Application

• What film always makes you cry? Watch it again this week and reflect on the emotions inside of you. God loves you more than any movie can depict love.
• God expressed His love to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. How about expressing your love to someone by sacrificing some time and energy and writing them a letter explaining how you fell about them.
• Read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman and begin figuring out how best to show love to your family in the way they understand it.
• Take your spouse out on a date and “lavish love” on them.

Text Questions

When you hear the words “The Cross,” do you think of Jesus’ death or a piece of jewelry? Be honest!
With 40 answers, 35 people said Jesus’ death, and 5 replied with jewelry.

Does realizing just how much your Heavenly Father loves you actually impact the way you live your life?
With 67 responses, 2 said Always, 24 said Often, 36 said Sometimes, 5 said Seldom, and 0 said Never.

Video

Music

Let God Arise, Chris Tomlin
Everyday, Lincoln Brewster
Hosanna
Revelation Song

There are two interpretations to Finding Your Following.

1. Do people follow you? If so, who?
2. Who are you following?

Think about those questions for a moment. Really. Stop reading right now and answer those questions.

Answering one can answer the other. Show me the kind of people who follow you and I can make a pretty good guess as to who you’re following.

Last Sunday, Jimmy talked about being like our Father, a.k.a. God. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

If you’ve been having a hard time in your spiritual life, seek out a mentor. Find someone you respect and admire for their knowledge, their heart, and the way they live their lives. Then ask if they’ll invest in your life. As you begin to see change in your life, you’ll begin to follow Christ more on your own accord than having to be prodded. (Although we all need motivation from time to time from our trusted friends).

It’s important to truly think about who you’re following because, no matter who you are, someone is following you, whether you know it or not. As Kelly said here, you might be the only Bible some people read. And I’d like to think they’d get a better impression of the life of a Christian from you than from something like this:

I mean, their hearts are in the right place (I guess), but…

Application

• Take a dry erase marker and write “Do people see Jesus when they see me?” on your bathroom mirror. If you have kids, you might write, “Do my kids see Jesus when they see me?”
• Ask your spouse or child to identify a characteristic of your life that needs to conform to the image of Jesus (warning: this is not for the sensitve person. It will hurt)
• Sometime this week, tell your spouse or your children what you see in them that resembles Jesus
• Identify some of the good characteristics in your life and write a letter to your parents telling them what qualities you are thankful that they gave you.
• If you are a country music fan, download Rodney Atkins “Watching You” and give it several listens this week.
• Hopefully you took notes on this week’s message. Go back through your notes and spend some time this week meditating on the verses used.
• Invite someone to come with you this week to TXT3

Text Questions

What percentage of Christians do you know that really “look like” Christ?
Out of 65 total responses, 77% said a quarter, 22% said a half, 1% said three-quarters, and no one said most (more than three-quarters).

How often do you look like Christ in your everyday life?
Out of 84 total responses, 4% said never, 23% said seldom, 43% said sometimes, 31% said often, and 0% said always.

Video

Clean Slate

Music

Now
Love the Lord, Lincoln Brewster
All Because of Jesus
Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin
Shine Your Light on Us, Robbie Seay Band

Application

• Carve out 15 minutes this week to be in a quiet place and to ask God to show you what sin is holding you back from real freedom
• If God has revealed some deep hurts, sin, or addictions to you, then make an appointment to talk with a minister or a professional Christian counselor
• God is love . . . think creatively and find a way to show love and God to someone that you see every week (no strings attached)
• Get up early one time this week and spend some time praying while the daylight is coming (i.e. a sunrise prayer time)

Text Question

How do you define love?

• a warm embrace
• a commitment that requires action
• commitment, sacrifice, selflessness, and not what the world would lead you to believe it is
  unconditional
• my husband’s patience with me
• family and friends; fellowship and meeting other people
• 1 Cor 13 1-13 Ty Burcham Rocks!
• Something that god shows all of us everyday.
• when my wife forgives me after I make another bonehead mistake!!!
• selfless
• consuming
• knowing god can love even me
• sacrifice
• jesus
• a deep attraction for something
• …”Honey, I was wrong!!!”
• faith
• trust

Video

Alive

Music

Sweetly Broken
Love is Here
To Know Your Name
Daylight
Marvelous Light
Happy Day

Application

• Spend some time this week reflecting on the horror of the crucifixion; journal your thoughts
• Have a Lord’s Supper for your family on Friday night (Good Friday)
• Read through one of the Gospel accounts of the final week of Jesus life: Matthew 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19:28-24:53; John 12:12-21:25
• Watch “The Passion of the Christ”

Image

During TXT3, attenders were asked to think about the things in their life they’d like to get rid of, or the things they needed to give up and get out of their lives, or the things they needed forgiveness for. At any time during the night, someone would get up, go to the cross, and nail their sin to it. 106 pieces of significant paper later, they were ready to remember Christ’s suffering in a manner free from guilt. Freedom comes at the price of the cross.

Music

Today is the Day, Lincoln Brewster
Song of Hope, Robbie Seay Band
Love is Here, Tenth Avenue North
Never let Go, David Crowder Band
How Marvelous, Chris Tomlin
Surrender, Lincoln Brewster