Every Ingredient of the Recipe (06.10.18 Notes)

Every Ingredient of the Recipe

The Family Circus Week 2

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday. June 10, 2018

Scripture: Psalm 34:1-10 (NLT)

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. 4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. 7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Last week we discussed having a family that is hungry for righteousness.

What did your family say they were thankful for this week?

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Sometimes, I get hungry for things which take a LONG TIME to make.

In the church and the family, these are the things that take a long time to develop:

- A sense of community

- A movement of discipleship 

- A life of worship

- A structure of stability

It’s like a RECIPE - you need the right ingredients, the right mixture and the right TEMPERATURE.

My family is like yours, we are a mixed bowl of different gifts, abilities and talents all molded together for a common purpose.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 

Making brownies!

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/3 cup sweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat to 350, grease pan and spread, bake 25-30 minutes

And don’t forget some recipes have a few nuts!

The recipe is like a model of the BODY which makes up the church.

1. Butter - the liquid fat of the recipe provides TEXTURE. Every family and church needs texture. Texture represents the people who are the substance of the family and the church.
2. Sugar - the sweetness. Every family needs those sweet people who love bigger than their body and all churches need people who can love unconditionally like Jesus.
3. Eggs - the egg is an interesting ingredient. It’s full purpose is not revealed until it’s broken. We love broken people, we are just not satisfied that you stay that way.
4. Vanilla - the vanilla extract is for flavor, but what it does is bring out the savory elements of the other ingredients. If you are vanilla, you make others better!
5. Cocoa - the diversity, color, culture and style of the recipe comes from a powdery substance that once mixed and heated takes its full place. Families which are diverse and whole are so beautiful!
6. Flour - the foundation. Nothing rises and gets full without the flour. You need foundation people in every relationship, family and church. They are the cornerstones.
7. Salt - the preservation. Everybody thinks salt is about flavor. That’s just a small part of it! The salt makes everything in the dough stronger, thicker and more likely to stick together. It also slows down the conflict of chemical reactions in the recipe. The salt is such an important role because in your church, the salt people hold everything together in crisis, and bring flavor in success! 

But did we FORGET an ingredient?

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT)

There are SPECIAL parts of God’s kingdom that don’t seem to fit in, but are so important.

NUTS come in all shapes, varieties and ways. And you can be a little off, and still have a place!

8. The most important thing about the additive to the recipe is it does for it what NOTHING ELSE can do. 

You never think you need it - until it’s NOT THERE.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

Once you apply the heat (PRESSURE) then you reveal the PURPOSE.

You are a part of this family, and you BELONG.

Everybody's Hungry (06.03.18 Notes)

Everybody’s Hungry

The Family Circus Week 1

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday. June 3, 2018

Scripture: Matthew 5:6 and Psalm 63:1 (NLT)

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. (Matt. 5:6 NLT)

The King James Version of the English Bible says hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS.

What is it that your family is hungry for?

Think of this for a minute…

• If you have babies, they are hungry for EVERYTHING but can only have CERTAIN THINGS
• If you have small children, they are PICKY for what they learn to love
• If you have teenagers, God bless you. Let’s pray and work on a grocery budget (and don’t act like you’re not feeding four of their friends regularly too!)
• If you are an adult, you settle into a mature TASTE for what you like and a RESPONSIBLE taste for what you need.

Sometimes though, I just get hungry for more. (Popcorn!)

In your home, what does your family truly hunger for?

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What does not work in a family, or in a church:

• Legalistic Christianity
• Lukewarm Christianity

What does work:

• We are not just a CHRISTIAN family, but be a CHRIST-CENTERED home

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1 NLT)

Help your family hunger for God see him as LOVING, approachable and INVOLVED.

Create an environment where questioning God and seeking him is not only recommended, but invited. Help your children see the DEPTHS of how delicious the Word of God is! Do you remember helping them try a food for the first time?

I hated steak! I got sick the first time I ever ate it. It was a disaster. But I parents taught me how to eat it, chew it and even savor it. And now as an adult, I want STEAK!!!! I love it!

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12 NLT)

Three ways to create a hunger for God in your crazy, family circus of a world.

1. Involve God in your daily CONVERSATIONS

Apply this - every day, ask a question to your kids that brings God or the Bible into the equation. Nature. Reason. Science. Will. Understanding. Tragedy. Happiness. Thankfulness.

Start a THANKFULNESS CHART (see example with Pastor Kris on the stage) - every day, every member of your family has to write something on the chart/board. No exceptions!

