06/29/11 - Winepress or Threshing Floor - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "Winepress or Threshing Floor" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

Winepress or Threshing Floor
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Judges 6:11-14 “Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”  13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”  14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

2 vital tools to the agricultural community of Israel:

*    Threshing floor: a large flat rock with a thin covering of hard soil situated on top of a hill for exposure to the wind.  Harvested wheat was placed there; a large piece of wood or stone would be dragged over the wheat to thresh out the grain.  Then the mixture of chaff and grain would be tossed into the wind using a winnowing fork and the wind would blow away the chaff leaving behind the treasured grain.

*    Winepress: giant, hallowed out rock, usually in a low-lying area, where the grapes were brought and stamped with the feet to release the juice to make the wine


The Biblical significance of the threshing floor and the winepress:

*    The threshing floor is a place of cleansing and separation. Matthew 3:12 “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

*    Ruth and Boaz fell in love at the threshing floor. Ruth 3

*    God instructed David to have Solomon build the temple on a threshing floor. 2 Chronicles 3:1

*    The winepress is a place of wrath and judgment. Revelation 14:9 “So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath.”

*    The eyes of those on the threshing floor are focused upward (on the wind and its effects on the grain).

*    The eyes of those in the winepress are focused downward (on the grapes being crushed).

Gideon was hiding.  God wanted him to face the enemy.
Gideon was worried about his stuff being taken; God wanted him “others-focused”.
Gideon was focused on what he couldn’t do.  God wanted him to just do what he could.  “Bring me what you have.”

*    The threshing floor does not depend on man’s strength.  Oxen do the threshing and the wind does the winnowing. The wine press is dependent on man’s strength and endurance.

*    In our low places, our “hide-outs”, we forget who we are.  Gideon was no mighty hero in his eyes, but he was a “sent by God” mighty hero in God’s eyes.

*    Many of our problems, our dire circumstances, our dilemmas, are of our own making.  We are the common denominator.  Hiding just results in judgment.  We judge ourselves, others judge us, evil finds us again and again.  Even in those circumstances such as abuse, betrayal, etc, hiding and denial just keep us in the victim cycle.  When we quit hiding, go to the top of the hill and face the enemy, we confront the character issues within ourselves.  We are able to lift them up to God and allow His Holy Spirit to cleanse us.  So instead of continually ending up in the same hole (winepress), we are able to move forward and we impact the lives of others. 

06/26/11 - Winners Principle 2 - Jay Mann

Jay Mann teaches on "Winner’s Principle # 2 “Winners are Lovers” Loving Others" in this Sunday morning 11:15 am celebration.

Winner’s Principle # 2 “Winners are Lovers” Loving Others
Jay Mann
Sunday, June 26, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Winner’s Principle # 2 “Winners are Lovers” Loving Others

Bremen Update:

1)    The word says the world will know you are my disciples by the love you show one another.
    a.    This is a church full of disciples!!!
    b.    Your time, you talents, your resources have been given freely in love.
    c.    Your love for others is transforming lives in Bremen
    d.    Your love for others has allowed Amanda and I to truly live in our purpose and follow our destiny.

2)    Others are discovering their purpose and destiny!
    a.    People like AJ Skidmore   
    b.    People like Tommy Skidmore   
    c.    People like Joe and Jenifer Barfield
    d.    People like Melissa Wilson
    e.    TJ and Nicole Freeman

3)    Your love for others is amazing!!!
    a.    Statistics


Recap:

1)    Last Month “Winners Must Have Vision”
    a.    Not just vision, God inspired vision
2)    This month “Winners are Lovers”
    a.    Winners love God
    b.    Winners love themselves
    c.    Winners love others
    d.    Winners love life

Last week we talked about Loving Yourself

1)    Before we can love others we have to love ourselves
    a.    To love ourselves, we have to have the winner inside of us. JESUS!
    b.    We love others out of the overflow of love in us
    c.    To have that overflow, we must stay hooked up to the source of life and love!
    d.    The source that never runs out!

