Speaker:
NCCF Church
Title:
NCCF Church Sharing
Date:
12/17/2023
Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29)
We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3)
We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Summary
A church member shares how God transformed his understanding of spiritual growth through humility and childlike faith. Drawing from Matthew 18 and other scriptures, the speaker testifies that regardless of one's past circumstances or when one came to Christ, humble submission to God as a child submits to a father enables genuine spiritual transformation and maturity in Christ. The message emphasizes that God can restore and redeem what was lost when believers align their desires with obedience to Him.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Reflecting on the conclusion of the year and God's wordTaking time to reflect on what God has spoken throughout the year helps us remember that the purpose of hearing God's word is to be encouraged, challenged, and obedient.Ecclesiastes 12:13
Overcoming childhood excuses by knowing God as a fatherGrowing up without parents can lead to making excuses for personal sin and anxiety, but recognizing God as a loving father stops us from blaming our past for our spiritual shortcomings.
Becoming like little children to enter the kingdomJesus teaches that unless we humble ourselves and become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven; this childlike attitude makes it easier to put away bad habits and respond to God's discipline.Matthew 18:3–4
God restores the wasted yearsGod promises to restore the years eaten by locusts and gives the Holy Spirit to help us cry out to Him as our father in times of struggle.Joel 2:25
Exposing selfish desires and seeking God's guidanceOur natural desires are inherently selfish, and even well-intentioned actions can be self-seeking unless we explicitly ask God what He wants us to do.
God is at work in us to will and to workThe daily desire we have to obey God is confirmation that He is actively working in us to accomplish His good pleasure, as human nature apart from Christ is hostile to God's law.Philippians 2:13Romans 8:7
Being a new creature in ChristThose who are in Christ are new creations where old things pass away, resulting in transformed strengths, weaknesses, and a deep desire to know our father.2 Corinthians 5:17
The illustration of the sandwich and church historyA conversation about church history and barriers to God highlights how sin acts like layers in a sandwich, separating us from true fellowship with God.
Receiving the word in humilityBy putting aside filthiness and wickedness in humility, we receive the implanted word of God that is able to save our souls.James 1:17–21
Jesus is the Bread of LifeJesus declares Himself to be the bread of life, challenging people who merely wanted comfortable physical fulfillment to pursue a deeper, costly surrender and follow Him wherever He leads.
Asking God where we need to changeTrue discipleship requires us to humbly ask God what foolish things we are doing to make our lives worse, and to accept His challenging answers rather than seeking mere comfort.
The mirror riddle and seeing ourselves in God's imageUsing a children's riddle about a mirror, the speaker reminds everyone that they are made in the image of God and should encourage themselves in Him.
Being doers of the word and not hearers onlyJust as a mirror reveals our physical face or breath, the Bible serves as a spiritual mirror; those who look into the perfect law of liberty and obey it are blessed in what they do.
Putting off the old self and putting on the newBelievers are instructed to put off sinful behaviors like complaining, anger, and slander while putting on virtues like love, thankfulness, kindness, and the full armor of God.
Cleansed by the washing of water with the wordGod cleanses the church through the washing of water by the word so that she may be presented holy, blameless, and reflecting Christ rather than ourselves.Ephesians 5:26
Speaker:
NCCF Church
Title:
NCCF Church Sharing
Date:
12/17/2023
Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29)
We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3)
We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Summary
A church member shares how God transformed his understanding of spiritual growth through humility and childlike faith. Drawing from Matthew 18 and other scriptures, the speaker testifies that regardless of one's past circumstances or when one came to Christ, humble submission to God as a child submits to a father enables genuine spiritual transformation and maturity in Christ. The message emphasizes that God can restore and redeem what was lost when believers align their desires with obedience to Him.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Reflecting on the conclusion of the year and God's wordTaking time to reflect on what God has spoken throughout the year helps us remember that the purpose of hearing God's word is to be encouraged, challenged, and obedient.Ecclesiastes 12:13
Overcoming childhood excuses by knowing God as a fatherGrowing up without parents can lead to making excuses for personal sin and anxiety, but recognizing God as a loving father stops us from blaming our past for our spiritual shortcomings.
Becoming like little children to enter the kingdomJesus teaches that unless we humble ourselves and become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven; this childlike attitude makes it easier to put away bad habits and respond to God's discipline.Matthew 18:3–4
God restores the wasted yearsGod promises to restore the years eaten by locusts and gives the Holy Spirit to help us cry out to Him as our father in times of struggle.Joel 2:25
Exposing selfish desires and seeking God's guidanceOur natural desires are inherently selfish, and even well-intentioned actions can be self-seeking unless we explicitly ask God what He wants us to do.
God is at work in us to will and to workThe daily desire we have to obey God is confirmation that He is actively working in us to accomplish His good pleasure, as human nature apart from Christ is hostile to God's law.Philippians 2:13Romans 8:7
Being a new creature in ChristThose who are in Christ are new creations where old things pass away, resulting in transformed strengths, weaknesses, and a deep desire to know our father.2 Corinthians 5:17
The illustration of the sandwich and church historyA conversation about church history and barriers to God highlights how sin acts like layers in a sandwich, separating us from true fellowship with God.
Receiving the word in humilityBy putting aside filthiness and wickedness in humility, we receive the implanted word of God that is able to save our souls.James 1:17–21
Jesus is the Bread of LifeJesus declares Himself to be the bread of life, challenging people who merely wanted comfortable physical fulfillment to pursue a deeper, costly surrender and follow Him wherever He leads.
Asking God where we need to changeTrue discipleship requires us to humbly ask God what foolish things we are doing to make our lives worse, and to accept His challenging answers rather than seeking mere comfort.
The mirror riddle and seeing ourselves in God's imageUsing a children's riddle about a mirror, the speaker reminds everyone that they are made in the image of God and should encourage themselves in Him.
Being doers of the word and not hearers onlyJust as a mirror reveals our physical face or breath, the Bible serves as a spiritual mirror; those who look into the perfect law of liberty and obey it are blessed in what they do.
Putting off the old self and putting on the newBelievers are instructed to put off sinful behaviors like complaining, anger, and slander while putting on virtues like love, thankfulness, kindness, and the full armor of God.
Cleansed by the washing of water with the wordGod cleanses the church through the washing of water by the word so that she may be presented holy, blameless, and reflecting Christ rather than ourselves.Ephesians 5:26
