161211 AM How Churches Stray Strong (and Grow Weak) Through the Years
How
Churches Stay Strong (and Grow Weak) Through the Years — A. Our study of Act s has shown us how churches in Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth and beyond first started, how they flourished, and the difference they made. B. What can we learn from a brief overview of Act s about how churches stay strong through the years? How Churches Stay Strong Through the Years… …churches are made up of people and people are made strong in the Lord through: · _________________ _ ( Acts 2:37, 42 a ) · Commitment ( Acts 2:42 b ) · ________ _ with each other ( Acts 2:46 – 4 7 ) · A spirit of generosity ( Acts 4:3 2 ) · The ________ _ of the Lord and comfor t of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 9:3 1 ) · Good works and acts of charity ( Acts 9:36 – 3 9 ) · Active ____________ _ for those who need to hear the gospel ( Acts 10:2 4 ) · A willingness to listen to each other ( Acts 11:1 – 2, 1 8 ) · Steadfast ___________ _ ( Acts 11:2 3 ) · Ear nest prayer ( Acts 12:5, 1 2 ) · A _______ _ for the Lord and the world that is bigger than themselves ( Acts 13:1 – 3 ) · Another generation that has been taught to take God seriously ( Acts 16:1 – 2 ) · Attentive _______________ _ ( Acts 20:2 8 ) How Churches Grow Weak Through the Years… …churches are made up of people and people become weak by: · _________________ _ the love they had at first ( Rev 2: 4 ) · Losing the fear of the Lord and compromising the message of the Holy Spirit ( Rev 2:1 4 ) · A l ove for the world that breeds a spirit of _______ _ – centeredness ( Rev 2:2 0 ) · Spiritual apathy that rests in empty reputation ( Rev 3:1 – 2 ) · A failure to see ourselves as ______ _ sees us ( Rev 3:15 – 1 7 ) MY NEXT STEP to being the change I want to see in 2017 is… |