Foundational Verse for this series- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3(NLT)

1)    WINNERS ARE LOVERS!!


This week we will be talking about loving others

In verse 2 it says “if I had such faith that I could move mountains”

1)    We can work up enough faith to move a mountain
    a.    Man made faith/works based
    b.    If it’s not powered by the love of God it means nothing!

2)    Here at LGC we are a grace church!
    a.    You couldn’t do anything to get saved, and you can’t do anything to get any better once you get saved
    b.    Jesus gave it all to you when you got saved
    c.    It was done once and for all at the cross over 2000 years ago
    d.    Jesus doesn’t love you any more if you fast and pray all week than if you don’t
        i.    Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fast and pray, you should.
        ii.    That’s one of the keys to a winners life
        iii.    Doesn’t have anything to do with your salvation
    e.    Your Sin doesn’t have anything to do with entrance to heaven.
        i.    Jesus didn’t say lets count up your sins and see if you get into heaven.
        ii.    One way and only one way to heaven, Jesus!
        iii.    A relationship with Jesus Christ!

3)    The word says those who have been forgiven much, they are big forgivers.
    a.    Who in here hasn’t been forgiven much?
        i.    Doesn’t matter what you’ve done
        ii.    If the worst thing you ever did was shoot a spitball at your teacher, you’ve been forgiven
        iii.    Greater than that you have been forgiven for not having a relationship with the maker of the universe.
        iv.    We should all be great lovers of others, because we are so loved!!!


We were created to do 3 things:

1)    Express his personality
2)    Exhibit his power
3)    Extend his kingdom


We were created to express his personality

1)    So it is so important that we understand the nature of   God
    a.    If you think God’s out to get you, you’ll be out to get other people
    b.    If you think God keeps score, you’ll keep score
    c.    If you think God’s love is conditional, your love will be conditional
    d.    If you think there are some things you just can’t get over, well aren’t you glad there wasn’t anything that God couldn’t get over.
    e.    We are quick to say “well God hates homosexuality”
        i.    Also says he hates divorce and lying and backstabbing and greed
        ii.    If we are going to start picking out what he hates, let’s get in line we’re all in that line
        iii.    What we’ve done is picked out one nation, one people group and say let’s set them apart and pick on them.
        iv.    What we have done is drove them away from the very place they need to be, the body of Christ
        v.    He loves me and I’ve lied, he loves me and I have sin in my life
        vi.    He doesn’t measure one against the other, sin is sin is sin
    f.    He doesn’t hate any of these people
        i.    He hates what these things do to our lives

We were created to exhibit his power

1)    When things happen we are supposed to have the answer
    a.    May not have the answer, but do have the solution
    b.    The solution to every problem is Jesus
    c.    You can pray with them
    d.    You have something to give you can exhibit the power of God through prayer
    e.    Don’t give them the answer before they ask the question

We were created to extend his kingdom

1)    We do that by, expressing his personality and exhibiting his power
    a.    Read Galatians 5:13 (NLT)
    b.    Romans 5:5 says we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the holy spirit to fill our hearts with love
        i.    The ability of God to love has been put in us
        ii.    The ability to love people know matter what they look like
        iii.    The ability to love people no matter what they have done
        iv.    The ability to love the unlovable has been put in us
        v.    We have to recognize it and not put up with anything but the love of God flowing out of us
        vi.    If you recognize hey this is not the love of God flowing out of me take authority over it
    c.    We have been made masters over life
        i.    Not masters over life and death
        ii.    Not death givers, life givers
        iii.    The first Adam was a death giver, a taker
        iv.    The second Adam (Jesus) was a life giver
        v.    My wife, my kids, my friends, my neighbors, my associates are supposed to be lifed by me
        vi.    I am the master of life
        vii.    People get frustrated because they try to be masters in areas they haven’t been given authority
        viii.    When you are feeling frustrated, look at what you are trying to be masters over


Story from 2 Kings 7

1)    Armeans have put the city of Samaria under siege and are outside the city gates letting them starve

2)    Food inside the gates is getting scarce and what’s left is selling for super high prices

3)    Elisha prophesies to the king that the next day flour will sell for next to nothing and be plentiful

4)    4 lepers are huddled up in the foyer to the gates to the city, not in the city and not out
    a.    They decide that the next morning they will just surrender to the army outside the city. There is no food in the city so they will die and the army may take them captive and they might eat. Worst thing that could happen is they will be killed.

