Our Vision - Tree Of Life / Resurrection Life

Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God - Mat 16:15-18

Life Church is a growing community of Christians who are organized into small groups.

Life groups are to the celebration as rooms are to a house

You can't be in my house without being in a room

We are called to be like the tree of life

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. - Rev 22:1-2

We are fruitful - producing souls for Jesus

We heal our communities by offering them genuine community

Our Mission

Develop Mature Believers
Our members become mature in loving God, in loving one another, and in self-control. They in turn reproduce that maturity in others -- purposely making disciples. This happens through worship services, small groups, disciplined prayer, discipleship, and systematic teaching.

Develop Effective Leaders
We develop leaders to direct other believers in ministry activities and we develop leaders to provide pastoral care at every level -- small groups and large congregations. We develop apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to fulfill the mission of Eph 4:10-16. We do this through life groups, prayer, discipleship, and systematic training.

Extend God's Kingdom Wherever We Go
We expand God's Kingdom by developing relationships with people. We allow the Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus through us. Our life groups are a net for gathering the people who interact with us. We use businesses, entertainment, community activities, and educational programs to reach those who don't yet follow Jesus

Our Objectives

Our Core Values

God's Word – We study God’s Word (the Holy Bible) and put it into practice

Prayer – We practice daily intimate fellowship with God through prayer

Worship – We practice staying in God’s presence through worship

Fellowship – We make fellowship a habit by meeting together regularly

Discipleship – We are faithful in discipleship

Agreement – We walk in agreement with our pastoral leadership and with one another

Serving – We are faithful in serving God, one another and the lost

We gather together on Sundays for worship and instruction

We meet together weekly in small groups (life groups) for fellowship and support and evangelism

Basic Christian Community - Acts 2:41-47; Acts 4:31-37

Devoted themselves to:

apostolic teaching

fellowship

breaking of bread

prayer

awe, wonders, and miraculous signs

all together, everything in common,

selling possessions and goods, giving to meet needs

met every day in the temple courts

broke bread in their homes, ate together gladly and sincerely

praising God

favor of the people

daily growth

We take time to love and to get to know God and each other.

We take time to fulfill God's mission for our lives.

We live rich and balanced lives together.

We win people in our lives and in our communities to Christ and help them

establish godly habits

transform godly habits into skills

develop godly habits and skills into ministries

We take time to love and to get to know God and each other.

Life group leaders need to make sure their members know how to contact each other.

Take personal responsibility for the ministry and for your life group

Pray alone and with your prayer partners

Love one another - 1Cor 13; 1Pet 1:22; 1John 4:7 - 5:5

How can you love your brother/sister and not call him/her on the phone?

How can you love your brother/sister and hot visit him/her?

What you don't do for "the least of these" you don't do for Jesus! - Mat 25:31-46

Has your love run cold? - Luke 24:12

Your brothers and sisters are wrapped presents under the Christmas tree

They are gifts from God

Open them up!

Creation Awaits

The Law is not enough - Rom 7

No condemnation to those in Christ - Rom 8:1-16

Live according to the Spirit

Transformed by renewing your mind - Rom 12:1-2

Rom 8:17-39 - Creation Awaits

We are God's children

We are heirs - if we share in Christ's sufferings

Creation waits for the sons of God to be revealed

We are to be liberators

Bind the strong man - Mat 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-26

Finger of God - Ex 7-8; 8:19

Creation groans

We groan waiting for the redemption of our bodies

Resurrection

The power of an indestructible life - Heb 7:16

Eph 1:15-23

Note - Paul's observation of their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints motivated his prayer for them.

Enlightenment is for believers who love the saints - Eph 1:15

Treasure in jars of clay - 2Cor 4:7-12

Some of you are just trying to live a good life - you need to die and be resurrected to live God's life. - John 12:24-25

The Holy Spirit helps us

All things work together for good - Rom 8:28

Are you called according to his purpose?

Know your purpose

If God is for us who can be against us?

Nothing can separate us from God's love

You Have Everything You Need - 2Pet 1:3-4

Membership

Qualifications

Commitment to Jesus Christ

Commitment to Life Church

Commitment to Jesus Christ

Christian - Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1Pet 4:16

Follower of Christ

What does the world mean by follower?

Are there any "followers" today?

How do little children follow?

Saved (sqzw)- Rom 10:9-10

Meaning

Healing - Mat 9:22; Luke 7:50; Luke 8:48

Physical Rescue - Mat 14:30; Acts 17:20

Spiritual Rescue - Luke 19:20; John 3:17; John 5:34; John 10:9; John 12:47; Acts 4:12; Acts 11:14

References

He who stands firm to the end - Mat 10:22; Mat 24:13

Whoever believes and is baptized - Mark 16:16

Those who believe - Luke 8:12; Acts 16:31

Those who call on the name of the Lord - Acts 2:21; Rom 10:13

What are we saved from?

