Carmel Baptist Messages

Serve and Show Hospitality One AnotherPastor Jason SalyerIn 1 Peter 4:7-11, we are challenged to adopt an eternal mindset that radically transforms how we treat the people around us. Rather than living with a fearful, self-focused mentality, believers are called to serve others from the grace we have received from God. Knowing that Jesus is returning allows us to hold the pursuits of our lives loosely and focus our remaining time on investing in and serving His people.The heart behind this service is a humble and sacrificial love that Peter commands us to stretch to its absolute limit, like an athlete lunging for a finish line. This love does not seek out flaws or gossip about where others fall short, but it covers a multitude of sins by pressing into what they ultimately need in fellowship with Christ and others.When you serve, you areshaping your own heart.This deep love takes practical shape through biblical hospitality, meaning our love for strangers. Unlike modern entertaining, which focuses on impressing others, true hospitality focuses entirely on welcoming the guest and creating a refuge for them where they can receive God’s grace. In doing so, we can reflect the servant King and His hospitality that receives us to Himself.Ultimately, true Christian service requires moving away from a consumer mindset to becoming a cultivator that truly cares for those around us. We look to God's grace and the strength that He supplies rather than our own. When we serve one another this way, the spotlight shifts away from us, ensuring that in everything God receives the glory.Questions to consider:Peter describes love as an athletic, "stretched-out" effort (ektenē). In what specific ways does loving people in the church require you to "stretch" past your comfort zone? What would this look like in your life this coming week? Why do you think Peter explicitly adds the phrase "without grumbling" to the command to show hospitality? What causes us to grumble when serving others?How can we shift our mindset from "entertaining to impress" to "practicing hospitality to serve"? How does this help us to better see and love others? If a steward is a manager and not an owner (v. 10-11) , how should that change the way you view your time, talents, or roles within the church?

Encourage One AnotherGuest Speaker Stephen PhalenWhen Paul had been driven from the church, he wrote back to the Thessalonians. His message was one of encouragement. They needed that because their leader, Paul, was no longer with them.1 Thes 4:18 says, "Therefore encourage one another with these words."1 Thes 5:11 says, " Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."Paul's "therefore" points back to what he previously wrote. Paul was writing about the second coming of Jesus. When Jesus returns, He makes all thing right and we will spend forever with Him. Paul is letting them know that because of this Truth, they will be ok.Encouragement/Build up:Parakleite means "comfort, come alongside, counselor". This is a relational term of being in the situation with someone.Oikodomeite means "build up, construct, builder". This is a formational term of building a culture.Parents should encourage their children and speak about a preferred future of what it means to be a Christ-follower in the culture.Sequence matters:Building without encouragement leads to resentment instead of resilience.Encouragement without building leads to sympathy instead of identity.It takes a courage to encourage. Satan is a master of bringing fear and discouragement, which leads to isolation and believing lies instead of the Truth. His discouragement (hatat), brings a shattered identity to us.The solution:Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous, for the Lord God will be with you wherever you go." God's presence is enough. He will create the win inside for you. Encouragement from the Lord changes us. When we encourage others, it changes them.In your marriage, your encouragement ratio should be 5:1. Daily encouragement takes Jesus' courage. It will construct an identity in your marriage and in your family.Remember, Jesus isn't afraid of what you are afraid of.Questions to consider:Who is an encourager to you?How can you grow in your encouragement at home? at work? in your neighborhood?If you are married, what is your encouragement ratio? Will you commit to grow in that this week? How?What does your time with God look like? Are you allowing His Word to encourage you daily? What can you change in your rhythms to include more of Him in your day?

