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*******

Through The Eyes Of A Lion : Hidden In Plain Sight

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

The righteous are as bold as a lion.

There is power in the pain.
Suffering is powerful.
Beyond drugs and alcohol, grief is the most mind altering physical experience.

1. Looks Can Be Deceiving
2 Corinthians 4:18
Fix our gaze.

Your eye has rods and cones.
Rods see shapes.
Optic nerve - have a blind spot.

Spiritually there are things hiding in plain sight.
Genesis 3 - you will not die, when you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened.

2. Eternity Becomes Visible By Faith
You've never met a normal person in your life.
People are destined for impact.
Burdened with glorious purpose.
God has a plan.
Look at problems - He's working things together for GOOD!
I am not alone - I will fear no evil.

3. Nearsightedness Must Be Constantly Corrected
It's not one and done.
Put on your glasses. The telescope of faith.
Put on faith each and every day.
The battle for your eyes is won through your ears.
Roman 10:17
Faith comes by hearing...
If your faith is falling maybe your not letting God's word fall into your heart!

4. Seeing The Invisible, You Can Do The Impossible
Hebrews 11:34
Faith will give you strength.
Hebrews 11:37
Faith gives us strength for the even harder stuff too.

Don't lose heart, take heart.
Peace that passes understanding.
Joy unspeakable.
An anchor for your soul.

Life is a marathon, it's an endurance sport.

You have to look at life through the right LENS of faith.

Creature of Habit : Breaking Bad Habits

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

FIRE YOUR AUTOPILOT

LIST:
Good Habits
Missing Habits
Bad Habits

Cue - Routine - Reward -- repeat

What will this habit keep me from?

Jesus was a creature of habit.

Mark 10:1

God cleans His fish after He catches them.

You'll be happy if you get trigger happy.
Every bad habit, you need to write the cue next to it.
Sometimes its environmental triggers, so you can just avoid those places completely.

Romans 13:14
Make no access for cues.
Limit your access to the power of triggers.

Put your workout clothes out the night before.
Eat your "bad" food with the opposite hand!
Behavior is contagious.
Two or more gathered more prosperous.

Willpower is real power.

Baby steps create movement.
You can start an avalanche by rolling a small snowball down a hill.

Every problem is a worship problem.

At the middle of every habit circle is a craving.
Habits are all about desires.
Desires are about worship.
We're created to worship.
Any bad habit is worship gone wrong.

Continually - a habit
Psalm 34:1
Hebrews 13:15

Creature of Habit 2

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

January 14th, 2015 **Fresh Life's 8th year!**

What habits are we in?
Present your life in Christ, a living sacrifice.
If your habits aren't awesome, the best you can give God is 60%.
When we think of habits we think of bad habits.

Good Habits
Get addicted to righteousness.
Get addicted to pleasing the Lord.
How do we get there?
A thousand small acts of obedience.

Daniel 6:1-10
Be careful who you let influence you.
Be careful what you put your name on.
Verse 10 : you can't pray to anyone but the king, but Daniel did three times AS WAS HIS CUSTOM SINCE EARLY DAYS.
You can't keep God's man down!

I want guts like Daniel.

1. Public victory comes from private discipline.
Do you pray when nothing's on the line?

Psalm 55:16-17
David prayed throughout the day.
My body eats three times a day, I don't forget to eat...I don't want to forget to feed my soul, my spirit.
Make a habit out of praying.
Make a habit out of praise (giving thanks).

Daniel was disciplined.
Genuine lasting success is never accidental.
If you want to perform under pressure, practice when it's peaceful.

2. Not all habits are created equal.
All habits are powerful, but not all are equally powerful.

Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit

Jesus's keystone habits:
Jesus was in the habit of going to church every week.
Jesus was in the habit of going to the Mount of Olives to pray.
Tithing should be a keystone habit.

These three shouldn't be negotiable.

What are my keystone habits?

Good keystone habits:
Make the bed every morning.
Family dinner.
Exercise.

Never underestimate the power of a small win!

3. When you control what you can, you don't have to worry about what you can't.
When you focus on what you can control, you have much of a peace about the things you can't.

Fight to keep being grateful.