"Pressing Ahead with Confidence"
I. Resisting the rush and crush of culture (Introduction)
II. Building up our confidence
A. Draw near
B. Hold fast
C. Encourage one another
III. Every reason to stay the course (Application)
"The Lasting Connection"
I. Connect with the right plan (Introduction)
II. Emphasizing the superiority of Christ (verses 1-2)
A. His moral integrity
B. His completed work
C. His highest exaltation
III. From a shadow to the substance (verses 3-6)
A. Purpose of a high priest
B. Not on the earth
C. Deeper reality
D. More excellent ministry
IV. Solidifying your connection (Application)
"Resurrection Truth for Today"
I. Hoax or history (Introduction)
II. Matthew's record
A. Unexpected discovery
B. Shocking announcement
C. Immediate affirmation
III. Living with affirming faith (Application)
"Christ's Sacrifice... A Final Reckoning"
I. From the shadows to substance (Introduction)
II. Unable to complete us (verses 1-4)
A. Only a temporary provision
B. Repetitious reminder
III. God's provision, not man's (verses 5-10)
A. Opened ears
B. Shallow sacrifices
C. Why go back?
IV. Settled issue (verses 11-18)
A. Completed
B. Witness of the Holy Spirit
C. Clean, clear and close
V. The gospel (Application)
"The Future is History" Hebrews 9:11-15
I. Jesus appeared to take away our sins (Introduction)
II. Jesus appears in the presence of His Father
III. Jesus will appear to completely save (Application)
"Pulling Back the Veil"
I. Penetrating partitions (Introduction)
" And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy." Exodus 26:33
II. Focus on the physical contents (verses 1-5)
A. Earthly requirements
B. Consider the furnishings
C. Significance then and now
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations..." Isaiah 42:6
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..." Philippians 2:14-15
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35
"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" Psalm 141:2
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins." Romans 3:23-25
III. Priestly duties (verses 6-10)
A. Only so far
B. Limited to externals
IV. Only Christ can take us there (verses 11-14)
A. Not made with human hands
B. Cleanse your conscience to serve the living God
V. Will we pass by or enter in? (Application)
"I am Coming After Your Heart" Hebrews 8:7-13
I. Surgery of the heart (Introduction)
II. Promise of grace
A. Missed the mark
B. Authoritative voice
C. Divine Initiative
III. Promise of internal change and forgiveness (verses 10-13)
A. Changed at the core
B. Close relationship
C. Authentic knowledge
D. Eternal provision of forgiveness and mercy
IV. Lord, perform Your surgery in my heart (Application)
"Failure is Not Final"
I. Suffocating grip of failure
Message: The conquering grace of God through human frailty, sin and outright evil.
II. Painful path to redemption
A. Passover plot
“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something." Matthew 20:18-20
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:41-42
B. Opportunistic betrayal
C. Gut wrenching revelation
"Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me." Psalm 41:9
D. Bitter denial
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered..." Zechariah 13:7
E. Agonizing abandonment
III. Grace over failure (Application)
"Essential Building Blocks" (Part 2, Selected Texts)
I. Gallery of God's grace (Introduction)
"If you're God's child, you are a gallery of His glorious grace. The walls of your heart have been festooned with the gorgeous artwork of redemption: wisdom for the foolishness of sin, power for the weakness of sin, forgiveness for the guilt of sin, and deliverance from the bondage of sin. Grace means that beautiful things are being done for you and happening within you." Paul Tripp (New Morning Mercies)
II. Growing together (Ephesians 4:1-16)
"Spiritual growth, more than increasing in knowledge or following a set of established rules, is an ongoing process of being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. It is a life changing transformation, involving both our efforts and the work of the Holy Spirit in us." BCBC on Growth
" ...for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:13-14
"The members of the church grow by feeding on God's Word and ministering to one another." Warren Wiersbe
Evidence of Spiritual Growth:
III. Serving together
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." 1 Peter 4:10
Assessing your gifting:
IV. Bearing His fruit (Application)
“Essential Building Blocks”
I. Laying the groundwork (Introduction)
Our Mission: Why we exist:
We are committed to building a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who love God, love each other and impact a needy world.
Our Vision:
Our objective is to become a church that exemplifies the life-changing reality of Christ in an ever-changing world by equipping our members so that they live lifestyles of spiritual integrity which are:
•Biblically accurate
•Personal purity
•Family focused
•Socially responsible
•Evangelistically bold
II. Core values
A. Fighting for a heart of worship
B. Cultivating life-giving community
“Truth without relationships often yields sterile doctrine, while spiritual relationships without truth will become little more that superficial social relationship. BCBC Values
BCBC Core Values:
•Worship
•Community
•Growth
•Service
III. Choosing to be a worshiping community of believers
“To foster a worshiping community of believers that engenders a passionate and purposeful relationship with Jesus Christ.”
