New Day Christian Church - Weston, WI

The Game Changer (Jesus)

Something happened 2,000 years ago. Hundreds of people spread a story that a man claiming to be divine proving his claim by rising from the dead. If they were telling the truth, we have to re-evaluate everything about our lives. (Message recorded April 15, 2012) Going Deeper John 3:16-18 (NLT) 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. The Minimal Facts Approach to Believing in Jesus' Resurrection* • FACT #1: Jesus was ___________ by __________________. • FACT #2: Jesus’ disciples believed that he _____________ and _____________ to them. • FACT #3: The conversion of the church ________________ Paul. • FACT #4: The conversion of the skeptic ____________, Jesus’ half-brother. • FACT #5: Jesus’ ________ was _________. *From The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Licona & Habermas, 2004), as quoted in The Case for the Resurrection (Strobel, 2009 Zondervan). Questions for Reflection & Discussion 1. What does genuine belief in the resurrection of Jesus say about a person’s worldview? 2. What explanations have you heard for Jesus changing the world over 2,000 years ago (e.g. “Jesus was just a moral leader or a prophet; supposed witnesses of his resurrection were mass hallucinations.”)? How do those explanations hold up against the Minimal Facts Approach? 3. Do you believe that belief is a gift from God? Why or why not? 4. In Mark 9:23-24 Jesus tells a man “Anything is possible if you believe.” The man responds, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Can you relate? When is it easy to believe in Jesus? When is it tough?

The Supernatural Church

We can attract a crowd to church, but that’s not the mission. A church of people who are living in proper relationship with the Holy Spirit will look different from anything we could strategize. Let’s be a church that get’s past what we can do and instead embraces what God will do by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Message recorded April 1, 2012)

A real relationship

Relationships are interactive and ongoing. Much like a parent has an ongoing interactive relationship with a child, the Holy Spirit wants to continually guide, encourage, instruct and empower us. We have a role to play in living out that real relationship. (Message recorded March 25 in the DCE Middle School gymnasium.  We apologize for the audio quality!)

Why do you want Him?

It is tempting to think of the Holy Spirit as a personal upgrade, as if He exists to give us more power to do our own will. We need to check our motivations and understand that the Holy Spirit is given by God to lead our lives for His glory, not to follow our will for our own glory. (Message recorded 03-18-2012 in Middle School gymnasium due to an electrical fire the previous week.  There is no podcast for 03-11-2012  We apologize for the diminished audio quality.)

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101

While the Holy Spirit is mysterious, there are some solid truths from Scripture that guide us. For instance, the Holy Spirit is personal and has a will, not an impersonal energy.  The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son.  It is a necessary part of God’s three-in-oneness. Coming to grips with these truths will clarify our understanding of the “Forgotten God.” (Message recorded March 4, 2012) Click here for discussion questions relating to this message.

What are you afraid of?

We all have a history. Some of us come into this discussion of the Holy Spirit with no background at all. Some come from a church background that downplayed the Spirit too much. Some come from a church that put so much excitement in the pursuit of the Holy Spirit they left behind sound theology. Let’s admit the prejudices we bring to the discussion, and seek biblical truth without fear. (Message recorded 02-26-2012) Click here for discussion questions for this message.

I've got Jesus! Why do I need the Spirit?

Jesus told His closest followers that it was better for them if He went away, because then He could send the Holy Spirit. Better without Jesus? That is difficult for us to grasp when we don’t understand the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Message recorded February 19, 2012) Click here for this week's discussion questions.

A good partnership

Listen in as Pastor Brad Main from Journey Church in Merrill, WI explains how God rewards our generosity!  (Message recorded February 12, 2012).  For more information on Journey Church, visit http://www.journeychurchwi.org/.

Realigning our relationship with government

How does being a follower of Christ affect the way someone enters into political discussions?  The message in the Bible is clear: Worship God; respect the government. (Message recorded 02-05-2012) Key Texts: Mark 12:17 (NLT) 17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them. 1 Peter 2:13-14 (NLT)13 For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state,14 or the officials he has appointed. Going Deeper: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "three possible ways in which the church can act towards the state."* Question the state regarding its actions and their legitimacy. Aid victims of any state action, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. Go beyond bandaging the victims "under the wheel," and "put a spoke in the wheel itself." *Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy; (151-2) Metaxas, Eric; Thomas Nelson Publishing 2010. Questions for Reflection and Discussion If you are a follower of Christ, how does your identity as a Christian affect your involvement in government? Paul instructs Titus, a church leader to: "Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers" (Titus 3:1). How can we as a church follow Paul's advice? Is there a point when believers should stop submitting to the government? How would we know if we got to that point? How will the truth in Scripture regarding your relationship with the government change the way you participate in political discussions?

Realigning our relationship with work and rest

Do you like your job? Do you respect your boss? How would things be different in your workplace if you worked for your boss as though you were working for the Lord?  Listen in to Sunday's podcast to find out more about "Realigning our relationship with work and rest".  (Message recorded 01-29-2012) Big Idea: Work with enthusiasm as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Key texts: Emphesians 6:5-9 and 1Peter 2:18-20 Discussion questions: 1) What is the best job you've ever had?  What made it not so good? 2) What are some reasons people have for not working with enthusiasm? 3) Why is a properly aligned relationship with God a necessary element of having a properly aligned relationship with work? 4) How will this week's message change the way you balance work and rest?