September 13, 2015
The Good Shepherd:
Look What Pursues You!
Mike Fritscher
Psalm 23:6
Cottonwood’s Core Values: God’s Glory, Loving Well and Great, Community-Life Together, Life Change. How do we know these things? We come to value them through the Bible! For these things are laced in scripture! And the Bible is truly God’s Word and is actually our 5 th Value. We value God’s Word because it is the very revelation of the Living God Himself. It is eternal and ancient yet Fresh and Relevant, speaking to our lives in these very times of our lives! We Believe that All Scripture is God Breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness! ( 2 Timothy 3:16) Psalm 19 says that the word is perfect, sure, wise and right and that it converts the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart and enlightens the eyes! In short, God’s word is so powerful that it affects every area of person’s life! God’s word is more profitable than money and better than food. Matter of fact Jesus said that Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God! God’s Word is Alive and Eternal, it births faith, it keeps our ways pure, it keeps us back from sin! His word washes, sanctifies and will never return void but accomplishes all of God’s purposes! Finally God’s Word teaches us the way we live! The Bible provides a portrait of who God is and tells a beautiful story of His pursuit of you, and plans for you. God’s Word Points to Him! It’s why we teach it to everyone at Cottonwood, from the infants in the nursery to the elders who lead us! It’s why we do AWANA for your children and offer Sunday School and Bible Studies for you and your during the week. It is vital that we hear from God and respond appropriately because His word is the primary way for you to know what is on His heart and mind!
We follow the Shepherd Who leads us in Paths of Righteousness!
We Follow! We Are Changed! Distinguished! Influential, But
Look what Pursues/Follows You!
Psalm 23:6 Surely Goodness and Loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell I in the house of the Lord Forever!
I. All His Goodness Pursues You!
Look What Pursues You – “All the Good!”
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell ou great and mighty things, which you do not know! 9 This City will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.
Exodus 33:12-19 What God Promises Israel, He Promises You!
1. My Presence will Go With You; I will Give You Rest!
2. I Will Make all My Goodness Pass Before You!
Look What Pursues You! Exodus 34:5-7 – Good Things!
Look What Pursues You! Psalm 103:1-13 Good Things!
The Father who gives good gifts! Matthew 7:7-11
Look What Else Pursues You! Lovingkindness!
II. His Mercy, Grace and Favor Pursues You!
Loving-kindness (Checed) – Such a great word! Mercy, Grace, Favor of God. It is His kindness that leads you to Repentance, It’s His love that forgives you! To Act kindly! Constant or Abounding Favor of God. The Mercy that Saved You and Is Delivering You, The Grace that Empowers You! The Favor that Prospers You!
Look What Pursues You!
1. The Mercy that Saved You!
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by Grace You Have been saved, 6 and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2. The Grace that Saves and Empowers You!
Titus 2:11-13 – The Grace of God Empowering You!
3. The Favor That Prospers You!
It’s what you leave Behind! Luke 10:30-36
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