? Are you working with or against the people or resources Jesus has given you?

2 – Environment – Plants live or die based on the environment.

Mark 4:37-40 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Winter is always before spring…. storms will try and take you out before you’re fruitful. Your faith in Jesus will keep you planted during the storms.

3 – Water – Plants can only live as long as they have  water

John 4:13-15 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Your source of Life is Jesus. Don’t confuse your wants for your needs.

Next Steps – Your next step is more about what you are giving. “the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there” – You inhabit the Kingdom of God – Are you planting all sorts of seeds there? the seed of hope, peace, kindness, love, joy?

• Connected to the God
• Connected to Community
• Connected to Calling

• Connected to the God
• Connected to Community
• Connected to Calling

Luke 4:1-2, 14-15.

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,[a] 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

Mark 6:30-32

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Matthew 14:1-13

14 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[a] heard about Jesus, 2 he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.” 3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet. 6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. 13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.

Luke 6:12-13.

12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

Luke 22:39-44

39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

Luke 5:16

16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Ever feel like you’re doing everything you know to do, but it just doesn’t amount to anything? Or what your trying to get never materializes? Sometimes we can find ourselves close to Jesus and still feel like our nets are empty. Listen to this message and build your faith to fill your nets. This is the message “Empty Nets” in our Change Your City series. Follow along here:

Luke 5:1-11

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

1. The Shallows vs The Depths

• Shallows – Where Jesus speaks to us
• The depths – Where Jesus calls us to action

James 2:14-17

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 4:17

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Doing Life Together – 

What is your depth with Jesus? What is He calling you to take action on?

Luke 5:1-11

3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

In the shallows and the depths there was Jesus, Peter, and a pile of empty nets.

A continual empty net is an indicator that you need to move from the shallows to the depths

If you feel like you are unproductive, if you are missing something even though you have Jesus. I challenge you to move to the depths like Peter and Jesus; and take action on the word of God. Take action on what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about.

You might say but I’ve tried before and it didn’t work…in order to change your city…. you gotta try again.

Luke 5:1-11

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Your faith-lead actions in changing your city will inspire others to do that same.

2. What does it take to be a successful fisherman?

5 Skills all fishermen need (and we need to change our city):

1. 1. Navigate the seas – position ourselves to fish where the fish are at.
   2. Catching fish – know what tool to use for the situation. How to communicate with our friends, family, neighbors, co workers….
   3. Prepare the fish – they had to salt and brine the fish to last the journey. Are we equipping and our loved ones to last the journey of life?
   4. Export the fish – are we discipling our fish/family/friends to go change their cities?
   5. Repeat – keep fishing.

Next Steps – Which part of the fisherman’s step are you on? Finish your step and move onto the next one. 

How do you move your faith forward? Or how to do you live a life from a place of faith? Where it’s at the forefront of everything you do… everything you are. And why would or should you? That’s the subject of todays Faith Check message “Faith Forward”. 

Let’s look at the gold standard of faith from Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 15:16

When I discovered your words, I devoured them.

They are my joy and my heart’s delight,

for I bear your name,

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.

Step 1: Search and discover His Word for today, for now, for this season… always.

Step 2: Devour them like a good taco. Take it in and chew on it, absorb the life giving qualities.

Step 3: My Joy and Heart’s Delight = They bring mental health, emotional health and spiritual health.

Step 4: I bear Your name = Because I’m called by Jesus; I can call on Jesus

We’re always talking about looking at the scriptures in context –  Let’s do a faith check on Jeremiah…

Jeremiah chapter 15… the “gold standard of faith” verse is found right in the middle of this chapter; right in the middle of a gripe session from Jeremiah to God. “I have to deliver Your word to these people. Jeremiah is upset…And now…. They don’t like me. They hurt me. And where are You? ”

The best verse in this chapter is:

Jeremiah 15:20 nasb

Therefore, thus says the Lord,

“If you return, then I will restore you—

Before Me you will stand;

And if you extract the precious from the worthless,

You will become My spokesman.

They for their part may turn to you,

But as for you, you must not turn to them.

“Extract the precious from the worthless”

***Doing life in the comments.***

What are worthless thoughts you can ditch and some Word you can put in their place?

Jeremiah 15:20 (The Message)

“Take back those words, and I’ll take you back.

Then you’ll stand tall before me.

Use words truly and well. Don’t stoop to cheap whining.

Then, but only then, you’ll speak for me.

Let your words change them.

Don’t change your words to suit them.

Break down this verse…

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

15. Romans 8:6

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

16. Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

1. Repent of the worthless, cheap, pointless words that you have used 
2. Replace with living, encouraging, fulfilling words.

“Let your words change them…. Don’t change your words to suit them.”

NEXT STEPS: Use your words with the authority of God.

Let’s take an audit of our words this week and make sure we are sifting through for the life giving, fulfilling words; and letting go of the worthless, cheap, useless stuff.

Have you ever been expecting or needing something from someone who is not reliable? We all know what it feels like to hope this time they will come through. And we all know what it feels like when they don’t… again. Today’s Faith Check message is titled “Reliable Faith”. We’re going to look at the difference between putting our faith in something that’s unreliable verses what is reliable – God. Because He is always reliable.

Jeremiah 1:11-12

11 Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”

And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”

12 And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”

There is a play on sounds here in the Hebrew text. The word translated almond (shaqēd) has the same root as the word hasten (shōqēd).  As the early blossoming almond tree gave promise of the later spring fruit, so God would watch over His word to bring it to fruition.

God will always carry out His plans – God is always reliable. 

Todays message is called  ‘Reliable Faith.’

Unreliable faith is:

1. Unreliable faith is when we place our faith in anything but Jesus. When we establish idols and put our hope and trust there. (Social media, news, other people like family, our job, ….)
2. Unreliable faith is actions without relationship. (I’m a good person I volunteer, I serve, I give…. but I don’t know Jesus.)
3. Unreliable Faith is a relationship without actions. (I’m saved, but I don’t do anything with it)

Matthew 7:12-27

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Reliable faith is only through Jesus. 

**Underline or circle all the times YOU or YOUR is mentioned in this scripture…**

Jeremiah 29:10-14

10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

Are we keying into the fact that Faith Check is all about “your relationship with Jesus”?

Babylon represents earth…. home is heaven.

When your mind focuses on the future and hope that is Jesus in Heaven – nothing else compares:

• frustrations
• situations
• health
• telling people about Jesus

Reliable faith is…

•  When you pray He listens
•  If you look with your whole heart you will find Jesus

Jesus has to be found by you – just because your grandma prays doesn’t give you an automatic get into heaven card. This is a two-way relationship.

Let’s talk about the coronavirus for a second.

Do a faith check right now… Do you hyper-focus more on the conspiracy theories, the political climate, or even dwell more on what used to be…. Or do you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you for a second about the uncertainty of this world and realize the urgency for Jesus?

How is your relationship with Jesus? Genuinely asking. Will you be the one that gets to heaven and says Lord Lord, and hear from Jesus? or I don’t know you?

Next Steps: Make this the Sunday that you start, build, or strengthen your relationship with Jesus.

Jesus is Reliable!

But it starts with your reliable faith.

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.