Happy Trails : week 4

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Beard Oil and Mountain Dew

Psalm 133

Colossians 3:14

Ephesians 4:3

John 17:11

"It is your job to protect the unity of your church. It is so important that the new testament gives more attention to it than to either heaven or hell. God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other. Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ's body." Rick Warren

Where there is unity there is strength, but where there is division there is weakness.

The devil attacks unity because he knows where he can divide he can conquer.

Three things that are building blocks to unity : 

1. Humility 

2. Trust

3. Tenacity

Only where trust exits can you give vulnerability.

Low trust = willing to admit you've made a mistake or need help.

Tenacity is determination or grit.

Profound humility with furious resolve = level five leader - Tim Collins.

If we're walking in unity : 

1. Life becomes enjoyable.

Extremely good and extraordinarily pleasant.

There is something when people are at peace and when there isn't tension.

2. Teamwork will be even more capable.

Anointing oil always spoke of new opportunity of service.

Unity unleashes power in your team.

The Holy Spirit hates discord + division.

Leviticus 26:8

3. It becomes sustainable.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Where is there need for repentance?

Happy Trails : week 3

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Life Is Just Not Fair

Psalm 130

Penitence

Reasons to praise God because life isn't fair : 

1. The Way He Listens

When we cry out, He listens!

Just because you don't listen doesn't mean he doesn't.

Psalm 50:15 call upon Me in your day of trouble.

2. The Way He Forgives

We've all done unjust and crooked things.

Romans 3:23 all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 wages of sin is death.

There is forgiveness with You.

Exodus 34:6 God is merciful.

3. The Way He Heals Us

We all come to Jesus broken.

Salvation happens in an instance, but deliverance is a process.

He seeks to conform us into the image of His Son.

3 postures if you want healing : waiting, hoping + watching.

Waiting : seek him daily, ask forgiveness daily.

Hoping: hope in His word.

Watch: expectantly.

Sometimes it's darkest before dawn.

It's not going to be quick or in an instant.

It's not fair, it's better than that, it's God's grace!!

4. The Way He Helps You Make Good

We carry regret + remorse over things we've done in the past.

God gives us opportunity to make good on the bad we've done!

Abundant redemption!

There's not just redemption but a thousand ways to be set free!

Joel 2:25 I will restore to you what the locusts have eaten.

Ephesians 4:28 let him who stole steal no more and use your hands to make restitution.

**There can be a bright future even after your biggest failure.**

What you've received you can help other people avoid doing what you did.

Reception

Reconciliation

Restoration

Redemption

Who's going to pay for all this??

REDEEMER!!!

Life is just, but not fair.  

Happy Trails : week 2

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

The Good Life

Blessed = happy, happy

Fear the Lord.

Walk in His ways.

1. What does it mean to walk in God's ways?

Thinking how He thinks.

Looking how He looks at life.

Making decisions though the grid He does.

The answer is LOVE!

2. What are the benefits of walking in God's ways?

Blessings on our feelings.

It is well with my soul.

Shalom - peace - wellness

God is in control.

Blessing on your finances. 

Your work will give you what you need.

Good things will come your way.

When you're loving God and loving people it is impossible to be lazy!!

Daniel 6:3

Excellent spirit was found in him.

Magnetic to blessing.

Blessing on your family.

Keep cultivating, keep protecting, keep nourishing your children.

Tend to your spouse.

If you want to change the world, start in your own home.

Blessing on your future.

If you love God, legacy and impact future generations.

1 Chronicles

David gave the money for Solomon to build the temple.

3. Why do we choose our own path?

Oftentimes God's trails don't make sense to us.

If I follow God that will take me away from my dream.

Some of the best blessings lie on the other side of discomfort.

God knows things that you don't know. 

Matthew 5 - beatitudes.

Even in hard situations, He's going to bring the good life to you.

4. What is the secret to walking in God's ways?

Fear the Lord.

Psalm 25:14 

Be in awe of Him.

God created the heavens and the earth, that is AWESOME! 