5)    They go to the camp the next morning and the army is gone, but all of their tents and food and drink are there. They ate and ate, then decide it wasn’t right not to let the city know. So they go to tell the gate keeper. Outside the wall is everything you need.

6)    The king sends some scouts to check it out and it was found to be true. That day flour sold for next to nothing just as Elisha had prophesied.


Life lessons from this text

1)    The walls that we build to protect ourselves are keeping us from blessing.
    a.    Maybe the way we’ve been treated, the way we’ve been raised or trained,
    b.    Walls that have separated us from certain people groups
    c.    A wall doesn’t just protect you, it keeps things out too
    d.    You have to come outside of you walls to get your blessing
    e.    You have to go out and love people, people are his glory, his glory is in people outside of your wall too

2)    The most difficult people in your life often have exactly what you need.
    a.    The thing you need to learn, the thing you need to grow in, the love you need
    b.    If you shut them off and say I don’t like dealing with difficult people, you’re going to miss out on something God’s got for you. There is a treasure in everyone.

3)    Diversity brings completeness
    a.    We are afraid of diversity a lot of times
    b.    God wants us to celebrate diversity
    c.    One of my greatest spiritual mentors is a black man
    d.    Some think that God divided the races for a reason, when in fact the truth is God divided by language, not skin color
    e.    Martin Luther King said the most divided hour of the week is worship on Sunday morning
    f.    What do you think heaven’s going to look like?

We have got to tear our walls down, reach out and embrace people the creator of love is inside of us.

06/26/11 - A Church Full of Crazy Folks - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "A Church Full of Crazy Folks" in this Sunday morning celebration.

A Church Full of Crazy Folks
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, June 26, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Big Idea:  The local church, God’s plan for the world per Ephesians 3:10, is supposed to change the city in which it is located.  It must gain influence and to do so, it must be healthy, life-giving, strategic and outsider-focused. 

Jeremiah 29:7 “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” 
Jeremiah 29:7 (NCV) “Also do good things for the city where I sent you as captives. Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living, because if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also."

Mark 2:1-12 1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
 6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”  8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”  12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

*    Church is built by Jesus to be significant. Matthew 16:18
*    Church is not a hobby, not a “part” of our life, not something we do.  Ephesians 1:20 (Message) “The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.”
*    We don’t go to church, we are the church—His body in action, His bride.  (Ephesians 1:23; 5:31-32)
*    We, the local church, as the Body of Christ, are to reproduce His ministry—so the things we “see Him do” in the Gospels are models of what we do in our cities  (John 14:12)

What can we learn about “being the church—the body of Christ who does what He does” from this story in Mark 2?
*    Vs. 1: Make sure Jesus feels at home
*    Vs. 2: When Jesus is in the house (church—1 Timothy 3:15) there will be growth
*    Vs. 3: Our homes, church, and city have those who are paralyzed: physically, mentally, socially, spiritually
*    Vs. 4: The crowd, those in the house, are “insider-focused”.  They do not see the paralytic trying to get in or, if they do, they don’t make room for him.  4 “Crazy Friends” are outsider-focused and they will not be stopped by any obstacle.
*    Vs. 5: Their faith (the friends’) touches Heaven and changes Earth.  Our homes, our neighborhoods, our circle of influence, our churches, our cities are full of people who don’t have faith to push past the obstacles—we must exercise ours in spite of the crowd!
*    Vs. 5:  The paralytic didn’t want to hear “Your sins are forgiven.”  He wanted to hear “rise up and walk”.  Jesus knows what we need, we know what we want.  Our mission is not to provide all the answers, or take the pressure to have the answers.  We don’t even know what they need, what we need.  We see the wants, the symptoms.  He knows the need that will heal the disease instead of treating the symptom.  Our mission is to get them to His presence where those needs are met. 
*    Vs. 6-8: interlude to address the “That’s not the way we do it” group.  “We’ve never seen it done like this before”, “That’ll never work”.  “Wait and see” before I jump in.   Note the paralytic waits for the touch of God during this.  The mission of the church is put on hold while we debate.  (I think Jesus gives him a wink to reassure him everything is going to work out fine)  Gather around mission, not doctrine or theology. 
*    Vs. 9-12: Everybody wins except the critics.  When “…good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also”.