Sickness

This corrupt generation - Acts 2:4

God's wrath - Rom 5:9-10

Past, Present, and Future

We have been saved - Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:4-5

from the power of sin - Rom 6:15-18

We are being saved - 1Cor 1:18; 2Cor 2:15

from the practice of sin - Rom 8:5-6

We will be saved - 1Cor 3:15; Phil 1:28

from the presence of sin

from God's wrath

Born Again - John 1:12-13; John 3:1-8; Tit 3:5; James 1:18; 1Pet 1:23

Meaning

Redeemed (exagorazw, lutrow) - Gal 3:10-14; 1Pet 1:18-19

from the curse of the law - Gal 3:10-14

from all wickedness - Tit 2:14

Past, Present, and Future

We have been redeemed - Gal 3:13

We are being redeemed

We will be redeemed - Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14

Believer - Acts 4:32; Acts 9:41; Acts 10:45; Acts 11:2; Acts 21:25; 1Cor 6:5; 1Cor 7:12-13; 1Cor 14:22; Gal 6:10; 1Thes 1:7; 1Tim 4:12; 1Tim 5:16; 1Tim 6:2; James 2:1; 1Pet 2:17

Believe (pisteuw) - Mark 16:16; John 1:12-13; John 3:14-18; John 5:24; John 6:24-29; John 6:40; John 11:25-26; John 12:44; John 20:31

Not just intellectual assent

"come to me" = "believe in me" - John 6:35 (Heb. par. Psalm 24)

Faith produces results - Heb 11; James 2:14-26

Saint (agios) - Acts 9:13; Acts 9:32; Acts 26:10; Rom 1:7; Rom 8:27; Rom 16:15; 1Cor 6:1-2; 2Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Phil 4:22

The set apart ones

Christianity is not

a verbal formula

"joining church"

just living a "moral" life

Christianity is

a love relationship with your Father in heaven

following him like a little child - Mat 18:1-4; Mark 10:13-16

being enthusiastic about his agenda

Phinehas - Num 25:1-16

Mark those who grieve and lament - Ezek 9:1-11

Jesus cleanses the temple - Mat 21:11-13; John 2:13-21

Marking th 144,000 - Rev 7:1-17

Living for God - Gal 2:20

Making the Father happy

find out what pleases the Lord - Eph 5:10

find out what the Lord's will is - Eph 5:17

Redemption - Psalm 107

Get the order right

Exodus / Red Sea; Moral Law; Tabernacle

Redemption; Righteousness; Worship

Repentance - pictures salvation with emphasis on transition

Faith in Christ - pictures salvation with emphasis on commitment

Testimony - faith in Christ expressed verbally - Rev 12:11

Baptism - faith in Christ expressed physically - Mat 28:18-20

Commitment to Life Church

Sunday Celebration

God wants to get the whole family together (e.g. Thanksgiving)

Life Group

Intimate fellowship, accountability, and team ministry

This what the early church did - Acts 2:41-47

This is how we can live out the "one another" scriptures

Love one another - John 13:34-35; Rom 13:8; (deeply, from the heart) 1Pet 1:22; 1John 3:11; 1John 3:23; 1John 4:7; 1John 4:11-12; 2John 1:5

Be devoted to one another - Rom 12:10

Live in harmony with one another - Rom 12:16; 1Pet 3:8

Accept one another - Rom 15:7

Agree with one another - 1Cor 1:10

Serve one another - Gal 5:13

Bear with one another - Eph 4:2

Be kind and compassionate to one another - Eph 4:32

Submit to one another - Eph 5:21

Teach and admonish one another - Col 3:16

Encourage one another - 1Thes 5:11; (daily) Heb 3:13; Heb 10:25

This is how we can build one another up

helping each other to apply God's Word to our lives

helping each other to pray

helping each other to worship

helping each other to make disciples

Resurrection Life

Eph 1:15-23

Note - Paul's observation of their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints motivated his prayer for them.

Enlightenment is for believers who love the saints - Eph 1:15

Membership (continued)

Commitment to Life Church

Life Group (continued)

Life Groups and the Life Church Vision

Jesus at the center - Mat 16:15-18; Gal 2:20

Tree Of Life - Rev 22:1-2

Grows next to the River Of Life

Extreme fruitfulness

Healing

Gather on Sundays for worship and instruction

Gather in small groups weekly for fellowship, support, and evangelism - Acts 2:41-47; Eph 4:1-16

Church as cell and celebration - cell is building block

The cell is church

Each cell is a building block of the church (a cell church is only as good as its cells)

Take time to love and get to know God and each other

A sense of mutual accountability to obey the commands of Christ - to love God, love one another, and love the lost

Fulfill God's mission for our lives

Every member in ministry

Enabling and empowering every member of the body of Christ

Empowering people and encouraging them into a sense of destiny and purpose in what they do on a weekly basis

Live rich and balanced lives together

Community

Win people in our lives and in our communities to Christ

establish godly habits, skills, ministries

Life Groups and the Life Church Mission

Develop mature believers

Every member growing

Develop effective leaders

The training and support of cell leaders is crucial

Expand God's Kingdom

Evangelism

Each cell member taking responsibility to have a network of unchurched friends to whom they are reaching out, and seeking to evangelize and win.

Life Group Meetings

Welcome

Relax

Reconnect with each other

Trust others with mundane things first - important things later

Worship

Reconnect with the Father

Music not essential

Expressions of love and appreciation to God are essential

Inward reflection leading to outward expressions of worship

Word

Understand a relevant scripture passage - perhaps from Sunday

How does the passage apply to my life?

Who needs help to see this principle or idea at work in his/her own life?

Works / Witness

Pray for the expansion of God's Kingdom in the neighborhood(s) of the life group members.

Achieve common understanding of relational evangelism.

Strategize around each member developing at least three local non-Christian friends. What is a friend?

Hold each other accountable for developing these friendships.

Life Group Leaders

Delegated pastoral authority

The life group leaders represent the pastors

Submit to their authority - Heb 13:17

Eight Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders

Dream Big - set specific goals for growth and multiplication

Pray - pray for group members and multiplication daily

Invite - invite new people weekly

Contact - contact your members weekly

Prepare - set aside time to plan the meeting

Mentor - have and mentor apprentice leaders

Fellowship - plan and conduct group fellowship activities

Growth - be committed to personal growth

Joining The Body (Part 3)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday November 27, 2005