Beltway Park Baptist Sermons (video)

Our true identity comes from knowing who we are in Christ. Though most people find their identity in their possessions, roles, relationships, or in their appearance, each of these ultimately lead to insecurity and emptiness. When believers look to Jesus for their identity, He transforms their essence, nature, and beliefs. That change leads to significant shifts in how we behave and interact with others.

What is the proof the Jesus Christ is risen and alive today? Note: the testimony videos that were shown are also posted online on justlikeyou.tv. Also, there are no sermon notes or Life Group notes this week.

Is Jesus the King? When He entered Jerusalem on a colt just a few days before His crucifixion, many were asking that precise question. They anticipated a military king who would deliver them from the Roman Empire. Jesus did enter Jerusalem as Deliverer and King, but the captor was not Rome and its government. The true captor was Satan, and the primary problem was sin and separation from God. Because of this reality, many expectations went unmet, and many were offended and rejected Jesus. Christians today face the same question concerning Jesus as King and wrestle with the same issue of unmet expectations. We must trust the heart of God and His goodness as King when that struggle comes.

God invites us into the closet so that we may be close to Him and know His heart. Though it is unnatural and uncomfortable, the closet (i.e. the place of prayer) positions us to hear His voice and to be transformed by His nearness. When we purposefully pursue God in the closet, He makes us sharper and gives us a solid foundation.

Life and peace come when our mind is set on the Spirit. We can all agree information comes at us and to us through increased access points and with increased speed. There is hardly enough time to digest one headline before another one grabs our attention. Our mind is being assaulted with the distractions of this world devised by the enemy to lead us away from our devotion to Jesus. The truth of God’s Word leads us to the only place where peace can be found, so let us demolish every argument against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Our physical bodies belong to God, and He desires that we care for them well. When we steward our bodies well by having healthy eating habits and purposefully exercising, we are stronger and sharper against the stressors and demands of our daily lives. A healthy body helps us to more fully enjoy the blessings of God, to more readily accomplish our destiny, and to finish well with passion and faith.

Special guest Don Finto of the Caleb Company shares his life testimony of God's faithfulness.

God designed the Sabbath so that we would rest and be renewed. We observe or keep the Sabbath by resting from work, by enjoying who God is and what He has been accomplishing, and by refocusing our attention on what really matters or is most important.

Living sharp means prioritizing our time and making wise choices. Because busyness is often associated with importance, we tend to fill our lives with an over-abundance of activity. However, deep down we know that in the midst of our busyness the most important issues and relationships are being neglected. That realization is the greatest source of our stress. The answer to that stress is choosing God, the source of true life.

Stress is an ever-growing problem in our world and personal lives. As believers, this stress is often exasperated because we lack wisdom in how to live the abundant life Jesus intends for us. Thankfully, God wants us to be sharp and graciously gives wisdom to those who ask for it. He wants to move us away from our breaking point.

At the heart of God - at the center of the gospel - is adoption, a desire to see captives set free and become part of a life-changing family. Not only did Joseph adopt Jesus, but every believer in Jesus Christ is spiritually adopted. Because we are spiritual sons and daughters through adoption, God sends His Spirit into our hearts. As adopted sons and daughters, we cry out to God, “Abba! Father!” God is giving many at Beltway Park a similar heart for adoption, calling them to actively participate in foster care and adoption or to partner with families serving in this way.

Guest Speaker Randy Clark from the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening brings a message on hearing God through prophecy. Note: As there was a guest speaker this week, there are no sermon notes.

The heart of prophecy is to encourage and to draw people into an encounter with God. Such encouragement and strengthening comes through Biblical community, where believers lovingly and graciously speak words of life and hope to one another within the bounds of the Word of God. NOTE: we had some recording issues when Keith Roberson got up to speak. As such, the first few minutes of his speaking are missing.

Prophecy is hearing God for other people. Unlike the prophetic messages of judgment in the Old Testament, prophecy in the New Testament is primarily about building up and encouraging. It is often a timely word that confirms what God is saying or helps us through a particular struggle. It is a spiritual gift that is intended to be more common than rare within the church today.

Fear+Less // I am the Good Shepherd