Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

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Day 1: Read 2 Timothy 3:16. God’s Word draws out the truth of who God is and what He has done to save us in Jesus, and what it means to live as a child of God. In God’s Word, the path to heaven is revealed, but so is the way to build a life that matters with God and with one another. How has God’s Word inspired you this past week in worshiping Him and following His ways?

Day 2: Read Matthew 7:24. Why did God include this in the Bible? What Biblical principle is found here? How does this fit in with the whole story of the Bible? What application does this truth have for my life?

Day 3: Read 2 Timothy 3:14-15. The Bible is an unfolding story of who God is and what it means to know Him. The story of God’s great love is that He created the world, died for our sins, rose again, and longs to be in a living and loving relationship with us. If someone asked you to give the 30 second summary of the Bible’s story, what would you say? Why?

Day 4: Read Psalm 78:4-6. Who introduced you to the Bible? Take time to give God thanks (and if still alive to give that person a word of thanks!). Who are you introducing to read, learn, and live God’s Word? Who might you begin to introduce to God’s amazing story of His Word?

Day 5: Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  Typically, when people focus on these verses and the Bible, they quote verse 16, but not 17. How has God thoroughly equipped you through His Word in this new year? Where would you like to see God equip you, shape you for His purpose for your life through His Word?

Day 6: Read James 1:22-25. Turns out in everyday life, you only believe the part of the Bible you actually do. What parts of God’s Word do you find challenging to do? Why? How have you discovered His way is the best way to live in the past week?The

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the Story: The Bible As One Continuing Story Of God And His People.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

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Day 1: Read Matthew 2:1-2. The story of the wise men teaches us that God will reveal Himself to anyone who seeks Him. For whom are you praying this year to seek and find God? What might be a star that is beginning to shine in their life to guide them to Jesus?

Day 2: Read Jeremiah 29:13. Where do you find yourself seeking God’s direction today? What blocks your heart from being all in for seeking God?

Day 3: Read Matthew 2:12. God speaks to these wise men in the language of their work life – stars and dreams. Such speaking lines up with the message of His Word. How do you sense God speaking into your life today? What message from His Word is He seeking to connect to your heart and life?

Day 4: Read Psalm 119:105. Where do you need the light of God’s Word to shine on your path today?

Day 5: Read Matthew 2:9-10. You might say, “Well, Pastor, I haven't seen too many bright stars pointing the way in my life.” Yet, think about it. What these wise men did for a living was basically two-fold: interpret the stars and interpret dreams. In other words, God used the circumstances of their everyday job and life to guide them to His Son. He does the same today; maybe not with stars and dreams, but with the stuff of which our everyday lives are made. God is seeking to guide us at our work and in our homes. How have you sensed His guidance for your life’s path this week? Where are you seeking His guidance in the day ahead?

Day 6: Read John 14:6. There are times in our lives when we find ourselves in situations which offer no clear-cut answers. It is at these times when we can entrust ourselves completely to God, knowing that he will lead us each step of the way. Where is Jesus calling you to step out in faith in the year ahead?

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

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Day 1: Read Psalm 90:1-6. What perspective does Moses take of time in this passage? How does this perspective inform your understanding of time compared to God's time?

Day 2: Read Colossians 3:1-4. Where should our attention be focused? What are some ways that we can attain that focus?

Day 3: Read Luke 2:22-40. How would you describe the actions and attitude of the family? From where does this attitude come from?

Day 4: Read Colossians 3:18-22. What kind of attitude is expected of us as believers? How is this different from a worldly attitude? How is it the same?

Day 5: Read Colossians 3:5-11. List those things that are to be "put to death." What does "put to death" mean to you?

Day 6: Read Colossians 3:12-17. What character traits are listed here? Which of these are a regular part of your walk with Jesus? With which ones do you struggle?

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

Day 1: Read Luke 2:11. What do you hope to remember from this Christmas to put in practice until next Christmas?

Day 2: Read Luke 2:17-19. The word “pondered” means to put in context, to connect. Such connection is the work of the mind and Spirit. Mary begins to connect the dots – angels didn’t come to the priests to announce the good news but to common shepherds working the night shift. As you look at the past week, month, year, where can you see God “connecting the dots” in your life?