So What?
1.   Love the church, be the church.  Let Jesus bring wholeness to our “church dysfunctions”.
2.   Stay “outsider-focused”—see the Harvest
3.   Tear off “the roof”—what separates the lost, the hurting and the next generation from the presence of Jesus?  Be a crazy friend who challenges every obstacle that stands between people and Jesus.
4.   Make Jesus “at home”—create environments that honor and please Him.  Be a church full of people who don’t judge, who love recklessly, and who worship with heart, soul, mind and strength.

One more story:  Jesus (our model for what the church does) on the cross and the criminal next to Him is promised a place with Him for eternity.  Grace is the trademark of the church.

06/22/11 - Wednesday Night - Pastor Michael Adams

Pastor Michael Adams teaches in this Wednesday evening service.

Pastor Michael Adams
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

06/19/11 - Joseph - Jody Bowman

Jody Bowman teaches on "Joseph:Being a Spiritual Leader of Your Household" in this Father's Day Sunday morning celebration.

Joseph
Jody Bowman
Sunday, June 19, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Connecting with everyone
- today’s message is for everyone. We are all spiritual leaders and we have to be able to lead ourselves first, before we can lead someone else. Fathers are chosen to lead the household, but they don’t always step up and take on the responsibility given to them by God. So we have married women, single mothers and single dads who are the spiritual leaders at home. Statistics show that if there is a spiritual leader in a household, 75% of these children will give their life to Jesus. Only 25% of children, not being spiritually led will give their life to Christ. It is important to to spiritually lead ourselves and our children.


Intro into Joseph

(chosen by God to be the earthly father to his only begotten Son, Jesus) (not a single word quoted from him in the bible, but his life speaks louder than words)

Turn to Luke 2:41-51 first and then to Matthew 1:18-25

We have to have a relationship with God before we can spiritual influence our family and friends.


Verse #1: Matthew 1:18-25

-    Righteous Man:

When Joseph found himself in a terrible situation, it was his relationship with God and reaction to it that made him a righteous and spiritual person. He didn’t react with ungodly anger or public disgrace. Instead Joseph was going to handle the situation in a godly way by divorcing her privately and quietly. If Joseph had done it publically, Mary would have been stoned and humiliated. His love for Mary was unselfish and real.

    **    As a Christian, we should always handle our personal problems privately. Our first reaction defines our maturity in Christ. Are we announcing our problems from the rooftops and allowing ungodly counsel from others? We should only seek counsel from godly people, trusted friends and family who love God and are with us, not just for us. Don’t take personal opinions as advice from friends and family, if it doesn’t line up with the Word of God.


-    Obedience:

Joseph loved God so much that he knew the Lord would take care of this mess he was in. How do we know this? Well, for Mary to have just told him that she was pregnant, he still was able to fall asleep that night! Then the Lord spoke to him in a dream and told him what to do. When Joseph woke up, he immediately does what the Lord says

    **    Joseph doesn’t make up excuses or try to talk himself out of it. He doesn’t call all his friends to get a census on what he should do. He wakes up and he does exactly what the Lord tells him to do. He knows when God is speaking to him. How do we know when God is speaking to us? First, everything God tells you will line up with the Word. God is always the same, never changing in his Word. Second, he will always talk to you in the same way. He spoke to Joseph in dreams. He speaks to me in the same way every time. He is not the God of confusion; he wants you to hear him clearly and without question of what he wants you to do. What do we do when God speaks to us? Joseph got up the next morning and did exactly what God told him to do. When God speaks to you, you need to act on it immediately.  Don’t give yourself time to talk yourself out of it or come up with excuses you can’t do it. Respond in complete obedience and willingness.

