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Introduction:
If you could change the world, what would you do to change it? In recent months it has been reported that only 4% of churches in America have any type of evangelistic outreach, and fewer than 1% of churches have a plan for year-round evangelistic outreach necessary to change the culture of their church and community.
Vision is the ability to see the future and passionately direct others towards it. If the Church in America does not change its focus, our community and world will be without hope. We have been called by God to bring the light of hope wherever we go.
“… Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.” —Luke 14:23b (NLT)
In this collection of talks, we will focus on a Hope Initiative designed to impact our community. This is both an individual and a corporate effort to invest in and invite people to meet Jesus Here. We can accomplish this by:
September 8th/11th Moving from Safety to Urgency
September 15th/18th Moving from Comfort to Conformability
September 22nd/25th Moving from Isolation to Community
Text: Romans 12:1-8 (CSB, New Testament)
Today’s Takeaway: God never calls us to be comfortable.
Week 2 - Moving from Comfort to Conformability
Comfortable Thinking: I live to please
Conformable Thinking: I live to please
HOW TO MOVE FROM COMFORT TO CONFORMABILITY
I. CHOOSE
A. We must
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? 13Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good?” —Deuteronomy 10:12-13
“Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.” —Matthew 10:39
B. We must
“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” —Romans 8:29 (NLT)
“For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.” —Galatians 5:13
C. We must
“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” —Romans 14:12 (NLT)
II. CHOOSE
A. We must conform to
“Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” —Romans 6:18 (NLT)
B. We must conform to
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” —John 15:11
C. We must conform to God’s
“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” —II Timothy 1:9
D. We must conform to Jesus’
“… not I, but Christ …” —Galatians 2:20 (KJV)
III. CHOOSE
A. We must accept the
“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” —Micah 6:8
B. We must renew our
“Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!” —Romans 12:16 (NLT)
C. We must be
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,” —I Timothy 1:12 (NLT)
CONCLUSION: What do you need to do to move from comfort to conformability.
DEEP DIVE QUESTIONS:
1. How are you choosing God by serving and engaging?
2. Is your way of living righteous and joyful? Is it in line with the style of Jesus?
3. What is God calling you to do that might make you uncomfortable?
4. What are some needs around you that you could meet?
Upcoming Events at City United
1. Trunk or Treat Candy Collection: Be a part of making Trunk or Treat a successful and safe community event by helping us with candy. As you are out and about shopping, just pick up bags of individually packaged candy and bring it to an on-campus gathering with you. You can drop it off on the Connect side.
Trunk or Treat is October 22 from 4 to 6pm.
2. Membership Sunday, September 25: Membership Sunday is a time when we honor those who have taken their Next Steps and are ready to make City United Church their church home. We will be recognizing them at the end of our gatherings, and we will have a special time of prayer with them. If you would like more information on taking this next step, please email the church office at office@cityunited.church or fill out the Digital Connect Card.
3. City Teens Parent Meeting: Sunday, Sept. 25 at 11:45am: Parents, put this important City Teens Parent Meeting on your calendar! A short portion of our time together will focus on finding out more about us, the volunteers, our heart for the youth ministry, and the City Teen’s mission and vision. Our main focus we will be hearing from a few national speakers on issues the Next Generation is facing right now, such as internet safety, how to maneuver the Metaverse, vaping and addiction, and leading in a divisive culture. This is important information for every family, so make every effort to plan to attend. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP today. If you have any questions, email cityteens@cityunited.church.
4. Iron Sharpens Iron Fatherhood and Grandfatherhood Tune-up, October 1 from 8:30am to 12pm: Join us on the campus of City United Church for this half-day men’s equipping event with Iron Sharpens Iron. This will be a seminar-driven event with 8 different seminars led by 4 different seminar leaders with a focus on Fathers and Grandfathers. We will dive into topics like fatherhood tune-up, leading devotions with your family, and grandfather tune-up. This event is sponsored by KOZ (Kids Outdoor Zone).
Cost: $29, register at cityunited.church/events, Iron Sharpens Iron.
5. Next Steps Open House, October 2, 2022: Are you new to City United Church? Do you want to learn more about the mission and vision of our church? If so, plan on joining us at our Next Steps Open House. During this 1 hour on-campus meet-up you will have the opportunity to meet some of the staff and leadership of our church, hear about how we got started and why we do what we do, and hear about ways you can get connected and be a part of what’s happening here. Lunch is provided. To RSVP, visit cityunited.church/events and click on the event, then click “Register Now” and complete the form.