Lake Highlands Church

There are people in our lives that we just love being around and we like having them over; inviting them to parties.  Nothing wrong with that.  But the New You recognizes the opportunity to open up our lives to everyone so that they might see the love of God in us and might open themselves up to God himself. Scripture: Luke 14:15-23

Some may ask, “How is living in community connected with the new me?” Well, as Jesus is our new model and new means, then we need to learn to live the way Jesus lived, and Jesus lived in community. And the three laws of the New You community are these: everybody’s welcome, nobody’s perfect, and anything is possible. Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25

We were created in the image of God, which means we were designed to be vessels of God’s greatness.  We were made to have a God-like influence on our world.  God wants us to be great and to make this world great and to have a great life. After all, having the fullness of life Jesus promised is about having a great life.  The problem is most us have a distorted understanding of greatness. The New You has a new definition of greatness: Greatness is not about exerting power or authority; greatness is about serving others in love. Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Listen in as Diann Garnett, Sam Clark, and Donnie Martin honor Jim and Donna for their 30+ years of service to Lake Highlands Church.  Followed by Jim Reynolds leading us to The Communion Table.

If we really want to be a NEW YOU, we need to understand that the key to transformation, the key to the free and abundant life, the key to experiencing that river of living water that we talked about in the first week of this series, the key to becoming a New You, is to stay, remain, abide in Jesus AND in his word.  If we do that you will be set free; we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. (We will look at some specific truths and how to apply them.) Scripture: John 8:31-32

Without question, God is at work inside each of us, and he is the one ultimately responsible for creating the New You; he is RE-NEWING us.  Every day of your life God is working in you to bring about renewal, but if you want to see real change—if you want You 2.0— you have to work with Him in the renewing of your mind.    Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

The mindset we so often default to is the mindset of our culture which prioritizes achievement and gratification over character. But character is the oil that keeps everything working. If we are going to be new “Yous”, we have to have a new mindset that prioritizes character.  And character is the will to do what’s right, regardless of the cost. Scripture: Proverbs 11:1-3

When it comes to developing character, God has given us the blueprint in the scriptures and he’s given us a living, breathing, full scale model of what He means when he talks about character in the person of Jesus.  What’s more, not only has he given us the model in Jesus, he’s given us the means through his Spirit.  At the end of the day, the new you, a person of character, is not something we manufacture ourselves, it is something produced through us as we abide in Jesus.  Scripture: John 15:1-8

Jesus promised that we could all have a new life, an abundant life.  And the truth is, God is more concerned with us reaching our full potential as human beings than we are, and He is guiding that process all the time, and He is working in order for that fullness of life to flow out of us.  So what if Jesus is right? What if such a full life is possible for you, and for me? And you don’t get there by trying harder or trying to rev yourself up into more commitment.  What if it really is available?  Do you think you’d want it?  You think you’d want You 2.0? To become a new you?  Scriptures: John 7:1-44, John 10:1-10

LHC has a new mission statement, “Helping people experience fullness of life in Jesus.” Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16-19 gives us a vision of experiencing fullness in God by being filled with his love.  Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-19

We tend to be selfish people, spending our time and our money on ourselves.  But God wants us to be rich in good deeds and generous with our money.  God wants us to be better than average…he wants us to be rich and generous. Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17-19

We live in a world that’s all about having more, which stimulates the “more cycle” in us.  The only way to break the “more cycle” and to live rich is to understand that all that we have has been entrusted to us by God for us to use for his glory and his kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Too often people put their trust and their hope in their money, but that is uncertain and unsatisfying.  People who live rich are those who put their trust and hope in God. Scripture: 1 Tim 6:17-19

If we look at all that is out there that can derail us, that will come against us, the obstacles that could keep us from making an impact, we can easily be discouraged and maybe never even try.  But the way we change the world is one step at a time, one battle at a time. What is the one step that God is calling you to make now? Scripture: Joshua 11-12

When we are on God’s side we will face opposition, but we will also experience God’s faithfulness in keeping his word to give us victory when we keep our covenants. Do you have a big God or a little God?  And if you have a big God, shouldn’t you serve him in a big way? Scripture: Joshua 10

Anyone who seeks God finds him, and God is open everyone…even liars and deceivers like the Gibeonites. We need to be people who understand there is a spiritual dimension to life that needs spiritual discernment. We need to keep our word by following Jesus' command to keep it simple, honoring our yes or no with no need for big promises. The Holy Spirit will help us to do so. Scripture: Joshua 9

Victory is not automatic for the people of God; there must be obedience.  But even after disobedience there is forgiveness and blessing and LIFE for ALL who will come to Jesus and worship him in spirit and in truth. What steps of obedience do you need to devote yourself to, both for your own sake and for the sake of the community? Scripture: Joshua 8

If we are going to be faithful to the great commandment of loving God and loving others, that means we need to do all we can to avoid the trap of sin because it hinders our relationship with God and sooner or later it will adversely impact others.  Thus, the more we understand how we fall into the trap, the better equipped we will be to avoid it. Scripture: Joshua 7

We can’t have a temporary relationship with sin, because it will destroy us as individuals and will have repercussions that affect us all. Is there something that you need to repent of so that the community of faith and the honor of God will not be adversely impacted? Scripture: Joshua 7