Blood & Thunder : Week 2

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

FIRST BLOOD

Proverbs 3: 9-10

Honor God in everything you own, give him your FIRSTFRUITS!!

1. GIVING IS A RESPONSE
We begin with knowing that God is the ultimate sacrifice.
God is the reason we give.
God gave first blood.
God gave us everything.

Tithing
Abraham gave God the first & best.

I *GET* to tithe.
A cheerful heart of giving God the first & best.

"You'll never come in 2nd by putting God first." Brian Houston

2. REWARD OF GIVING
What do we receive when we give?
The law of sowing & reaping .

A farmer puts seeds into the ground that produces trees, that produce fruit, that produce seeds and so on...
A farmer gets back not what he plants but more than what he plants.

Tithing unlocks God's blessing!

Malachi 3:8
You've robbed me because you're not letting me bless you the way I want to.
He's not sad that He has less, He's sad that WE have less!

The more you give, the more you receive!

Mathew 6:33
Proverbs 3:10

3. REACH OF GIVING
As you give you start to sense, God is using you to reach more people.
It takes place when we use what we're giving and together can do more, and make a huge impact.

Doing things together often has greater impact than doing it by yourself.
Great strength in unity!

Our reach gets longer.

Get in a regular rhythm of giving!!

ACTS : week 2

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Don't Leave Home Without It

Acts 1:1 -8
Even the best plans can go awry
unforeseen variables can exist

The strength comes from the struggle.
As we struggle, we grow.
We avoid failure at all costs.
Failure can be a good thing.

Jesus is preparing these disciples...
3 areas for the apostles to be knowledgeable in :
1. understand the proof of the Son
2. the promise of the Father
3. power of the holy Spirit

People believe God was a historical figure but they'll use a lot of theories to explain away the resurrection.
1. Fabrication - blatantly lied
2. Dreamed the resurrection up
3. Misdirection - the woman went to the wrong tomb
4. Jesus didn't die all the way...

God had predicted His death and resurrection.

Vs 4 : Proof of the Son / Promise of the Father
It's important to use the correct tools to finish a job.


It's possible to miss out on the benefits of the relationship with the Holy Spirit.
"ignore your teeth and they'll go away"
"ignore the Spirit and He'll go away"

How much room are you making in your life for God to move?

Full hands can't receive a gift.

Phase 3 : the plan of the Spirit
it's not for you to know times or seasons...just get busy

ACTS : week 1

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

What We Should Know Before We Go :

Acts is :
The history of the Christian Church.
Has been referred to as the 5th gospel.
Happened just as Jesus "disappeared" - ascended into heaven.

Judas committed suicide so now there are only 11 disciples.
They have taken on the task of spreading the gospel around the world.

From Jerusalem to Rome, Italy.

The Author//
God - God breathed the book of Acts
We believe Luke penned this.


His Aim//
LUKE : To record everything Jesus said and did physically on the earth
ACTS : To record everything Jesus continued to do spiritually

His Approach//
The path he took to land where he wanted to land.
There is a possibility there is a mistake in this book.
The Holy Spirit is responsible for everything
Vs 8
Jerusalem Chapters 1-8:3
Judeah & Samaria Chapters 8:4-12:25
All the ends of the earth Chapters13:1-28:31

Paul gets to Rome and there's no ending. No good-bye, no formal end.


1. Through it we can see how anyone can be saved.
2. We see how God can use hardships to further His plan.
3. We'll see how God can use humble means, simple people
4. Our role in the continuing saga as the acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles - it's still ongoing
Still building the church.

Blood & Thunder : Week 1

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Bleed For This
Esther 4:8-17

Thunder is attributed to the hand of God.
-Revelation 4:5
Blood stands for life.
-Philippians 2:17

***The responsibility of the reached is to reach!
We aren't called to simply hold ground, but to double down and take some ground.***

1. Don't pray for what you won't pay for!

2. What has come to you is meant to flow through you!
"Any blessing has the potential to turn into an idol."
"God can bring good out of good!"

3. If you don't feel scared you're not doing it right!
"If I perish, I perish." Esther

4. When you are willing to risk, you open yourself up for reward!
God will get it done, but will you allow Him to work through you?

Esther 5:1-3
on the THIRD day
Luke 12:32 Luke 9:24

In Other Words

Preached by Levi Lusko

Luke 9:44-56

Let "these words" sink into your ears.
The Gospel.

1. Self-Exaltation
The Gospel is the ultimate humiliation.
They were living in the opposite way of the Gospel.

Grace to the humble.

A few paragraphs ahead "The Mount of Transfiguration."
Friction comes when we think God's giving 'them' something bigger or better.

We have all been called to be faithful.

Never more susceptible to pride than after a huge success.

2. Division
As long as we have the same core beliefs we should know we're all working toward the same goal. Quit splitting hairs over inconsequential things.
Preaching the gospel with the wrong motive.
Philippians 1:8

3. Retribution
a.k.a. getting even

Your words are of the wrong spirit.
The Son of Man did not come to destroy.

