Sunday, March 21, 2021

Search & Rescue

 Welcome to Verde Valley Christian Church

March 21, 2021   / / /   "Search & Rescue"

Series: The Certainty

Speaker: Doug Bridge


HEARING  → BELIEVING → LIVING → KNOWING

1.     A LOST SHEEP

Luke 15:1-7

Many tax collectors and “sinners” came to listen to Jesus. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: “Look! This man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!” Then Jesus told them this story: “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but he loses 1 of them. Then he will leave the other 99 sheep alone and go out and look for the lost sheep. The man will keep on searching for the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, the man is very happy. He puts it on his shoulders and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ In the same way, I tell you there is much joy in heaven when 1 sinner changes his heart. There is more joy for that 1 sinner than there is for 99 good people who don’t need to change.

2.     A LOST COIN

Luke 15:8-10

“Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will light a lamp and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ In the same way, there is joy before the angels of God when 1 sinner changes his heart.”

3.     A LOST SON

Luke 15:11-32

Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the property.’ So the father divided the property between his two sons. Then the younger son gathered up all that was his and left. He traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in foolish living. He spent everything that he had. Soon after that, the land became very dry, and there was no rain. There was not enough food to eat anywhere in the country. The son was hungry and needed money. So he got a job with one of the citizens there. The man sent the son into the fields to feed pigs. The son was so hungry that he was willing to eat the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All of my father’s servants have plenty of food. But I am here, almost dying with hunger. I will leave and return to my father. I’ll say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son. But let me be like one of your servants.’ So the son left and went to his father. “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. He felt sorry for his son. So the father ran to him, and hugged and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get our fat calf and kill it. Then we can have a feast and celebrate! My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to celebrate. “The older son was in the field. As he came closer to the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. So he called to one of the servants and asked, ‘What does all this mean?’ The servant said, ‘Your brother has come back. Your father killed the fat calf to eat because your brother came home safely!’ The older son was angry and would not go in to the feast. So his father went out and begged him to come in. The son said to his father, ‘I have served you like a slave for many years! I have always obeyed your commands. But you never even killed a young goat for me to have a feast with my friends. But your other son has wasted all your money on prostitutes. Then he comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!’ The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me. All that I have is yours. We had to celebrate and be happy because your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.’”

Sunday, March 14, 2021

The Door (Series: The Certainty)

March 14, 2021   / / /   "The Door"
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Title: "The Door"
Series: The Certainty
Speaker: Jim Hammond
Luke 1:4
so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.
I.     The door is OPEN
1 Timothy 2:3-4
This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
II.     The door Is NARROW
Luke 13:22-24
He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. “Lord,” someone asked him, “are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able
HEARING  → BELIEVING → LIVING → KNOWING
Luke 13:2-3
And he responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.
Luke 13:5
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”
III.     The door will be SHUT
Luke 13:25-30
“once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us! ’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out. They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God. Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”