Blood & Thunder : Week 4

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

How to have the spirit of giving...

THUNDERSTRUCK

Definition : to be so astonished that you're rendered speechless!
Astonished : in Latin - to be struck by thunder

John 12
A perfect illustration so overcome by the Power that was happening.

Are you welcoming and inviting Jesus in?
Wherever He feels welcome, He shows up.

When God touches your life the only right reaction is to extravagantly do something in response.

Your worship is revelation of what God has done for you!

Mary of Bethany - 3 appearances - every one she's at the feet of Jesus.
*I want to be more like Mary!*

Mary was so wise because she didn't just say thank you, she showed her appreciation.

Where your treasure is, there your heart is.

The Good Samaritan

“No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.” Margaret Thatcher

Mark 14:8

1. She gave what SHE could.

God wants you to be blessed so you can be a blessing.

The key isn't equal sized giving, it's equal sized sacrifice!

2. She gave while she could.

What He had done.

What He would do.

When it's personal your giving grows.

This was her moment, her window.

This was her opportunity to thank Jesus.

Had she snoozed, she would have losed.

When God saw lavish giving he asked Solomon, "what do you want?"

A. She got to be included in a story bigger than just her life.

Mathew 26:13

B. She actually got back the same thing she gave.

She poured out her perfume and then wiped His feet with her hair. She got to keep what she gave.

Luke 6:38

C. She got to walk away with a new memory as well.

Smells are connected to memories. 

Now every time she smelt that perfume she would remember that moment.

The potential is for God to rewrite horrible memories in your life.

Luke 7:38

God can write over old memories with new ones!

Blood & Thunder : Week 3

GUEST SPEAKER : Darren Kitto

WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING BUT WE MUST DO SOMETHING!!

Have the spirit to pay for what you pray for.


Ever felt out of your depths? Over your head?

Luke 10:25
Story of the Good Samaritan

Allow your heart of compassion to flow even when you've had a jaded experience.

We often rush in order to wait...quit doing that.
Allow "inconveniences" to happen.
Open yourself up to stopping & helping & doing something.

*Doing something even if it means getting dirty.

Can't wait for something to fall into our laps.
"He bandaged his wounds."
A naked guy, covered in blood - first inclination is not to help him.
Helping people beyond just monetary gifts.

James 2:14-19

1 John 3:18

*Sometimes doing something means personally sacrificing.

Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice!

*Doing something isn't just a feel-good action it's a future minded help.
Sowing into the future.
Take more ground.
Thinking forward with our finances & resources.

We have an opportunity to leave a legacy.

Sow in faith.
Lay a foundation.

*Doing something is never for the 'thank you', show or accolades.

We need to become those who CAN.

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!!