2. Make attending church together a NON-NEGOTIABLE

Don’t just send. Lead.

Don’t just attend. Serve.

Don’t just take. Give.

Don’t just complain and bicker. Love.

Don’t just search. Stay.

3. Show how seeking and serving God is FUN

Inside the worship guide, there is a family activity sheet. During the summer, post this in your home and see how many of these activities you can accomplish. Make being together fun.

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NLT)

The Feeling is Mutual (05.13.18 Notes - Mother's Day)

The Feeling is Mutual

#YouAskedForIt Week Two

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Scripture: Ephesians 5:21-33 (NLT)

21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

Submission is - believe it or not, an actual of MUTUAL respect.

Submission in parenting and the marital relationship begins with GOD at the head of everything that we do together. As a couple, but FIRST as an individual, we must be submissive to him.

Today’s You Asked For It question deals with the roles of men and women in marital relationships, even what is the man’s role as the head of the family and what does that mean?

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 

This scripture proves that a man should be a LEADER, a SERVANT, and SUBMIT and SACRIFICE.

1. There is nothing wrong or chauvinistic about good male leadership in the family.
2. Men should be AWESOME husbands.
3. Men should be good role models.
4. Men should be good friends.
5. Men should be GREAT dads.

Our God is every quality of a GREAT dad - and even a great mom! Believe it or not!

28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.

Husbands, love your wives! And here’s why women deserve to be loved!

1. Women are vitally important and Biblically significant to the plan of God.
2. Women should be INCREDIBLE wives.
3. Women should be fantastic mentors and leaders.
4. Women should be good friends.
5. Women as mothers are the GREATEST THING on earth!

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Relationships should seem easy - but it’s very difficult! It’s EXTREMELY difficult.

Then you add KIDS. Wow!

Being a parent is such a blessing! But it’s a tough road!

1. Being a parent is a biological thing - God said be fruitful and multiply!
2. Being a parent is a psychological thing - it produces mental growth and challenges!
3. Being a parent is a spiritual thing - you are the leaders of your children’s future!
4. Being a parent is a tragic and heart-breaking thing - the roller coasters are so hard!
5. Being a parent is a perfect thing to illustrate the love of God toward us.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. (Proverbs 22:6 NLT)

The Church Should Step Up (05.08.18 Notes)

The Church Should Step Up

#YouAskedForIt Week One

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Scripture: Psalm 34:17-20 (NLT)

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. 20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!

Today’s question for You Asked For It addresses what the Bible says about mental illness, depression, stress and handling the prevention and awareness of our country’s epidemic of suicide.

The most important thing you need to know - the church MUST do a better job with this!

A survey by Lifeway Research in September of 2015 found that close to HALF of evangelical, fundamental and born-again Christians believe prayer and Bible study alone can solve mental illness. So if that’s true, why is this PARALYZING the modern church with seemingly no answers?

The facts about mental illness:

1. Half of all adults will struggle with some type of mental illness, depression or suicide thoughts at least once in their lifetime.
2. Chronic mental illness often begins by age 14
3. One in five children struggle with mental illness prior to the age of 18
4. Estimates say that 90 percent of suicide cases involve mental illness or depression.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7)

The horrific results of untreated mental illness, depression and PTSD result in a complete loss of self-control and TRAGEDY.

It’s time for the church to stop believing the WORST-CASE SCENARIOS only happen to those we don’t know or don’t NEED!!!!

Worst-case scenarios:

1. Domestic violence
2. Suicide
3. Violent crime
4. Institutionalization and Removal
5. Mania/Unrealistic expectations

THREE REASONS the CHURCH must ADDRESS this issue:

1. It’s Biblical - the GOSPELS show Jesus caring for others.

So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. (Matthew 4:24)

2. It’s Historical - the church was the originator of the hospital. The church has been CARING for the sick and the hurting longer than any government, agency or civil authority or organization.

This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (Psalm 91:2)

3. It’s Practical - This is a Crisis.

Before anyone will ever call a doctor, a law enforcement officer or a counselor, the first place they often turn is the church or a pastor. Why? Because we should help! But secondary, we often fear stigma, procedures and financial obligations.

The church cannot do this ALONE.

You - as a representative of Jesus - MUST INTERVENE.

1. Set aside your fears and DO SOMETHING.
2. Be hope. Be help. Be hard.
3. Stay firm. Stay friends. Stay faithful.

A set of RESOURCES is provided for you to seek help.