God didn't give us our power to torch people, but to touch people!!!

Acts 8:25
Get yourself a piece of humble pie.

The goal isn't getting even, it's getting people to Heaven!!!

Start giving out the Grace that you've been given!

How?
Set your face.
Come hell or high water - you're set!

SMILE MORE OFTEN!!

Honey I Shrunk The Church

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

WEEK 1

Growth

Small in size but exceedingly wise

Get big by thinking small

Giant things we can learn from the little stuff.

Proverbs 30:24

You shouldn't sweat the small stuff...there is some good to that, but the small stuff matters.

Sophisticated sweat glands. 

When is it time to pay attention.

Crappy trees lead to crappy forests.

Take care of the quality of your minutes, hours, etc.

**Small tactical activity can lead to enormous breakthrough victory!**

Look to the world of critters :: exceedingly wiser = wiser than the wisest.

'Tis the Season

Becoming Ant Man

Ants

Very strong.

1.5 million ants per person

They understand the power of cooperation

They mark their trail with smell

They have ways to tell the queen what ants she needs to produce.

Ants lean into their season.

They are powerful because they know this.

Ants prepare food in summer.

Knowing there are certain things you need to do in "summer" so when it's not summer you can reap the benefit of what you did. 

Proverbs 6 Solomon : go to the ant you sluggard!

Ants have two stomachs : they have social stomachs!

When you see them "kissing" they're actually sharing food. 

Maybe what you hear in church or read isn't even for you...maybe it's being stored for you to share later!!

1. Understand Seasons

Unavoidable & somewhat predictable.

Genesis 8:22

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Seasons all serve a purpose.

2. Diagnose your seasons

So much of our frustration is miss-diagnosing our season.

Insanity is trying the same thing over & over and expecting the same results. 

Being your best when you're needed the most.

People don't care how much you know until you show them how much you care.

Sometimes seasons drag on.

Not every season did God put on you.

God will be with you in all those seasons.

Good news is, no season lasts forever.

Beware of rushing.

Once you're over that season you can't get it back. Seasons are like snowflakes; similar, but not the same. 

Seasonal dissatisfaction disorder. 

***All you see is the upside, not the upkeep**

Resenting transition.

If you get a blessing before its time it will never feel like a blessing, it will always feel like a burden. Steven Furtick pointed to the prodigal son...quarter life crisis. 

***ENJOY THE JOURNEY***

3. Prepare for coming seasons

Anticipate what's coming.

Prepare for but don't worry about.

What do you want your death bed to look like?

Reverse engineer your life for the death bed you want.

We assume when it's good, it is always going to be good.

Make wise investments...not just in earth but in Heaven too.

Luke 16:9

4. Celebrate Your Season

There's beauty in your season.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

There will be seasons that don't seem pleasant. 

Don't grow weary. 

Galatians 6:9

Take nothing for granted.

God is near the broken-hearted.

I have learned...Philippians 4:13

Easter Service 2016

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Matthew 6:13
To Infinity & Beyond
King Me

Doxology - a declaration of praise

The words are from David 1 Chronicles 29 & Revelation 5:13

Ultimate & Immediate
A
1. What is God doing?
Vs 13 Yours is the Kingdom
Kingdom, Kingdom, Kingdom
John 18:36 my kingdom is not of this world.
Under NEW MANAGEMENT
RETURN OF THE KING
Jesus came as a lamb
Love held Him on the cross.
Revelation 19:16
He is coming back as a LION
Revelation 11:15
God is building His Kingdom
Luke 17:21 The Kingdom is in me.
Embassy of the Kingdom...alien to earth.


2. How will He do it?
Matthew 6:13
He has the Power
A promise is only as good as the one who is making it.
Jeremiah 32:37
Romans 8:11 Your own personal Easter is coming!
Peacock has been the symbol of Christ's resurrection...tail feathers in dirt and then rise.
1 Corinthians 15:42-43
I have access to the same power that is the Holy Spirit!
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!

3. What does that unleash?
Glory
We were created for a person : Jesus and a place : Heaven.
We are separated from our source of Life...Habakkuk :: Hug It Out
Habbukkuk 2:14
Paul :: went to Heaven and said he couldn't even describe it. It's far better than being here. I would love to go back.
Heart is in Heaven but hands are "busy" here on earth.
Immediate : separated from Heaven, but we've been given steps to feel small doses of it.
2 Corinthians 4:6
Dark and dangerous waters we're wading through, but all for the Glory of God!
Grow and Glow for a world that needs to Go!

4. How long will it last?
FOREVER
On into the ages...
Immediate application : we should not stress out over every trial or affliction we deal with in our earthly life. Anything we suffer is a hiccup on our path to eternity.

*******He's working on turning your mess into a message*******