Respond to Sunday, February 24
“Freedom, Not Fear” – John 15
Truth: Fruitfulness comes from freedom, not fear. Those who are in Christ are the branches who abide in the vine. We receive all our spiritual life from the vine, not from ourselves. Those who are Christians will bear fruit because of this abiding. Gospel freedom, grounded in the perfect love of God, not from a place of fear grounded in insecurity about our relationship to God is where fruit is borne.
Response: When you think about your life, what kind of fruit do you want to produce? What can you do to ensure that you are producing the fruit you desire? Is there fruit in your life? Has there ever been fruit in your life? If not, come to Jesus and he will make a spiritually dead heart come to life.
Truth: Fruitfulness begins with abiding in Christ. Jesus commands us to abide in him. He doesn’t command us to bear fruit. It is easy to become consumed with bearing fruit. This focus on bearing fruit is an “outside-in” perspective. It reduces Christian growth to behavior modification. The biblical version of conversion is an “inside-out” perspective. Your greatest need is not better behavior. Your greatest need is to abide in Christ.
Response: Are you abiding in Jesus today? If not, what would have to change for you to say that you are abiding in Jesus? Pray for all those not abiding in Christ. Pray that they will repent, and not be thrown away as worthless branches.
Truth: Fruitfulness flows out of an awareness of Christ’s love. Jesus says the Father, who has perfect and infinite love, loves us in the same way in which he loves him, his Son, who is perfect and infinitely lovable. Fruit is produced only when you understand and receive the truth that his love is not conditioned by how much fruit you produce.
Response: Do you remind yourself regularly that God’s goodness and love have bought you freedom, with no strings attached? Do you make it a practice to preach the gospel to yourself daily to remind you of this truth? Why don’t you make it part of your practice, and see the difference it makes to begin each day reminding yourself of who you were, and who you now are in Christ?
Prepare for Sunday, March 3
Pray for the Church
- Leaders in worship: Pastor Rickey Primrose, Brandon Ramey & the Worship Ministry.
- God will meet with us through His word and by His Spirit, lead us to worship Christ and grow in Christ-likeness.
- God will help us to be a church of zeal and hope, passionate about ministry and confident in His promises.
- God will make us more passionate about and obedient to His mission of leading people to trust and follow Christ
Prepare for the Message
A people, Not Persons (Part 1) | Ephesians 4:1-16 – Pastor Rickey Primrose
Conversion has implications for the corporate life of the church. As we continue our series, “Conversion: How God Creates a People” this Sunday we will look at Ephesians 2-4. The message is titled “A People, Not Persons” and asks, “What does a converted church look like?” If you have time this week read through all of Ephesians 2-4 looking for ramifications to the church from conversion. How does my conversion interact with yours? How are we called to be one with Christ and what is the significance of our unity with Christ? Meditate on who we once were, what Christ has done and who we have now become and what the corporate nature of Christianity looks like because of conversion. Pray this week that our church will continue to be marked by spiritual diversity and maturity.
Music for Sunday
Every Praise
by John David Bratton & Hezekiah Walker
There Are None
by Aryn Calhoun, James Tealy & Bob Mader
The Lion and The Lamb
by Brenton Brown, Brian Johnson & Leeland Mooring
Psalm 67 (Let The Nations Be Glad)
by Brandon Ramey & The Prayer Time Band