With obedience, comes great sacrifice!


Verse #2: Luke 2:41-51

-    Sacrifice:

Every year Joseph took his entire family to Jerusalem for the Passover. It took 2-3 months to make this journey. Joseph sacrificed his family business and finances to make this journey. They didn’t make any money for these 3 months. This was a huge sacrifice to his family, but Joseph knew the importance of church and worship. We see the results of this sacrifice when Jesus turns up missing on the way home. They found Jesus in the temple reading the Word!

    **    We need to lead our families to church and in a godly life, even if it means making sacrifices. We need to teach them the importance of church. We need to be teaching them how to pray and worship God. Joseph modeled that living for God was 1st, no matter what it cost. That obedience is better than sacrifice. Look at Jesus the night of His betrayal when He had to choose between His will and the will of God. Joseph had already modeled the choice for Him. Jesus said ‘let not my will be done, but your will be done.’ When our families and children face the tough choices they will face, have we modeled the one that will bring them victory in Christ? Have we modeled that serving God is the ultimate reward no matter the sacrifice?

   **    We see Mary running into the temple all frantic and upset. She was just being a normal mother that couldn’t find her lost child. I can picture Joseph trying to calm her down with words like‘we raised Him good and in the ways of the Lord, He is a good boy, He knows the Lord will protect Him’. And Mary probably yelling at him that he is to calm and should be more worried about the situation. Joseph was upset, but when they found Jesus in the temple, I bet Joseph had this big grin on his face. He was probably thinking ‘That’s my Boy!’

The rewards are far greater than the sacrifices!! One of the rewards is a great relationship with your children!


-    Relationship:

Joseph had a close relationship with his children. One example of this is that Joseph taught Jesus the skill of carpentry. They lived in Nazareth and Joseph would take Jesus to work with him to Sepphoris, capital city of Galilee, a pagan city. Joseph used this time teaching Jesus how to work and live among non believers. Joseph lived his testimony daily at work and at home.

    **    We have to have this kind of relationship with Jesus. We need Jesus to teach us how to be Christians at home, in the work place and around all unbelievers. He has given us special talents to teach our children. Use this time to build your relationship with your children. Take every opportunity to pour Jesus into their lives when they are young and it will manifest when they grow up. One example of this is Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11). This miracle didn’t heal anyone, raise anyone from the dead or drive out any demon. It was a reflection of what Joseph did when he heard Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Jesus was not going to let this situation embarrass Mary, so he performed the miracle and turned the water into wine. He honored Mary just as Joseph had done in the beginning. Joseph modeled a godly life to all his children and for this reason, God chose him to be the earthly father of his only begotten son, Jesus Christ.

06/15/11 - Love Breakdown - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "Love Breakdown" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

Love Breakdown
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

06/12/11 - The Point - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "The Point" in this vision Sunday morning celebration.

The Point
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, June 12, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Jeremiah18:11-13 MESSAGE "So, tell the people…my Message: 'Danger…Turn back from your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives.' "But they'll just say, 'Why should we? What's the point? We'll live just the way we've always lived, doom or no doom.'"

What’s the Point?  (turn to 1 Corinthians 2:14, mark it, and start with 1 Corinthians 3:18)
1 Corinthians 3:18 “Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God…”

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But people who aren’t spiritual*can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means."  (*Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life)

*    What’s the point of religion? Why bring all that into our lives?  Wouldn’t we be better off without this religion stuff?  Man is created in the image of God.  Deny that and we “devolve, not evolve.”  We become part of the animal kingdom instead of being human.  Animal kingdom rules begin to order our worldview—strongest survive creating a society of takers who prey on those weaker or more vulnerable, mate because it feels good and we are driven by instinct rather than love or purpose, value of life is degraded.  We are created in God’s image—we are not just body, not even just body and soul, we are body, soul and spirit.  We are spiritual beings.  In fact, our spirit is our defining attribute.  Without spiritual food, we devolve into soulish beings who devolve into beings driven by our bodies.  (Genesis 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 4:24)

