National Community Church Video Podcast - 480p

PATIENCE: tolerating delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. A simple thought that is difficult to do. If you want to be a farmer, you better have patience. The act of farming is not limited to plants and land. We are farmers each day when we invest in those around us towards the harvest of their futures. A future of love, hope, joy, and all of the fruits of the spirit is made possible when we give sacrificially and patiently wait for the harvest of their lives. Having the patience to plant and wait for growth is what the world needs today.

If you stay humble and stay hungry, there is nothing God cannot do in you or through you. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. How? By thinking of others more. By thinking of God more.

We are getting smarter and smarter, but I'm not sure we're getting wiser and wiser. Our culture is polarized and politicized, fight or flight. If we ever needed wisdom, it's now. The good news? Wisdom has a name. Jesus is wisdom with skin on it. Jesus is perfect theology! The Jesus Way is Third Way. It doesn't compromise it's convictions, but it always shows compassion.

Faith is as faith does! James 2 exhorts the reader that a true faith will be evident by the way one's life is lived. Our active faith is our testimony. It is the way we live our love that testifies to Christ! Faith that works is a faith...that works!

Sermon Series: Rule Of Life National Community Church Lincoln Theatre Location Date: 06/19/22

Let's be honest. There's just about nothing we want more than freedom! Whether it's financial freedom, freedom from addictions, freedom within our workplaces, freedom to pursue our passions. Freedom is a desire in every direction. In James no nonsense, don't pull any punches, direct way, he gives advice on how to achieve freedom. It comes through the Word of God planted within us. When we cultivate God's Word and live it out on a daily basis, we become who God has made us to be. There's nothing freer, than doing that which you were made to do! Join us as we journey into James 1:19-27 to unpack the Scripture.

We have RULES for everything. There are rules of the road, rules for the games we play, rule of law. Spiritually speaking, a RULE OF LIFE consists of core values, core beliefs, and core practices. It's a CODE OF CONDUCT—rituals and routines, decisions and disciplines—by which we live our lives. This week we explore seven JOY RULES, and it starts with this—ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

Everybody is somebody's disciple. Consciously or subconsciously, we pattern our lives after someone. As Christ followers, we have made a conscientious decision to live like Jesus, pray like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, love like Jesus. We are His hands, His feet. We are His workmanship. We are the manifold wisdom of God. Simply put, you are the genius of Jesus.

When most people think of genius, I am sure their mind goes to outputs. We think about what someone produces. But what if most of what genius is has more to do with inputs; the things we don't see. I believe discipline, as an input over time, is a force multiplier. And when that discipline is focused on submitting to God, he takes care of the outputs, which is beyond what we could ever do on our own.

When you put what you have in your hand—five loaves and two fish—into the hands of God, 5 + 2 doesn't equal 7 anymore. Add God to the equation, and 5 + 2 = 5000 R12.

When you put what you have in your hand—five loaves and two fish—into the hands of God, 5 + 2 doesn't equal 7 anymore. Add God to the equation, and 5 + 2 = 5000 R12.

There are 2 words that have the power to change worlds, and they are: “I WILL”. Gideon modeled for us what the Genius of Willingness looks like and what God can do with a willing heart.

A powerhouse leader for God's people, Deborah had the Genius of Activation (Judges 4-5). Activators are individuals who prompt us, support us, call out of us! Leaning into their god-given authority, Activators have an acute ability to discern a path forward. Let us be a community that activates one another!

We often view vulnerability as a weakness, and it certainly can be. But Paul models how to use vulnerability as a tool that moves us toward soul wellness. In fact, it is a requirement in each of our journeys back to who God created us to be.

When you trace the genealogy of genius, the genesis usually involves some PAIN and SUFFERING. Genius is not born of comfort. It's born from, born for adversity. SUFFERING is the SEEDBED of genius. God redeems it and recycles it for His plans, His purposes.