What Happened In Bethlehem Didn't Stay In Bethlehem

Mountain Valley Church Weekend Talk

Christmas Eve 2011

This December, once again, our frenetic culture will wind itself up in an effort to find something, to get somewhere, to purchase something. Maybe the finding is in the waiting... waiting for person of Christ to be born in us.

11 WALK THIS WAY: Be Born In Me

We live in a culture that moves so fast and is constantly trying to forecast and plan for the future. The future is why people read their horoscope and have their palms read. There are plenty of online newsletters and blogs that focus on forecasting the future. There’s great tools and helps available in better planning, but what if you plan well but miss 3 common pitfalls that can cause you to miss God’s plan?

10 WALK THIS WAY: Planning Your Future Wisely

Most of us can’t begin to think about solutions to these national and global conflicts, for dealing with the fights and quarrels that break out in our very lives. Have any of you had such in your life? Fights, arguments, conflicts? Why is that? What causes them and what’s the remedy for them?

9 WALK THIS WAY: Fights, Arguments, Being On Top

How wise are you? Is your wisdom based on knowledge or a practical application of knowledge? James chapter 3 clarifies what kind of wisdom we will harvest as a result of what kind of seeds we plant.

8 WALK THIS WAY: Two Kinds of Wisdom

Have you ever spoken something and the minute the words left your mouth, you wished you could have reeled them back in? One of the greatest powers God has given us resides in our tongue. The tongue shapes our lives and reveals our hearts. But scripture says it's untamable. What do we do?

7 WALK THIS WAY: Tame The Untamable

They are all around us, everyday. Big cities are popular places to find them on every corner...KNOCK-OFFS. Things like high-end purses, watches jewelry, clothes, sportswear. Goods made to look just like the real deal, but with subtle differences and greatly reduced prices. The owners of these knock-offs know how to obtain the looks of admiration for something they didn’t pay the price for. And it’s not just for people with less money, as often those with plenty of money just love getting look-alikes on the cheap. Did you know that the same thing happens in the area of faith. A knock-off faith is a dangerous and disappointing imitation of real faith. How can you tell the difference? How can you know what you have spiritually is the real deal? We’ll explore a biblical a debate that has often divided Christians spiritually, but it’s not really that complicated. We’ll see what one ordinary man with geniune faith did to be called ‘a friend of God.’

6 WALK THIS WAY: Why Settle For Knock-offs

Have you ever played favorites? Maybe it was intentional or not. Guest speaker Scott Jones discusses the first part of James chapter 2 and shows us how love can narrow the gap.

5 WALK THIS WAY: You Can't Sit Here

If you’ve ever been deceived by someone, you know how disorienting that can be. It can strike fear or raise false hopes. Self-deception is damaging and dangerous. So how is it that Christians can become self-deceived when they have the Bible? How is it that we have more access to the scriptures than ever before, yet still miss the blessing that God wants to give us through it? The Apostle James says that authentic spirituality results from my proper relationship with God through His Word. What is that relationship suppose to look like?

4 WALK THIS WAY: Who Am I Kidding?

Have you ever known what was right in a situation, but still found it difficult to say ‘no?’ Why is that? And who’s really to blame for that temptation anyway? God, Satan or myself? Are my desires really that bad? Will we ever outgrow temptation? And if not, how can we win against it? God says, “Walk This Way.” You don’t have to be a victim.

3 WALK THIS WAY: Saying No...

We are bombarded by choices everyday of our lives. And our decisions can determine the quality of our lives. Indecision can paralyze us and make us unstable in our emotions, relationships and spiritual growth. How do we make better choices and find the wisdom to navigate the choices?

2 WALK THIS WAY: Make Up Your Mind

You don’t have to go looking for trouble. It probably finds you often enough, all by itself! Have any of you had trouble or problems? Trouble comes whether or not we have faith; whether or not we follow Christ. So, how can a Christ-follower handle trouble differently and even profit from it?

1 WALK THIS WAY: Looking For Trouble?

"What About Bob?" Remember that guy from the movie? Habitually and chronically needy people will spring up in our lives over time. They become like emotional vampires, sucking the life out of us. You know them, the drama queens and kings; the financial parasites. What are we to do? The short answer is: Treat them like Jesus would if He were in our place? But the application of that may surprise you and could save you lots of undue guilt.

4 DIFFICULT PEOPLE: What About Bob

The difference between transitioning difficult relationships into good relationships is the difference between solving a puzzle and a mystery. Today we learn from Moses and how he began to overcome his own unrealistic expectations he had of himself and people.

3 DIFFICULT PEOPLE: Puzzles, Mysteries & Expectations

There’s an interesting story in John 5 of Jesus interacting with a man who’d been paralyzed for 38 years. Jesus asks him a strange question… “Do you want to be healed?” Wouldn’t it seem obvious that this man wanted to be healed? Hmmm, maybe not. And maybe not all of us who come to God really want to be changed either. The question is, “Do you want to be healed?”

2 DIFFICULT PEOPLE: The Pretenders

These are the weekend messages from Mountain Valley Church in Scottsdale, AZ.

hubhopper

Mountain Valley Church Weekend Talk

hubhopper