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Wednesdays
6:30 p.m.
Dinner at 6

THE PURPOSE TEST

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE

³ “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. ⁴ “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. ⁵ But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. ⁶ This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. ⁸ So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

Genesis 45:3

1. BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE A PURPOSE

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

2. UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

3. DISCOVER YOUR GIFT AND YOUR DIRECTION

http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgiftyouth/

⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Romans 12:4-8

4. SET YOUR COURSE AND BE FAITHFUL

A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. Proverbs 18:16

JESUS LOVES YOU

All Scriptures from the New Living Translation Bible unless noted

THE PARDON TEST

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE

¹⁵ But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us ¹⁷ to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. ¹⁸ Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. ²¹ No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

Genesis 50:15-21

3 KEYS TO FORGIVE PEOPLE

1. RELEASE - FORGIVE

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” ²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:19-21

Justified - Just as if I never _________

²⁶ Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. Genesis 47:26

Romans 12:19-21

2. RECEIVE FORGIVENESS

¹² and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. ¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. ¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:12-15

Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8b

3. BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:6

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:12

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

JESUS LOVES YOU

THE POWER TEST

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE

⁸ The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

⁹ Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

¹⁴ Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.

³⁷ Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. ³⁸ So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. ⁴⁴ And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.” Genesis 41:8–9, 14, 37–44

1. FROM WHERE DOES POWER COME?
¹¹ God has spoken plainly,
and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;

Psalm 62:11

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. Jude 1:25

¹⁰ “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

¹¹ Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

John 19:10–11

2. TO WHOM DOES POWER COME?

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:10

⁵ In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for

“God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”

⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

1 Peter 5:5–6

¹⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

¹⁶ “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

Genesis 41:15–16

3. WHY DOES POWER COME?

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38

¹⁷ He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’

¹⁸ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Deuteronomy 8:17–18

JESUS LOVES YOU

What is the Holy Spirit saying to me through this message?

DON’T BELIEVE THE LIES

How to Live the Extraordinary Life

Part 11

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. (Romans 1:17 (NLT)

…We pray…for you, asking God to ...fill up any little cracks there may yet be in your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (LB)

TRUTH: YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY ROYALTY BECAUSE

1. GOD SEES ME AS HIS OWN CHOOSEN PEOPLE

... you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

He (Jesus) lets us rule as kings and serve God his Father as priests. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 1:6 (CEV)

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

Romans 8:16-17 (NLT)

2. WE ARE EMPOWERED TO DEFEAT THE LIES OF THIS WORLD

Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 1 John 5:4 (CEV)

For we live by believing and not by seeing. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)

A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.

John 10:10 (CEV)

Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has been so kind to us, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings. Romans 5:17 CEV)

3. YOU DON’T MAKE EXCUSES. YOU LIVE BY FAITH IN GOD

“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes. Acts 3:16 (NLT)

But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe… then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong. Romans 14:23-24 (TM)

God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same:

Your words stand fast and true;
Rejection doesn't faze you.

Romans 3:4 (TM)

¹⁷When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, "Everything is ready! Please come."

¹⁸One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, "I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me."

¹⁹Another guest said, "I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me." Luke 14:17-19 (CEV)

JESUS LOVES YOU

DON’T MAKE EXCUSES! START LIVING THE LIFE TO THE FULL, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BELIEVING GOD’S WORD

How to live the Extraordinary Life

Part 10

Jesus stood there amazed! Turning to the crowd he said, “I haven’t seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! 11And I tell you this, that many Gentiles (non Jews) [like this Roman officer], shall come from all over the world and sit down in the Kingdom of Heaven… 13Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go on home. What you have believed has happened!” And the boy was healed that same hour! Matthew 8:10-11, 13 (LB)

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:5, 7 (NLT)

YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY!

1. DECIDE TO LIVE SOLID IN GOD’S FAITH

FAITH – Believing that God will do what He says.

Faith produces actions of obedience.

Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua and Caleb, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. 11And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? Numbers 14:6-11 (NLT)

2. YOU ARE NOT ENSLAVED TO BE ORDINARY

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NLT)

We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.

1 John 5:3-4 (CEV)

3. NO MORE EXCUSES

But if a person has doubts … he is condemned because he didn’t act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.

Romans 14:23 (GWT)

Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes. Acts 3:16 (TM)

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. Philippians 3:12-14 (TM)

JESUS LOVES YOU

HOW TO ACCESS GOD’S GRACE

How to live the Extraordinary Life

Part 9

…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)

We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. Hebrews 4:1-2 (TM)

THE PIPELINE TO GOD’S GRACE IS GOD’S FAITH

1. GOD GIVES THE FAITH TO LIVE IN HIS GRACE

FAITH – Believing that God will do what He says.

Faith produces actions of obedience.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:23 (NASB)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

We conclude that a person has God’s approval because of faith, not because of his own efforts. Romans 3:28 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

2. THE PROOF OF FAITH IS LIVING LIFE PLEASING TO GOD

Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead! James 2:26 (CEV)

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God. Romans 4:19-25 (TM)

VERB It's what you do

3. FAITH IS A VERB

It is something we do; it is an action word - it involves action.

Don’t you remember that even our father Abraham was declared good because of what he did, when he was willing to obey God, even if it meant offering his son Isaac to die on the alter? 22You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to ; his faith was made complete by what he did , by his actions, his good deeds. 23And so it happened just as the Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him good in God’s sight, and he was even called “the friend of God.” 24So you see, a man is saved by what he does, as well as by what he believes.

James 2:22-24 (LB)

It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (TM)

JESUS LOVES YOU

Bottom line: I was trying to live a godly life without the power of God’s grace, and it just can’t be done