draw near

 Joshua 9:1-9,14-16,22-27

As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt…

So the men [of Israel] took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.

 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us?” … They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing…” So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose. 

Sermon Questions:
1. What do you fear?
1b. How do you attempt to protect yourself from that fear?
2. How does the fear protection dynamic play into your relationship to God?
3. When have you expereicned Jesus' presence?
4. Where in your life can you ask Jesus to show up today?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings Hebrews 10:19-22

Let's pray daily for our nation, family and relationship with God. The spoken word is powerful. God spoke the world into existence and in John 1 we read that the Word was with God and the Word was God. Let's speak the Word over our land.

Join me on our knees and be encouraged!

Just a Guy and His World

1 Samuel 24: 1-7 // Tom Nelson

For God’s covenant people throughout history, waiting was synonymous with knowing God and being known by God, of going deeper with God, but now waiting is more often than not, viewed as if we’ve missed what God has for us or that God must be ignoring us and our desires. I think it is fair to say, waiting on God is one of life’s greatest challenges.

Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49088649

Prayer Requests: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new

23.06.11

There was communication between the Lord and people like Abraham, Sarah, and Moses who responded in faith to God's directions. These people were not without sin but God honored them because they trusted and believed in Him.

In this podcast, Pastor Rachelle unpacks the third key for us to be Diligent Disciples. It's time to be determined for your resolve to have a resolve! 

Follow what the Bible lays out to gain the growth you want in your spiritual life. Make God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit a priority and draw near to Them this holiday season.  As we follow what the Bible has laid out for us, We can see what God has asked us to do in different areas of our lives. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit want a close relationship with us. We need to spend time in prayer and in the Word to learn more about how to draw near over the holidays.

Join me in reading O Holy Night: An Advent Devotional:

O Holy Night: An Advent Devotional

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James 4:4-10

Andrew and Edwin consider our relationship with God as a marriage, after all the church is Christ's bride. That makes a relationship with the devil spiritual adultery. That's the picture James is presenting. With that in mind, James tells us to draw near to God and resist the devil. The great news is, even though we've messed up on this, God says if we draw near to Him, He won't push us away. He'll draw near to us.

Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.
 
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Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.
 
Thanks for talking about the text with us today.

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Continuing our 'James - Faith That Works' sermon Series, Pastor Aaron shares from James 4:1-12 a sermon titled 'Peace'. 

If you need support or encouragement please reach out to the church or email help@hhachurch.com.

On several occasions in the Gospels we read that Jesus invited people to “COME TO ME”.  Some were weary and burdened, others needed strengthening and still others were longing to step out in boldness and bravery.  And on every occasion Jesus met their needs. As we look at these occasions together, we know that Jesus will once again invite us to draw near to Him and as we do He will.

Did you ever play Follow The Leader? In this message Pastor Jamie Nunnally explains that discipleship is simply doing what your leader does. 
 
The word disciple appears over 200 times in the New Testament. “Christian” only 3. The Bible is a book about disciples written by disciples, intended to be read by disciples.
 
What is a disciple?
A disciple is an apprentice: someone who learns by doing. 
John 8:31-32
 
“A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do.” — Dallas Willard
 
Who can be a disciple of Jesus?
Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 9:9 
 
The goal of Christianity is not behavior modification, but heart transformation—with the understanding that as your heart changes, your conduct will change. 
 
How do we follow the leader?
Matthew 28:18-20
1. A disciple embraces Jesus’ authority, not their own. 
In the game follow the leader, there has to be one leader! 
2. A disciple is baptized – Immersed. 
In the game follow the leader you have to be committed to play!
3. A disciple allows themselves to be taught.In the game of follow the leader, you have to you have to pay attention to what the leader is doing.
4. A disciple observes and obeys. 
In the game of follow the leader you must do what you see.
5. A disciple places value on being with Jesus. 
In the game of follow the leader you can’t follow if you’re not in close enough proximity. 
 
Jesus followers aren’t called to create Christians but to develop disciples!
 
Are you a disciple who is following the leader?

James addresses the infidelity of his readers telling them that being 'friends with the world is being an enemy of God." Pastor Tim puts this verse in context as he demonstrates the ways we become friends with the world and forsake our relationship with God. In particular, he addresses all the activities we allow ourselves and our children to get involved with that take away from our devotion to God.