Pray for One AnotherGuest Speaker- Oakhurst Baptist Pastor Dave RussellThere are many times we hear about a trial in a friend's life and we say, "I'll pray for you", but often we forget or we don't know exactly how to pray. Paul gives us some great examples of how to pray for other believers in his letter to the Thessalonians.Paul founded this church during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1–9), around A.D. 49–50. He preached in the synagogue for a few weeks, and some Jews, many God-fearing Greeks, and prominent women believed the gospel. However, opposition quickly arose and unbelieving Jews stirred up a mob, causing unrest in the city and forcing Paul and his companions to leave sooner than they had planned. Because Paul's ministry there was brief, he was concerned about how these young believers were doing in their faith. After leaving Thessalonica, Paul traveled to Corinth, where he received a positive report from Timothy about the Thessalonian believers. Knowing this, he wrote to them to encourage them.Ways to Pray for Believers from 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12Pray that God would shape one another's character (v11a)The people Paul was writing to were already saved, so he is praying that their lives would increasingly reflect the gospel. He prayed that they would be consistent with the identity given to them through Christ.Pray that God would strengthen one another's obedience (v11b)We must remember that "good intentions" and human resolve are not enough. We must pray for God's power to intervene in our lives.Christian obedience is uselesswithout the power of GodChristian obedience is understanding that you need Jesus more each day. That is a sign of maturity. We need His power to trust, to fight sin, to forgive, to keep loving difficult people, to keep serving and not growing weary, to keep following Jesus when it feels costly.Pray that Christ would be glorified in one another (v12)Paul's goal is the glory of Christ. The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to glorify Christ. We should want His power, worth, greatness, and beauty to be on display in our lives.Christ is glorified when people seemore of Jesus and less of us.Paul reminds us that not only can Christ be glorified in us, but we can also be glorified in Him! Paul is looking forward to heaven (Rev 21) as he reminds us that the One we honor today will honor us (the redeemed) in glory with Him. As Christians, our future is brighter than our past!In all of this, Paul is saying to pray for one another in ways that help each other live for Christ's glory.We can only do this in His power through His grace. If we all chose to pray for one another in these ways, think about how it would change our church and our city! Instead of talking about one another, let's talk to God on behalf of one another.Questions to Consider:Can you think of a time that you shared a hardship with a friend and they prayed for you immediately? How did that impact you?How do Paul's instructions for praying for others challenge you to pray differently than you currently do?If God answered your prayers from last week, what would change this week?Pray for VBS this week. Pray for our leaders to reflect the gospel, that God's power would be their strength, and that their lives would glorify Christ as they share the Good News with the 700+ children that will be in attendance each day!

Comfort One AnotherJimmy KallamPaul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17). When he arrived, he began to teach and reason in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul began to preach more. He spent one and half years in Corinth. Many rejected his teaching because he didn’t look like what the people thought a leader should look like. Paul was poor and seemed to have no speaking gift. Second Corinthians was written out of difficult circumstances.The Apostle Paul concludes the book of 2 Corinthians by using the word “finally” in verse 11. Even though the word “finally” is used, what follows is extremely important. He listed five commands that were an expression of God’s grace and not effort on our part. Paul writes that the Corinthian Christians were to rejoice, aim for restoration, comfort each other, agree with each other, and to live in peace. Paul’s instruction was to rejoice even in difficult times. Our obedience to rejoice will flow out of a relationship with Christ and others. Just as our justification and sanctification are works of God’s unmerited favor, so is our growth in the rhythm of rejoicing. No matter the circumstances we can rejoice that God is our Father, Jesus is our Savior, and the Spirit is our strength.We are also told to aim for restoration. It is a healthy practice to work hard towards mending relationships. Strive for unity and agreement in the essential elements of the faith while exercising grace and patience in secondary issues. Remember, a secondary issue does not mean it is unimportant. We are to strive together in community. One of the greatest works of Christianity is to comfort one another. We see hurting people everywhere. Loss, death, brokenness, and unwise choices war against the soul. Comfort can be defined as coming alongside others and offering practical hope. Practical hope usually occurs by:Seeing the need in a person’s life.Praying for that person who needs hope.Showing up and being present. We don’t have to say anything. Our presence will encourage them.Listening to them share. Listen to their heart.Taking action if needed. God has comforted you so you can comfort others. This is living out the gospel.Agree with one another. Strive to be of the same mind so that our unity and love for each other will display the love of Christ within us.Finally, we are to live in peace. The hope of the church is not in a new program filled with empty promises. Hope comes about as the result of the invasion of God. Paul prayed for these characteristics for himself and we are to adapt them into our lives as well.Questions to ConsiderIn what ways is rejoicing in difficult times a challenge? Describe a time when your rejoicing in the Lord has changed your perspective.How has the Lord restored you after a difficult time?  What are some practical ways you can comfort someone in need?Is peace with others worth striving for? Why? What are the consequences of ignoring the hard work of achieving peace?