When God wants to right a wrong, he sends a child into the world.

**Side note, I wish Levi would have expanded on this.**

The power to do your duty comes from being overcome by God's beauty.

You can never do anything to make Him stop loving you.

You're left at camp misery because of sin.

Powered by grace!

Life and liberty in Jesus Christ!

Powerful and Personal

I want to say this was Steven Furtick but I can't remember...

Powerful and Personal

Genesis 1:3 God SAID, "let there be light."

John 10:27 My sheep know My VOICE.

Every sheep has a relationship with the shepherd. The shepherd loves the lock and the individual sheep.

He's powerful while speaking to you personally.

He loves you with the same power that He created the world with!

James 4:8 Lean into God and He will lean into you.

To hear God's voice, you need to want to hear it.

If He loves you enough to die for you, He loves you enough to speak to you.

He is easy to discover. He is one prayer away.

Mathew 7:8

"Speak Lord, your servant is listening."

2 Timothy 3:16 "exposing our rebellion."

Hebrews 4:12

God speaks to us in dreams and impressions.

John 16:13+14

Psalm 46:10

How can you hear God's voice?

1. Seeking it

2. Scripture

3. Spirit

4. Stillness

5. Skill

Rick Warren "you are as close to God as you choose to be."

If you listen to God's voice, it will unleash :

1. Wild

2. Wise

3. Wealthy

4. Well

Unpredictable, uncontainable, and uncomfortable.

"Tossable" is not in God's vocabulary.

What you're doing right now will lead to either a life you love or loathe.

Happy Trails : week 1

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Entrances, Exits, and Everywhere In-Between

Psalms of Ascent (the songs of travelers)

Psalm 121

John Philips says it is a Psalm for when the shadows depend and the future looks bleak.

He says I lift my eyes to the hills, he is asking which false god would he choose to help him through this trial.

He doesn't look to the mountains and stop there, he looks above them.

Are we going to look to the hills or to the One who created the hills?

In God you have :

1. Sure-Footed Guide

Because He never sleeps, you can!

2. Shelter For Every Season

Shade at your right hand.

In every season we have shelter from the sun or moon.

The right hand was a position of power and strength.

The devil attacks where you're weak AND where you're strong.

Even your strengths can be areas of vulnerability.

3. Guardian For Our Soul

Constantly moving us toward our better self.

The most selfless thing you can do is to take care of your soul.

The Psalmist changed from "my" to "you" in vs. 3.

You can't pour out from an empty cup.

Put your oxygen mask on first and then help others.

You can't lead people where you haven't already been.

Going out and coming in He's got you!

Summer Reading Series 2018 : Carl Lentz : Own The Moment

Guest Speaker : Fresh Life Church

This Is Us

John 13:34-35

Jesus is let down right before and right after He said this passage.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Do you think people know christians by LOVE?

Let's be apart of the answer, not the problem.

This LOVE is...

1. Defined

"As I have loved you."

When you didn't earn it or deserve it.

He loves you relentlessly with a ridiculous grace!

Definitions matter.

If we don't have definition we have disfunction. 

Look to Jesus to define this love!

2. Developed

John 13:34

Simon Peter says, "where are you going?"

It should be getting better, you should be full of more grace.

Are you getting better with age?

It would be criminal to allow Jesus to change your eternity but not change your testimony. 

Are there underdeveloped areas of love in your life?

God will use you even in MID-DEVELOPMENT! 

God can still use you even if you don't have it all together!

How many times have I been the christian who stays on shore when the jet skis have chased the sharks out of the area and others are getting back in the water?

There is some danger out there. There is some fear out there.

Jesus is on the jet ski helping us wade through the murky waters.

3. Dangerous

Dangerous when demonstrated.

Galatians 6:2-5

Each one should carry their own load.

One half says carry each other's burdens.

This is not a contradiction.

If you would help everyone out, you can carry your own burdens.

Say that's not us...

THIS is us.

GRACE! LOVE!