Day 3: Read Luke 2:6-7. The story of Christmas is not about us trying to stumble our way into finding God. It's about God coming to be with us, being present in our lives, taking our steps with us, day-in and day-out.  Where do you need to remind yourself of God’s presence in your life for the day ahead? How have you sensed His presence with you this Christmas season?

Day 4: Read Matthew 1:21-23. God with us. He is with us in the midst of the mess. And even after He comes, dies, rises again, and ascends to heaven, He is still with us. What mess do you need to turn over to Jesus and become aware of His presence to transform your life and others?

Day 5: Read Luke 2:10. God wants to rewrite your story from the mess of this world and of sin, to the masterpiece of His grace and our Savior Jesus. Where have you seen God guiding you to a new beginning, a new start, a rewrite of the story of your life in the past year?

Day 6: Read Ephesians 2:8-10. By grace…through faith…for works. No situation is beyond God's redemption. No soul is beyond salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that you might be forgiven, and He rose from the dead so that you, too, can experience His resurrection power. Take time to thank God for the gift of Jesus in the past year and for the year ahead.

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ by Tim Keller.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

Please join us for Christmas Services!

Day 1: Read Micah 5:4. One of the great gifts, Jesus our Christmas Savior gives is that you don't have to live life in your own strength. You don't have to handle it on your own. You have help. You can turn to God for strength, and He will give it to you. Where do you need to turn to God’s strength today? What’s holding you back? Why?

Day 2: Read Philippians 4:13.  Where have you sensed Jesus’ strength at work in your life in the last 24 hours? Where have you seen that strength at work in someone else’s life in the last week?

Day 3: Read Micah 5:4. Through Micah, God invites us to know Jesus and the security He brings. Jesus offers the security of knowing that he is in control, and he has the power and ability to take care of us. That's what a shepherd does, and that is what he wants to do for you. Take time to turn over all that robs you of peace and security over to Jesus in prayer.

Day 4: Read John 10:27-28. Jesus offers the kind of security the world cannot — security based not on things and circumstances, but on his never-ending love for you. And His greatness, Micah says, reaches to the ends of the earth. There is no place you can go, or nothing that can happen, that extends beyond the power of God to take care of you. How secure is your relationship with God? What makes you certain you are secure in Jesus’ care?

Day 5: Read Micah 5:5. Jesus came to bring peace to all who follow him. How can you share that peace Jesus brings with others? Where do you need to experience His peace in your life today?

Day 6: Read John 14:27. Jesus came to give us peace. Even when we can't experience peace in the world around us, we can experience his peace in our inner world. Jesus came to take away all the things that destroy our peace. He wants to carry your burdens; he wants to lift your anxieties, he wants to take away your sins. Take time in prayer to turn all that robs your peace over to Him.

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ by Tim Keller.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

This week features prayers from Paul’s letters. First read through each prayer, notice what Paul prays for people and what you can pray for yourself and for others. Pick someone to pray this prayer for each day. Let Paul’s prayer be a guide and start as you pray for each person (including yourself). Each prayer is taken from a conversational paraphrase of the Bible called “The Voice”.

Day 1: Pray 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 -- "I am continuously thanking my God for you when I think about the grace God has offered you in Jesus the Anointed. In this grace, God is enriching every aspect of your lives by gifting you with the right words to say and everything you need to know. In this way, your life story confirms the life story of the Anointed One, so you are not ill-equipped or slighted on any necessary gifts as you patiently anticipate the day when our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, is revealed. Until that final day, He will preserve you; and on that day, He will consider you faultless. Count on this: God is faithful and in His faithfulness called you out into an intimate relationship with His Son, our Lord Jesus the Anointed."

Day 2: Pray Ephesians 1:17-19 -- "God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power."

Day 3: Pray Ephesians 3:16-19 -- "Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit  so that through faith the Anointed One will reside in their hearts. May love be the rich soil where their lives take root. May it be the bedrock where their lives are founded so that together with all of Your people they will have the power to understand that the love of the Anointed is infinitely long, wide, high, and deep, surpassing everything anyone previously experienced. God, may Your fullness flood through their entire beings."

Day 4: Pray Philippians 1:9-11 -- "Father, may their love grow more and more in wisdom and insight— so they will be able to examine and determine the best from everything else. And on the day of the Anointed One, the day of His judgment, let them stand pure and blameless, filled with the fruit of righteousness that ripens through Jesus the Anointed."