Forgive One AnotherStudent Teaching Pastor Jason SalyerForgiveness begins with the foundational truth of the gospel reality that God has canceled our ultimate debt of sin through the cross (Col 2:14). As God's chosen, holy, and beloved children, we must first recognize our own profound need for grace and forgiveness from God (Psalm 51). Only then will we recognize that peace (wholeness) does not come from looking inward for self-forgiveness, but from looking to Christ. Forgiveness is like a mirror in that when we forgive others, we see the reflection of God's vertical grace working through our horizontal relationships. We often hear things like hurting people hurt people, but the gospel can change this narrative where the defining marker of followers of Christ is that forgiven people forgive people. Ultimately, forgiveness is a means to an end, a right and restored relationship. Gospel driven forgiveness takes place eternally (between God and us), internally (within our hearts), and externally (between us and others). Because we live in an imperfect world, the Bible paints a realistic picture that people will fail you, and you will fail others. Scripture commands us to actively "bear with" one another and forgive complaints, which is impossible to practice in isolation from a church community (Col 3:13). We are called to turn from bitterness and live with compassionate hearts.Forgiving others is a direct command from God, not an optional suggestion. We cannot wait until we "feel" like forgiving, instead we must actively "put on" compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Col 3:12). Forgiveness is also an essential characteristic of God’s people that must be put into practice. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9), and that gift must compel us to extend the same mercy to those around us.Believers must put on love, which serves as the outer garment that binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14). The culture is about cancelling others when they wrong others, but we look to the cross that has cancelled our sin debt and redeemed us in Christ. (Col 2:14). Jesus speaks at length about this reality in Matthew 18, including a parable showing us that the forgiveness we offer others will never outweigh the far greater forgiveness we receive from God. In the Lord’s Supper, we are called to examine the body of Christ which not only speaks to the physical death of Jesus, but also addresses pursuing unity and turning from divisions or unforgiveness in the local church. (1 Corinthians 11:23-31).Reflection Questions:Where do you need to seek forgiveness from God? From others?Where do you need to forgive someone else?Where do you need to pursue reconciliation in a relationship?Discussion Questions:How does truly understanding and receiving God’s forgiveness help us to forgive others?What does it look like to practically "bear with" one another to move beyond the complaints and differences we have with other people?How can you move toward a gospel driven reflection of forgiveness internally in your heart and/or externally in relationship with others?

Love One AnotherGuest Speaker Milt JonesThere is a backstory to love, and it begins before creation. In John 17:24, Jesus is praying to God when He says, "because you loved me before the foundation of the world." There is love inside the Trinity because God is one, and there is love between the Trinity because God is three. In the same prayer, Jesus also prays about "the glory I had with you before the world existed." Glory can be defined as "beauty that is manifested".(17:5) There is also "eternal life" or "lifey-ness" in God. His nature is to give life. Finally, there is joy between the Father, Son, and Spirit.God didn't need anything.He created so He could give morelove, glory, eternal life, and joy away.John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.""A new commandment" speaks to something different than what was taught for centuries. Deut 6 and Lev 19 speak of loving God and others. Jesus makes this personal and teaches the disciples to look at Him as the pattern. When He says, "as I have loved you", He shows them how to love.Jesus loved His disciples "to the end" of His life and His plan for redeeming mankind. (John 13:1)Jesus loved them by serving them. He washed their feet as He was teaching them this Truth. Not only was foot-washing a very humbling thing to do, but it was also a practical love that needed to happen.Jesus loved them by mending the broken relationship between God the Father and mankind. Remember, Jesus is the pattern for how we have relationships with one another.Jesus' pattern of love ispractical and proactive.Jesus goes on to say, "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, of you have love for one another." There is something life-giving when we love like Jesus. In John 15, Jesus speaks about being the vine that we are connected to. He says, "apart from me, you can do nothing". This is a different expression than volunteering at a shelter or giving to the United Way. When we abide in Christ, there is something life-giving about our love for others. The only way to have the love of Jesus is to have the life of Jesus.Not only does Christ give usthe humble, practical pattern of love,but He also gives us the power of love.As members of Christ's body and God's family, we need to show the world what God is like by loving each other well, by following Jesus' pattern, and acting in His power.Questions to Consider:What are some ways you can show others practical love?What relationship do you need to mend?What is something you can "give up" for a few minutes or hours that will give you time and attention to love someone else well?Philippians 2:14-15 says, "do all things without grumbling or disputing...in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." What does it look like for you to "shepherd your attitude"? Why is it important to be in biblical community with others in light of this Truth?