The most common question asked by the church in regards to suicide is “Does someone who commits suicide go to Heaven?” Can I stir you up for a moment? Can I push your buttons? Stop asking that question! INSTEAD…let’s STEP UP so that the person battling those thoughts NEVER believes they have to give up.

The Hope Circle:

1. I hate myself - YOU ARE LOVED - 1 John 4:10

2. I don’t matter - YOU HAVE A PURPOSE - Jeremiah 29:11

3. I don’t fit in - YOU BELONG - Romans 12:4-5

4. I want to give up - YOU HAVE A CHOICE - 2 Corinthians 4:7

5. I feel useless - YOU ARE NEEDED - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Let our mourning for those who DID be a catalyst to help those who MIGHT to inspire them with hope to be those who DIDN’T because someone helped them! Someone helped you!

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

The First Time is Not the Last Time (04.29.18 Notes)

The First Time is Not the Last Time
#Emerge Week Five
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church
Sunday, April 29, 2018

Scripture: Revelation 19:11-16 (NLT)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

There are differences in the Bible in descriptions of Jesus and common adjectives to describe him.

Faithful - Gr. pistos - means to be trusted with authority and the execution of decisions

True - Gr. alethinos - the genuine one

There are many imposters of the Messiah/Jesus. This is the Bible’s way of identifying him as the accurate and authoritative one.

12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

• Eyes as flame of fire - all-seeing, all-knowing, the omniscience of God
• Head were many crowns - he is the king of all glory, the firstborn of all creation (incarnate)
• Name written on Him - he was, is and is to come and is the living declaration of the Word
• (Contrast this with the sign that was placed above his head at the time of his crucifixion which mocked him as the “King of the Jews”)
• Robe dipped in blood - he is the redemption for all people
• White horse - purity, equity and righteousness to overcome in battle
• Sharp sword - judgment
• Iron rod - justice and sovereignty

Notice again the English translation capitalizes the “King” and “Lord” when referring to Jesus.

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

• This is not a pretty end for evil
• This sounds like the making of a great movie!
• The final battle waged is called “Armageddon” because it is prophetically spoken to be fought at the “Plain of Megiddo”

Megiddo:

• A modern city 25 miles west/southwest of the Sea of Galilee
• Near the Kishon River
• Carmel Mountain is the mountain in the plain of Megiddo where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:10-40
• Mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament but all physical/geographical references. Mentioned once in the New Testament (Rev. 16:16) and it’s prophetical

The return of Christ to defeat evil forever and complete the plan of God, is a different event - by all accounts - than the calling away of the church, or “Rapture” of the saints.

Rapture is a scriptural ideal - not an actual English word used in the Bible.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[h] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NLT)

The Christian belief of the “calling away” of the church (before the Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon) is a Greek word harpazo - which was translated into the Latin Vulgate as raptus - the root of the English/French word rapture.

Four things to remember about the end of time:

1. The first time Christ was here was not the last time (John 14:1-6)
2. No one knows the day nor the hour of his return (Matthew 24:36)
3. You must be ready
4. Once it happens, then comes the final judgment

The good news - if you know Jesus you’re going to be just fine!

#Emerge #RevWhiteHouse

Get Up, Get Out (04.22.18 Notes)

Get Up, Get Out, Get Going

#Emerge Week Four

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Scripture: John 11:1-53 (NLT)

11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 

Jesus did not immediately return, instead he made a PROMISE that would later take a MIRACLE.

11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” 12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

God is in the miracle business, but he’s always about the MOMENT for it.

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Why did Jesus wait to return to Bethany?

1. The waiting brought PURPOSE

This miracle was not truly about the resurrection of Lazarus. It was about the resurrection of Jesus. The miracle of the raising of Lazarus was so powerful it ushered in the conspiracy of the leaders to get rid of Jesus.

And through death, God brings LIFE. That’s the whole story of the Bible! 

2. The waiting brought TESTING

• Jesus tested the faith of the disciples
• Jesus tested the faith of Mary and Martha
• Jesus tested the faith of the onlookers (the crowd)

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

3. The waiting brought AUTHENTICATION

An ancient custom said the spirit hovered over the body for three days after death.

Had Jesus raised Lazarus immediately, people would have QUESTIONED the miracle.

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

God has the power to transform death into life. But when he does, what is the purpose for that power in your story?

There is no mention that Lazarus eventually went to Heaven without dying. So this miracle was a TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT for a bigger purpose!

What’s DEAD in your life that needs life, for the purpose of pointing others to ETERNAL LIFE?

45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.

#Emerge #RevWhiteHouse