Day 5: Pray Colossians 1:9-14 -- "Father, may they clearly know Your will and achieve the height and depth of spiritual wisdom and understanding. May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more, may they continue to delight You by doing every good work and growing in the true knowledge that comes from being close to You. Strengthen them with Your infinite power, according to Your glorious might, so that they will have everything they need to hold on and endure hardship patiently and joyfully. Thank You, Father, as You have made us eligible to receive our portion of the inheritance given to all those set apart by the light. You have rescued us from dark powers and brought us safely into the kingdom of Your Son, whom You love 14 and in whom we are redeemed and forgiven of our sins [through His blood]."

Day 6: Pray 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 -- "All this is why we are constantly praying for you, so God will make you worthy of the great calling you have received from Him and will give you the power to accomplish every good intention and work of faith. Then the great name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified through your lives, and you will be glorified in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, our Liberating King."

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

Day 1: Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9. Paul was grateful for his relationship to the believers in Thessalonica; he expressed his gratitude to God and expressed his appreciation to them. He took the time to say "Thank you...I appreciate you...You fill my life with joy." Take time to thank God by name for each one on your “appreciate the most” list. Write a note of appreciation to send by snail mail or email.

Day 2: Read John 3:16. The Revised Burkey Version invites you to put your name in this verse. What does it mean to you that God puts you on His list of people He appreciates? Whom can you pray for this Christmas to come to know Jesus, to be on God’s list?

Day 3: Read 1 Thessalonians 3:10. Paul wanted to meet with his friends in Thessalonica to build up their faith. He knew, at that particular time, it was what they needed most. As you think of all the people you love, ask yourself, "What does this person need most? What can I say to them? What can I do for them? How can I give them a lift?" Take time to pray for them and to see where God leads you to make those intangible gifts happen.

Day 4: Read 1 Thessalonians 3:11. Instead of (or in addition to) the gift of a present this Christmas, who might want the gift of your presence? Where might God be calling you to be present more in someone’s life? Why do you think that? What will you do next?

Day 5: Read 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13. Paul shares his “wish list”/prayer list for the Thessalonians. Whom might you share your prayer list in a positive way with someone?

Day 6: Read Luke 1:76-79. We have an excerpt of Zechariah’s prayer for his son, John the Baptist. “Son, God is going to use you to be a gamechanger for the world.” And that’s not just true for Zechariah’s son, that’s true for your sons and daughters, for your friends and co-workers. Whom are you praying for to be a gamechanger for God in this world? (It’s great to include yourself on this list!) Pray today for God to use people in our church and world to be used by Him as a game changer today.

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ by Timothy Keller.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

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Day 1: Read Revelation 1:5. John praises Jesus for who He is and what He has done for us. What three words or phrases would you add to praise Jesus for who He is? What three words or phrases would you add to praise Jesus for what He has done for us?

Day 2: Read Revelation 1:4. The grace of God is not only to balance a sin ledger from our past, but it’s the power God gives to live each day to pursue His power, to live with His presence, to share His power of love with the world around us.  How have you experienced God’s grace at work in your life in the last 24 hours? Where are you praying for His grace to work in the next 24 hours?

Day 3: Read Revelation 1:5. What do the three phrases John uses in the beginning of this verse mean for your life about who Jesus is to you? When you think of the difference Jesus has made in your life (and can make in someone else’s), on what parts of Jesus story do you focus?

Day 4: Read Revelation 1:8. Look over your life the past 24 hours. Who has overseen your life at home? At work? On the computer? With family? With friends? On your phone and TV?

Day 5: Read Revelation 1:6. What is the most beautiful thing you have experienced this week? Why do you consider it so beautiful? How did or do you see God at work in such a beautiful thing? How might this be a starting point with someone about a conversation of who God is? Whom will you share that message with this week?

Day 6: Read Revelation 1:7. One of the Biblical images for Christians is to be an “ambassador for Christ”. Even as great as the United States is, we are citizens of heaven, ambassadors charged to bring “up there down here”. When are you tempted to get your citizenship in heaven confused with your citizenship on earth? How can you place a higher priority of bringing God’s will “up there” as part of your work He has given you “down here” in the week ahead?

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS. 

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

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Day 1: Read Hebrews 10:14. When Jesus came, He came to die for our sins. He created community through His cross, by giving His life that we might have life.  Take some time today in confession of sin, especially those that are obstacles to community, and ask God's forgiveness.

