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Aug 1 – "Essential Beliefs: The Holy Spirit
Dwells in Followers of Jesus to Fill, Train and Transform" –
Romans 8:1-17 (“…should not perish, but have eternal life.”; see
also Romans 5:5; John 7:37-39; 14:15-17; Acts 2:38-39; Holy
Spirit; power to live like Christ; discipleship)
Aug 8 – "Essential Beliefs: The Church is the
Body of Christ" – Ephesians 4:10-16; (see also 1 Corinthians
12:27-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 3:10-11; salvation comes
through Christ and results in reconciliation not only with God,
but also with people; God’s presence and love and grace and
message demonstrated in the community of Jesus followers, the
Church; the Kingdom of God working through the community of
believers)
Aug 15 – "BFCC Distinctive Beliefs: Baptism" –
Acts 10:34-48; 1 Peter 3:21-22 (see also 1 Corinthians 1:11-17;
baptism; sign of salvation; witness of God’s grace; Jesus’ death
and resurrection power to bring new life; entrance into
community of believers.)
Aug 22 – "BFCC Distinctive Beliefs: Communion"
– Mark 14:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 (communion; Lord’s
Supper; remembering and proclaiming Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and
resurrection from the dead; finding life by giving it away;
recognizing the Body of Christ)
Aug 29 – MUSIC AND TESTIMONY SUNDAY – Psalm
96:1-4 ("Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous
deeds among all peoples." personal testimonies from the congregation)
Sep 5 – EPHESIANS:
It’s All For Us, But It’s Not All About Us – Ephesians 1:1-14
(God’s blessings on us; God’s choosing of us; the grace of God;
salvation; redemption; God’s will and plan worked out in
history; the greatness and glory of God; to the praise of God’s
glory)
Sep 12 – EPHESIANS: You Can’t Live What You
Don’t Know – Ephesians 1:15-23 (relationship not religion;
knowing God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; hope for a different,
fulfilling life; power of God at work in those who believe;
connection between truth and actions/living)
Sep 19 – EPHESIANS: How God’s Work of Grace
Creates Grace-filled Works – Ephesians 2:1-10 (dead in sins,
made alive in Christ; grace of God; the relationship between
grace and good works; God as Creator of both the old and new
creation)
Sep 26 – EPHESIANS: God Breaks Barriers Between
People – Ephesians 2:11-22 (reconciliation; peace instead of
hostility; fellowship; unity; the household of God; being joined
and built together into one building where God lives in us)
Oct 3 – EPHESIANS: God Works Through the Church
– Ephesians 3:1-13 (the Church; the Body of Christ; God takes
the “least” and works in them by his powerful grace; God’s
intent to make his works of salvation known through the Church;
the Church as the primary agent of God’s actions in the world)
Oct 10 – EPHESIANS: God Works From the
Inside-Out – Ephesians 3:14-21 (prayer; inner being; heart
response to God; faith in Christ; transforming power of Christ’s
love when we grasp how wide, long, high and deep it is; prayer
as foundational for growing up in Christ)
Oct 17 – EPHESIANS: You Can Only Grow Up in a
Body – Ephesians 4:1-16 (Body of Christ; unity; Jesus Christ is
the head of the Body, the Church; peace-making to keep the bond
of the Spirit; recognizing roles in the church that are to bring
about unity, not division; Christian maturity; growing up in
Christ)
Oct 24 – EPHESIANS: Learning How to Put Off the
Old and Put On the New– Ephesians 4:17-32 (the process of
sanctification; working out our salvation with fear and
trembling; understanding the old life of hardened hearts that
lead to futile thinking that lead to enslaved living; Putting on
the new self with a new heart, renewed mind, and freedom to live
in righteousness and holiness; avoiding self-righteousness by
responding in a love relationship that seeks to please, not
grieve, God)
Oct 31 – MUSIC AND TESTIMONY SUNDAY – 1 Peter
2:9 ("You are a chosen people...that you may declare the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light."; personal testimonies from the congregation)
Nov 7 – EPHESIANS: Not the Same Anymore –
Ephesians 5:1-20 (sanctification; following Jesus and his
example; carefully examining and questioning our lives/actions
in the light of Christ; being filled with the Holy Spirit;
giving control to the Spirit for new living; light versus
darkness)
Nov 14 – EPHESIANS: Giving Jesus Access to our
Home Life and Work Place – Ephesians 5:21 – 6:9 (sanctification
of marriage, parenting, and employment; submission in the
context of roles; honoring parents; letting Jesus change our
fundamental relationships to reflect his life and love)
Nov 21 – EPHESIANS: Willing and Ready to Stand
in the Struggle – Ephesians 6:10-24 (perseverance; be strong in
the Lord and in his mighty power; the armor of God; spiritual
attacks and battles against Satan and evil forces; standing
strong in the face of spiritual struggles; accepting the
difficulties that come with following Jesus; endurance; prayer;
encouragement)
Nov 28 – (Thanksgiving weekend; 1st Sunday in
Advent) – The Deadly Sins of Christmas (and how “God-with-Us”
overcomes them): Greed – Matthew 2:1-12 (When Jesus is our
treasure, all other treasures become gifts we’re willing to give
out of thankfulness; overcoming materialism; seeking to find
security in the things we have instead of the Giver of all good
things; our heart is where our treasure is; finding our sense of
significance and self-worth in Jesus; humility and gratitude;
freedom from greed)
Dec 5 – The Deadly Sins of Christmas (and how
“God-with-Us” overcomes them): Wrath – Matthew 2:13-23 (our
anger is a sign of wanting to be in control; In his wrath and
anger, Herod has the babies of Bethlehem killed; Until we see
Jesus as the true King and submit to him, we will always be
hostage to our anger and wrath; overcoming the worry and anxiety
of maintaining control of our lives)
Dec 12 – The Deadly Sins of Christmas (and how
“God-with-Us” overcomes them): Envy – Luke 2:8-20 (comparing
ourselves to others; finding contentment in the role God gives
us in proclaiming his Son; gratefulness for the part we have in
God’s actions of redemption and salvation; the joy of the
shepherds)
Dec 19 – The Deadly Sins of Christmas (and how
“God-with-Us” overcomes them): Sloth – Luke 2:25-38 (spiritual
apathy and procrastination; Simeon and Anna’s readiness learned
from years of waiting, not lazily, but with great expectation;
finding contentment and peace in God’s timetable rather than our
own)
Dec 24 – Christmas Eve Service – Christmas
Reminds Us How God Works – Micah 5:1-6 (Christmas; God makes
promises at the worst of times, and works through the
unlikeliest circumstances to accomplish his purposes so He is
glorified and no one can boast)
Dec 26 – MUSIC AND TESTIMONY SUNDAY - ETERNITY
FOCUS to lead worship
Jan 2 – TBA
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