*    What’s the point of trying to sell everyone on Christianity?  Ok, I get the religion thing.  It’s good to have a “spiritual focus” in our lives.  But there are many ways to satisfy that spiritual itch—lots of paths, lots of choices.  Isn’t it kind of pushy, arrogant, and exclusive to say Christianity is not just the best choice, but the only choice?  There are 2 reasons Christianity is the only choice:
    -    Man cannot produce anything spiritual, we can only reproduce human effort and thinking.  Therefore, anything that does not come from Heaven, from God himself, will not satisfy the spiritual longing and needs we experience.  Only God can fill the God hole in each of us.  Any other “way” will only feed the soul, which may slow the devolving process, but does not stop it.  Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Life because He came from Heaven.  He is God and Christianity is His way to fill our spiritual being.  (John 3:6; John 6:63; John 3:31)
    -    The other reason is the universe was created by God, with laws that keep order.  Laws like gravity, relativity, speed of light and sound.  Laws that govern our body, like we must breathe, eat, drink and exercise.  That life is in our blood.  Laws like reaping and sowing—you must plant a seed to get a harvest.  Adam (humanity) planted sin—seperation from God—and we reaped death.  The law had to be satisfied but there had to be a sinless human to satisfy it—Jesus.  There had never been a sinless human, and there will never be another.  He is the only one—therefore He is the only Way. (John 14:6)

*    What’s the point of taking church so seriously? Why not just have a good church, go more than I don’t, and not be so involved and driven?  I work hard, I play hard, I am a good family person.  When I do come to church I want to experience God’s presence, I don’t want it to be boring, and I want to interact with some nice people.  It would be good if the message was practical and inspiring.  I want my kids to have a good experience, I don’t want to have to drag them here, and as they get older I want a strong youth program to help keep them from getting into trouble.  I think the grounds should look nice, I want the bathrooms to be clean, I like the bonus of free coffee and even a café.  I think it would be nice if the music is good and I think we ought to help people out when we can.  But what’s the point of joining this “Dream Team” and getting involved.  I’m busy enough as it is.  What’s the point of these Connect Groups?  I don’t need any more friends.  The Church, the local church, is God’s plan for the world.  It is the hope of the world.  It is the only institution on this planet empowered by God with the ability to transform lives and bring hope.  And our participation in it and with it is the way the world--our friends, neighbors, relatives and associates—will see Jesus in action.  Our being the church, not just going to it, is the way Jesus is lifted up so that men are drawn to Him.  Our “marriage” to the church is the way Jesus is presented to a world so desperately hungry for “spiritual” satisfaction.  Our own lives find fulfillment when we find our place in ministry, and the whole church—the worldwide body of Christ—is made stronger when each of us take our place in that Body.  When we connect to each other we find our destiny, our purpose and our fulfillment.  We each become stronger.  Our connections empower our future.  Healthy, life-giving connections empower healthy, life-giving futures.  Our church, like our marriage, cannot be our hobby. Great, fun, life-giving marriages that everybody wants don’t just happen.  They are the result of serious investment, continually growing and always connecting.  Ephesians 3:8 Message: “Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!”

*    What’s the point of living righteously?  Ok, I get the Christianity thing and I get the church thing.  But if Jesus’ sacrifice, His life, His performance is what makes me right with God—if my performance, if “doing good” is not what makes me right with Him, What’s the point of studying the Word, praying, fasting, and giving?  Why not just do my best and not be “so different”?  Again, 2 reasons: you and the rest of the world. 
It’s different because it’s an “inside out life” rather than an “outside in life”.  It’s a life being changed from the inside out by the person of Jesus.  The more I know Him, the more I am around Him, the more I behold Him, the more I become like Him.  The more room I give Him on the inside, the more I look like Him on the outside.  The things that rock us, that shake up our world, are outside things—economy, relationships, etc.  If I am bigger and better on the inside than I am on the outside, then the things on the outside do not rock my world.  I am more peaceful and full of joy because I know where I stand with God and I am letting that right standing permeate my entire being.  On top of that, when I put His priorities first, when I put His Kingdom first, I don’t have to worry about my well-being—inside or outside.  He has it handled.