Day 2: Read Hebrews 10:18. The writer to the Hebrews says that God eternally forgives you. Jesus has paid the price. The forgiveness is real, and it lasts for all eternity. What helps you to remember God's forgiveness?  Why is such forgiveness so important in overcoming the withdrawal and attack sins of the Porcupine Problem?

Day 3: Read Hebrews 10:19-22. In the American church we to often lose the "power of we" and focus on how Jesus only affects me.  That's one reason why I love these words from Hebrews 10. The writer could have targeted his words to individuals. Instead, he writes about us, he writes about the power of Jesus with us, not just with you or with me, but with all of us connected together in Jesus.  What does the writer of Hebrews say that "we" are to do?  How are the imperatives of this verse lived out in our life in a daily and weekly basis?

Day 4: Read Hebrews 10:23. I need you. You need me. We all need Christ. In the temple, the holy of holies was only accessible to one, to the priest. But in the blood of Jesus, the great high priest who became the sacrifice for us, not just one of us, but all of us with faith in Christ are invited to enter in together. Where have you experienced the "power of we," in living out the Christian faith with others?

Day 5: Read Hebrews 10:24. Jesus-centered Community is the one place where it is fully safe for us to take off our masks and to know the healing power of being known and loved - to stop hiding. Faith, hope, and love are experienced in a relationship with God and with other people.  That's why we gather in worship.  That's why we have Life Groups and Bibles Classes.  Where do you best experience Jesus-centered community that spurs you toward love and good deeds? How are you being spurred on to server with Christ's love? Who are you spurring on to live out Christ's love?

Day 6: Read Hebrews 10:25. When we experience the hot charcoal effect instead of the cooling one, here's what we're able to do. We spur one another on the good deeds. We encourage one another. In other words, we make each other better, and we make life better for one another. We cultivate community. Today, pray for the places and people that cultivate community with God in your life.  Thank God for those who encourage you.  Ask God to give you people each day you can encourage in living out their faith.

DAILY PRAYER: Holy Spirit, I pray that this day You will fill me with Yourself and cause Your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS. 

  Parking Update!

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Day 1: Read Titus 2:11. The Christian life flows out of grace, not guilt. Grace is not an excuse for lack of self-control. Grace is the power behind exercising self-control. How has God’s grace helped you when it comes to cultivating self-control? Where do you need to pray for His gracious power to be at work in your life?

Day 2: Read Titus 2:12. The ability to say no to sin is not the natural response, it’s the supernatural response. God’s grace opens our eyes to see what is right and what is wrong. God works not just back then, but His grace works now in the present age. Look back at the past 24 hours. Where did God provide His power to say no to sin? Where do you need God’s power to seek and receive His forgiveness?

Day 3: Read Titus 2:13. In this verse, Paul calls us to celebrate today what God is doing now and will do for all eternity through His lasting grace power. How does our future heavenly hope help you keep perspective amid our present out of control culture? Where do you sense God prompting you to pray for our world today? Why do you think He has placed such an issue, such a burden, on your heart to pray?

Day 4: Read Genesis 39:6-10.  And you thought sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement are new to our day? Notice that Joseph’s self-control is not rooted in his will power or in this case his won’t power, but in his relationship with God.  When have you seen God bring an out-of-control situation back in control? What happened? What lessons did He teach you? What out-of-control situation are you facing right now where you need to remember God is in control?

Day 5: Read Genesis 39:20-21. In a life that felt out of control, from favored son to slave to running the master’s business to prisoner, Joseph practiced self-control. Throughout his ordeal God was shaping Joseph’s character empowered by God’s grace and favor. How has God been cultivating your character throughout this Fruit of the Spirit series?  What has been your experience in praying the Cultivate Prayer (opening prayer on page 1) each day? What is one area of the Fruit of the Spirit blend, you hope God will continue to cultivate in the days ahead?

Day 6: Read Matthew 26:38-39. How do you sense Jesus getting ready for what the next 24 hours will bring as He prays to His Father? Where do you need to give up control, and say, “Father, not my will, but Your will be done”? What’s holding you back? How is God moving you forward?

DAILY PRAYER: Holy Spirit, I pray that this day You will fill me with Yourself and cause Your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the following book - Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: Growing in Christlikeness by Christopher J. H. Wright.

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS. 

 Parking Update!