INTRO TO EHS
July 31, 2022
Dave Stephens
What does a HEALTHY Christian look like?
Just because someone calls themself a Christian doesn’t mean they are a good representation of Jesus. In fact, all of us who calls ourselves Christians fail in different ways to represent the amazing love, grace and purity of Jesus.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN
1.
“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)
Healthy Christians may speak out at times to culture, but they don’t spend all their time doing this - they are most focused on being people of peace and mercy.
2. Lives in
Healthy Christians love to do life and grow together with other Christians.
1 John 4:20
“20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
3. They are
You recognize a healthy Christian by seeing the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Galatians 5:22-23
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
4. They
Until we learn to feed on the Word of God in our own personal, daily lives, we will never be the growing Christians God wants us to be.
Psalm 1:1-3
“1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
5. They Regularly
A healthy Christian regularly experiences God’s presence in their life. They want to know God personally, and God fills and empowers them by His Spirit’s loving presence.
Romans 5:5
“5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
6. Their Faith is
A healthy Christian knows the entirety of their salvation rests in God’s work on their behalf, through Jesus on the cross, not in their own feeble efforts at holiness.
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
7. They
A healthy Christian knows that this life will not always be perfect. They have an eternal focus, and know this life is temporary and flawed. They are focused on believing God’s promises in the midst of the pain of this world.
We see this in the movement of Jesus in the NT:
Acts 14
“21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.”
HOPE
This world needs hope. A lasting hope that is only found in Christ. And when we say lasting…we mean throughout eternity!
Ephesians 2:12
“…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all ljoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
How do your friends see the hope??? How do they know unless we tell them?
Romans 10:14
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
Now is the time to work on ourselves so we can share with confidence the HOPE we have.
ARE HEALTHY OURSELVES
You can’t be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.
CHURCH-WIDE CAMPAIGN - EHS (September 7th)
Groups for everyone all at different times…
Sunday Morning: Your children will have teaching (Ben on their level) on the same things we will learn in the Auditorium.
Wednesday Day: Cal and Tami Walker
Wednesday Evening: Marriage Matters (Cory and Rashonda), Second wind 55+ (Rocky and Roy), Chapel class (Dave and Dalina, Nick and Jill)
- Kyle and Brooke, Justin and Kinzie will teach Youth
Saturday Morning: Ben Christensen
Virtual Group: Devin Mousseau
Here is what you’ll discover…Unless you slow and quiet your life down for a first-hand relationship with Jesus Christ, little change is possible.
For serious change…so you can be ready for whatever God has for you.
HOPE and HEALTH in 22…be aware…because it’s time!!!