As I become an inside out person, my influence for the Kingdom (the real reason I am still on this planet anyway) increases.  One person can make a difference.  One light shining can penetrate the thickest darkness.  “This little light of mine” can be the lighthouse somebody needs on their darkest day.  Numbers 16:47-48 “Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.”  Aaron stopped the plague by being a worshipper.  We can change our world by doing the same.  (2 Corinthians 3:18; Matthew 6:31-33; Matthew 24:12)

*    What’s the point of being baptized? Ok, I want to stand between the living and the dead, I want to be a light that shines for others trapped in darkness, I want to make a difference.  But what’s the big deal about baptism?  It’s a “public profession” of your choice to follow Jesus.  It’s a statement to yourself, those you lead (family, friends, etc), and to those around you that you have chosen the ABC’s of salvation and want to follow Jesus in your life.  It’s is one thing we know for sure we are doing just like Him.  And it is a spiritual empowerment—back to that first point.  We are spiritual beings and the Trinity blesses baptism.  It’s not just a religious ritual or tradition—it is an empowering of the Holy Spirit.  Jump in the water and go to an HNL!  (Matthew 3:15-16)
Altar Call and end with The Point video.

06/08/11 - Acting the Fool - Tony Sherrill

Tony Sherrill teaches on "Acting the Fool" in this Wednesday celebration.

Acting the Fool
Tony Sherrill
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

06/05/11 - Pillars & Focus - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "Pillars & Focus" in this vision Sunday morning celebration.

Pillars & Focus
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, June 05, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Ephesians 1:20 MESSAGE “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”

Matthew 16:18 “…I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

Our Pillars:
1.    Weekend Celebrations—a partnership with you to reach your circle of influence

2.    Connections—“doing life together” is the Jesus method of making disciples.  Significant churches are those where people have decided they are in for the long haul and set about making lifetime connections that strengthen everybody.  Get healed from the “easy to disconnect” disease.
    a.    Dream Team—our foundational connection—find your ministry, find your place—“Get on the bus, Gus”
    b.    Connect Groups—social groups, interest groups, sports groups, coaching groups (Reel Life)
    c.    Wednesday “Core Fitness”—more intimate, focused on strengthening the “core”
    d.    Special Ministries: ManUp, Shine, Freedom

3.    Servolution—serving our community, our nation and the world through intentional, strategic missions

Our Focus: The Lost, The Hurting and the Next Generation

Church is not for those already here—it is for those yet to come.  Those of us already here are here to serve those yet to come.  Matthew 20:28 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

*    The Lost:  The Unconnected (those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus) and the Disconnected (those who know Jesus but are not part of a local church—the unchurched and the dechurched).  Church must be a place that celebrates people.  A place where people can find a friend.  A place where purses left unwatched might be stolen.  A people that understands the culture without embracing it.  Every study shows the unconnected or disconnected are looking for the same thing when they visit a church—to experience the presence of God.  We must be a people who love God and people with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

*    The Hurting:  The broken, lonely, rejected, sick, betrayed, addicted, etc.. The church should be a place of healing—spirit, soul and body.  We must be people who are full of the power of the Holy Spirit, overflowing with the love of the Father, and moving in the compassion of Jesus.  We have the answer for the hurting but we have to earn the right for them to ask us the question.

*    The Next Generation:  Those who are right behind us.  Each generation should effectively be impacting 3 generations: their own and 2 others.  (God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob).  Church must be a place where the next generation can find their voice and where their voice is heard.  There is a place for every generation in the church, and all of us must empower, encourage, and equip the next generation.  There is no success without a successor.  Celebrate the “new thing” while providing a solid foundation for the next generation to spread their wings.

06/01/11 - Wednesday Night - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches in this Wednesday evening service.

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, June 01, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com