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Living generously 3

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

In our final week of, Living Generously, we turn to an encounter of Jesus in the last few weeks of his life. In Luke 18:18-30, a rich ruler asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life. Jesus quizzes the ruler and finds a person who has allowed his wealth to take prominence in his life. Jesus’ charge, sell all you own, and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, Jesus invites the man to follow Him. But the request proves too difficult, and the ruler walks away disheartened.
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Considering this story and generosity, we must ask ourselves a few questions. Does Jesus want us to sell all we own and give it away? Is our eternity linked to giving? The answers to these questions and so many more are found in the lessons of Luke 18. This study considers the heart and how quickly we betray our faith. We have to be careful not to allow this world's things to become more important to us than our faith in God. Living Generously means recognizing that all we have and all we are belong to God.

Living Generously 2

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

LIVING GENEROUSLY "The Love of Money"
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In our second week of Living Generously, we study the A
postle Paul’s instruction to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul prepares this young pastor for ministry in Ephesus. This letter covers many topics ranging from theology to basic community life instruction.
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Our focus comes from chapter 6 in which Paul offers insights about wealth and the dangers of allowing life to be consumed by its pursuit. This chapter informs our understanding of Living Generously by reminding us that a life of service and generosity leads to the storing up of treasure that is real life in Christ.

Living Generously 1

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

The Widow’s Offering
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In our first week, consider one of the most famous giving passages in scripture, the widow’s mite found in Mark 12:38-13:2. This short story has stood as the standard lesson on proportional giving. The central figure of this story is a widow who chooses to present an offering that goes beyond generosity. This offering was all that the widow had to live on and represented literally the giving of her life. Jesus contrasts her gift with that of those giving out of their abundance. We are left to determine what lesson is to be garnered here.
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Our task in this first sermon is to wrestle with the text leading into this story and immediately follow it to determine if we may have misunderstood the point Jesus was making. Could the widow’s gift be proof of Jesus’ rebuke lodged at the scribes just a few verses prior? Was this sacrificial gift offered as a result of scribes who made a practice of devouring resources while losing sight of their responsibility to care for those like the widow? We will unpack, working through the text, to see what lessons can help shape our hearts as we strive to live generously.

Habakkuk 3

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

The closing of Habakkuk’s writing is profound. This prophet has been challenged to the greatest degree of his faith. His response to this challenge is found in chapter three. He writes a song of worship. In this song, Habakkuk echoes the story of faith for the Israelites and proclaims God’s salvation and strength to be found in the struggle. This song of declaration can be taken as an affirmation to all who have experienced injustice. God can be trusted!
Join us as we sift through Habakkuk's words to see what hope is offered as we struggle through a world of injustice. Maybe his song of worship can be one that we decide to cling to.

Habakkuk 2

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Habakkuk starts Chapter 2 by expecting to receive an answer from God. This begs the question, how do we listen to God? What happens if God’s response is not what we expect? Are we willing to be challenged?
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In this chapter, we find God willing to go to great lengths to see justice prevail. But, the unfolding of God’s story seems incomprehensible to Habakkuk. The lessons we learn in this dialog teach us about the nature and character of God. The chapter ends with Habakkuk declaring that the Lord is in his temple. In other words, God is on the throne and fully in control.
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Join us as we study chapter two and consider the unique ways that God responds to injustice.

Habakkuk 1

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Why does evil seem to thrive? Does God even care? Why would God allow this to happen?
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Have you ever found yourself pondering the answers to these questions? You are in good company. Habakkuk, one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament, has a full-blown conversation with God about injustice. He questions, wrestles, pushes, and processes God’s response.
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In chapter one, Habakkuk lodges his complaint with God. A response quickly follows but God assures Habakkuk that he will not be able to comprehend the degree to which God will go to ensure that Justice prevails. As usual, God is correct.
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Join us as we study chapter one and contemplate what God has to say about injustice and what our response should be.

Freedom In Grace 2

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Every year at Community Life Church, we set aside at least two weeks to bring focus to our Recovery Ministry. Celebrate Recovery is an international recovery program that follows 12 steps linked to Biblical truth. We believe that every person is in recovery from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits The ultimate goal of this series is to normalize recovery and connect people to Jesus. For each of the two weeks, Celebrate Recovery volunteers will participate in various aspects of the services. Rolls range from greeting, opening prayer, and welcome to sharing a testimony.
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We invite you to follow this service and pay special attention to the testimony. We pray that you will discover someone who recognized their brokenness and decided to take steps toward healing. If you would like to find out more information about Celebrate Recovery or to attend a meeting click here, or for questions, you can email Steve.

Freedom In Grace 1

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Every year at Community Life Church, we set aside at least two weeks to bring focus to our Recovery Ministry. Celebrate Recovery is an international recovery program that follows 12 steps linked to Biblical truth. We believe that every person is in recovery from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits The ultimate goal of this series is to normalize recovery and connect people to Jesus. For each of the two weeks, Celebrate Recovery volunteers will participate in various aspects of the services. Rolls range from greeting, opening prayer, and welcome to sharing a testimony.
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We invite you to follow this service and pay special attention to the testimony. We pray that you will discover someone who recognized their brokenness and decided to take steps toward healing. If you would like to find out more information about Celebrate Recovery or to attend a meeting click here, or for questions, you can email Steve.

The Gospel According To Luke 4

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

In this final week of our series covering the Gospel According to Luke, we will complete our study of this book. We will look at Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, including his death, burial, resurrection, and multiple appearances.
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Undeniably, chapters 20-24 line up closely with the other three Gospel accounts. The details highlighted might be presented differently, but the core of this last week of Jesus’ life is well documented. Jesus continued to level his frustration at religious leaders while preparing his disciples for what was next. The disciples followed Jesus with seemingly no concern for what the end of the week might hold. One can only guess what they must have felt when a simple trip to pray in a garden resulted in the arrest of Jesus. This late-night stroll would lead to unimaginable pain and loss for the disciples. Thankfully, the dark days of Jesus’ arrest, death, and burial were followed by his resurrection. Death was conquered, and Jesus was alive.
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As we consider these chapters, notice how Luke highlights the people who recognized Jesus as either innocent or holy. The outsiders, the outcasts, and the outlaws could discern that Jesus was sent by God. How did this revelation impact them? How would the world forever be changed? And what are we called to do with the knowledge of this incredible story? Luke paints a picture of Jesus spending his life pursuing those who were lost. Will we be willing to do the same?