Restoration Church

20 June 2021 -- Humble Dads Over Perfect Dads, Father's Day 2021

Being a father is hard work. It’s rewarding at times but it is not for the weak or the faint of heart. Marriage versus parenting. There is this idea that we have to be perfect or our children will destroy the world. Secretly, we feel the pressure to be a superhero dad and inside we know that we are not.
I want to encourage you dads this morning. Children don’t need a superhero dad. We think they do but they don’t. We all carry the shame of not measuring up. Kids don’t need a perfect dad. They need a humble dad.
 

13 June 2021 -- Did God Really Say?

Can I trust the Bible?
There are 8 core beliefs that lead to two toxic ideas. It’s ok to question your faith. Christianity is up for the challenge.
Dictators have tried to destroy the bible, cultures have outlawed the bible, governments have cancelled the ones who believe it, teach it, and preach it, Christians have been persecuted and martyred for having copies of it. And, here it is still standing as the best selling book of all time. It’s the best selling book every year.
You know how we know the bible is true? Because the Word became flesh and lived on this earth.

Uncensored -- 6 June 2021

God’s posture toward His creation is good. He is good, so all that He creates is good.
The Lord God said that it was not good for man to be alone...so, He fixed it and made it good.  The first thing he noticed that wasn’t good was the fact that man had been left alone. He said, that is not good. So He put Adam to sleep, took a rib, and created Eve. (When Adam woke up, it was good!). God is good. Sometimes bad things happen in this life, but God is good.
This is the battle of our culture. Goodness, good things, the good life without God. Good on your terms not His. Did God really say? Did God actually mean? This is the heart of this new series. Uncensored.
Here comes some nasty pandemic. What do we do? We sing Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength to our God for ever and ever!  Here comes the political chaos that makes us feel like the rest of the world and what do we do?  Here comes an evil spirit of division that brings about racial division like we’ve never seen and what do we do?  Did God really say?  Yes, He did.  And, by the way, He is GOOD!

30 May 2021 -- Baptism Sunday

23 May 2021 -- Pentecost Sunday & Missions Week Kick-Off

Never Been This Way Before -- 16 May 2021

Imagine Joshua receiving these words...Moses is dead. My mentor, the one who could advise me, the one who God used mightily, the one who started this whole thing of bringing us out of Egypt. God, these are big shoes You’ve given me to fill.  Joshua, at this BIG moment - would have begun to have “specific doubt” (reasons why God chose the wrong person) comparison game. "I’ve lead victorious military campaigns as everyone knows but I haven’t done the miracles like Moses did."  "I may be God’s man but I’m not Moses. I’m the brute, the fighter, the military leader...and that’s not going to cut it."  "Moses did miracles and that’s what we’re gonna need to be able to take this land."
He had no idea of what was to come.  This room is filled with people who are in the exact same place as Joshua was. We have no idea of the miracles that are just ahead of us, if we would just listen to the word of the Lord as He says, “I’m with you, be strong and courageous, no one will be able to stand against you, be strong and courageous, I am giving you the land, be strong and courageous...every place where you set your foot…be strong, do not be afraid, discouraged, I’m with you."
Five things the Lord says to Joshua:
A place to be Possessed
A people to be blessed
Victories that are guaranteed
There’s an intimidation to be renounced
You’ve never been this way before

Mother's Day -- 9 May 2021

Jews had a proverb - God couldn’t be everywhere so He created mothers.
In our english bible we have Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel. This is not the case in the Hebrew bible. It is Judges then 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel’s setting is the book of Judges where Israel was at its lowest, coldest spiritually, they were immoral. The book ends saying, “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes…”
When Israel was at its lowest, God’s plan and this mother’s plan was to have a child who would come on the scene as a prophet...used as a priest under Eli and would take the Nazarite vow and impact the nation and become the king maker, selecting Saul and then David.
And, it all starts with a barren woman crying out, praying to God...

The Culture That Transforms, Part II -- 2 May 2021

Spiritual formation...how do people grow? The church’s job is not to win the lost, it is to make disciples. Disciples reproduce.
A culture that is discipleship friendly understands that joy is not a superficial thing, it is not based on what is happening, in church joy is not a reaction to entertaining talks or sermon or “worship”, joy is relational, it is not a reaction to a performance, entertainment, it is relational.

The Culture That Transforms -- 24 April 2021

When the church is making disciples, it is fulfilling its purpose. People are changed, the Body of Christ is healthy (built up), and the world is impacted by the church. Discipleship does not excite a leader whose eyes are fixed on growth. It’s a slower way to grow the church.
The Culture or Soil that Transforms includes four nutrients - ingredients, culture that makes growing things easy:
Joy: the Face of Jesus that Transforms
Hesed: Our Relational Glue
Group Identity: What Kind of People are We?
Healthy Correction: When the Group Stops Being Nice

Full-Brained Christianity -- 18 April 2021

Holy Spirit is the Great Psychiatrist - illuminates the word, reminds you of what Jesus told you, Paraclete/comforter/counselor, parents us (fathers/mothers), empowers us...
Left side and Right side of brain. When I walk into the room, your face tells me more than your mouth does. The left side of my brain understands what you say but the right side of my brain tells me EVERYTHING.
Half-brained Christianity may help you figure everything out but it will take full-brained (Spirit-filled) Christianity for you to be free...prisoners free, sight for the blind, oppressed free.
You need to engage your hunger for Spirit and Truth not just Truth
The anointing breaks the yoke
You were created to long for truth and your heart burns when you are near it or hear it
Holy Spirit will help you to KNOW the truth
You were created to know the Truth, truth is a person, Jesus, and you won’t be fully satisfied until you discover the Truth. When you hear truth speaking, bringing good news to the poor, freedom to prisoners, sight for the blind, and oppressed are set free, your heart will burn.