Following are the notes I took from today's sermon. Wow -- it is worth listening to. It is very challenging personally and socially.

Text taken from Revelation 2:1-7.  Walking in this means "actively walking for a purpose" or patrolling. Jesus is patrolling His churches (Rev 2:1).

Ephesus was a successful church. It was about 40 years old at the time of this letter. Many had been involved in it: Paul, Timothy, Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla. It was one of the churches doing it right. Every letter starts with what the church is doing right.

1. Labor to the point of weariness.
2. Perserverance -- ability to carry on.

Apostles in this passage means missionaries. The church at Ephesus was good at discerning right from wrong. The church held to right from wrong.

"Yet, I hold this against you." Rev. 2:4

"You have left your first love."

Meaning you have divorced your first love. Without love, the rest of it means nothing.

You're consistent. The reason you do things went from a desire, a burning passion for Christ was replaced with obligation -- this is a red flag for us to do something.

Are we like Ephesus?

Have we lost our passion, our love?

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first"
Rev 3:5a

You gotta come back -- you can do it right. Love, love, love, love. If we've gotten too busy doing other stuff -- without love it's all worthless. God's a jealous God. He doesn't want anyone to slip away.

Christ never abandons us. Never. You know right from wrong. Great. So now, come back. That child-like faith. Repent -- turn back to God. Remember from where we came from.

1. Spend more time in worship, praising God. It is one of the first things to go when our faith goes stale.
We cannot add to the time we have here on earth. We can add to the quality of our time. If I don't make an effort I will only remember the negative. We need to see God at work.

2. We need to surround ourselves with others who are passionate about Jesus. We are here to support each other. We need this connection. We need each other. We're here to help each other get recharged. We need to guard that first love. He should feel us holding onto Him.

Imagine what Father wants from us -- Hold my hand. Jesus said we have to have the faith of a child. Let's reset ourselves. 

Jude 17-25

"Keep yourselves in the love of God" (21)

build "yourselves up on your most holy faith" (20)

When people look at me, do they know I love Jesus? We have to have that first love in our lives.

I'll get the notes up later. Until then here is the sermon from yesterday:

(Must apologize in advance -- missed part of the sermon so no notes for when I had to take Hawk to the bathroom).

Notes from this morning's sermon:

Life gets heavy.

Matthew 11:28-30.

Oxen and work horses pull heavy loads but they won't be setting any land speed records.

heavy-laden = burden

Jesus says, "I'll trade you. Take my light yoke of following me and I'll take that load of worry you carry on your shoulders."

Jesus says, "Come to Me."

If you're tired, come.

We take our burdens and compound them by worrying about them. You have to let them go without any strings attached that you can pull on later to bring them back.

Some people let their burdens become their identity.

Luke 11:46: The pharisees gave the people burdens.

Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust Him to do everything. We get so used to a burden we can't let it go.

We often communicate with complaints.

Acknowledge Him.

Psalm 55:22: "Cast your burden."

Cast means we throw it at Him.

Casting a heavy wet net takes lot of strength.

Humble yourself.  Realize you can't do everything. Sometimes we can't do anything.

Start with prayer.

All that worry gives us nothing good. You can worry yourself sick.

Proverbs 34:17.

Isaiah 46:4.

God says He's got this. He will always be there. God is the only one who can bring us to Him. How do we let this go?

In His due time.

Paul's physical problem never went away. Yet, he had joy.

Read His Word. It is full of encouragement and promises of God taking care of us.

We have to get into prayer to get close to Jesus. We have to be in conversation with Him. Constant conversation. Ask. If you knock the door will be opened.

And give your brothers and sisters a chance to help. They want to.
​

Somehow I forgot! I forgot the take the recorder this morning so I really tried to take good notes (except for the time I had to take Hawken out of the sanctuary and when I absolutely had to go get a cup of coffee). 

It was a great sermon, I mean really great. I wish you could have been there! But I hope you can find some inspiration in these notes. See below:

Businesses will do inventory after the first of the y ear so they can make necessary changes. Today is one day closer to our death, one day closer to Jesus' return; one day closer to standing before God's judgment seat.

Look back at what has happened this year and ask yourself these questions.

1. Have I gotten closer to God? We have to be seeking God. We have to read His word.

2. How was your prayer life in 2016?

3. What's your relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Especially those in your local church body?

4. What's your relationship with with people who aren't part of the Church? Those who need Jesus Christ? Those who God brings into your life?

"You are the salt of the earth" Matthew 5:13a

We should be letting the light shine. 

When people need light, they should know where they can go to get some light.

How can we be better, brighter bolder? Be honest. This is the time to examine ourselves (not condemn ourselves -- find the places where we can improve).

Philippians 3:13-14

Evaluate.

But don't beat yourself up.

Be approachable.

How long will I give it a try? Am I going to persevere?

You're either growing or dying.

Work hard. Work at it. If there's something we can't do we learn how. We work at it. Today is now. What can we do? What can we learn to do better?

What we should do this year:

1. Grow in the Word. 
2 Timothy 3:14-17
We need to be well-equipped workers. Ask God to show you something in the Word today. We must read our Bible daily.

2. Pray. Ask yourself, how would you teach someone to pray? Show them. Do it. To get better at prayer just do it.

3. We must try to get closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ. This takes us to be honest and vulnerable and humble. We need to be engaged. We need to open up to each other. Pray for those you see who are having a bad day.

4. Sharing the gospel with people. How do you share anything with anyone? I gotta open up and expose my heart? What does it take for you to share your heart? You gotta trust a person. They won't bear their need for Christ to you unless they trust you and believe you care about them.

"I don't care what it looks like. I don't care what you think"  (Jesus to those who criticized him)

I know they need Jesus so I have to build relationships with people who don't know Jesus. It's not an accident who you live next to; who you see every day. It's God saying, "Here you go! Here's your opportunity."

Ask yourself:

Where do I need to grow?

Who can I talk to? Who can I open up to? 

​Let 2016 be a year of conquest!