When we come to Christ, we are born into a new life and are no longer bound by sin. But why do so many Christians struggle to put to death recurring sins? We know all too well that willpower, good intentions, and sincere promises to "never do it again" are no match for the character flaws that plague us. Can we genuinely be transformed? Join us as we dig into the divine process of renovating our hearts and putting on the character of Christ.
Where Are You
Speakers
Josh Blount
Lead Pastor
Worship
Notes
First Time Guest? Let us know!
You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t know where you currently are.
Do you know where you are?
Luke 19:10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost
Save - Sozo - to restore
Jesus is a restorer, Jesus is a renovator.
To restore the soul, one must first fathom its pristine state as intended by the Creator; without such understanding, our endeavors are mere tinkering with broken vessels.
Augustine of Hippo
Genesis 3:8 The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
Genesis 2:16 “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
When God asks this question, “Where are you?” it not so He can locate them, it’s so they could locate themselves in relation to Him.
In our lowest moments, God's love remains constant. No matter how far we've fallen, His hand is always there to lift us up and guide us back onto the path of righteousness.
Billy Graham
The starting point of renovation, is recognition.
You will never seek restoration, if you don't think you need restoration
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Heart = Soul
Our souls is deceitful
Galatians 5:24 those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Romans 8:13-14 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Salvation doesn’t erase our old nature; it gives us a new one and empowers us to live according to it.
Charles H. Spurgeon
God doesn’t love me because I’m good, God loves me because He’s good.
Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
In the wreckage of a ruined soul lies the opportunity for divine reconstruction. It’s through acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy that we invite the transformative power of grace.
Brennan Manning
Sin doesn't mean you're worthless; sin makes you lost!
Luke 15:8 Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
Lostness isn’t defined by just showing up at the wrong place; lostness is also defined by being on the wrong path.
It’s possible to be saved and lost.
Everything that was lost in the garden, can now be restored through the cross.
Lordship
To experience true inner renewal, we must relinquish the throne of our hearts and enthrone Christ as Lord over every thought, desire, and action.
A.W. Tozer
Genesis 3:5 you will be like God
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
In any area where you are enthroned above God, you are lost.
Romans 1:21 They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
God is the ultimate renovator of the soul, but He doesn’t go where He’s not invited.
God does not force His way into our lives; He waits for us to invite Him in. We must give Him full access to our hearts, trusting that His renovation will bring beauty from ashes and joy from sorrow.
Corrie ten Boom