Pastor Preston Hancock
Titus 2:11-15

The thought of joining God’s work of redeeming the world can seem either intimidating or optional unless we understand:

1. God’s plan for redeeming a broken world is an invitation to experience His undeserved favor which He has made known, visibly and concretely (vs. 11; Genesis 12: 1-4; John 1:14). It is made visible in us as it:
• trains us so we lead lives that mirror His character in the present. (vs. 12)
• directs our hopes for completion towards Christ’s future return when He will be proved right. (vs. 13)
2. Jesus Christ gave Himself to create a special people who would belong to Him and display God’s grace. This group of people:
• are released from the consequences of a defiant, “go-it-alone” attitude.
• are forgiven, free from shame, ready for action!
• are marked by an enthusiasm for doing what is ethical and admirable. (vs.14)

We participate in God’s Mission when we:

3. embrace God’s work in and among us – leaning on and learning from Him.
4. give ourselves – doing good works AND speaking with conviction about the life transformation Christ brings.
5. live so others know this mission matters, holding one another accountable. (vs. 15)

Listen to Preston.

Pastor Preston Hancock
Genesis 2:1-3

God can rest because:

1. He cuts through complexity and finishes what He starts. (vs. 1)
2. His rest does not come from “doing nothing,” but from doing what needs to bedone when it should be done. (vs. 2; Colossians 1:17; Hebrew 1:3)

God wants us to rest in Him because:

3. We are empowered to succeed, be productive, and see things through to completion. (vs. 3)
4. It grows us spiritually. (vs. 3)
• We are reminded that He is our God, and He provides all we need for life and inner peace. (Genesis 1; Ezekiel 20:20; Deuteronomy 5: 15; Hebrews 4:9-10)

How we can find rest:

5. Let the goal, physical rest and spiritual renewal, determine the form. (Mark 2:27; Colossians 2:16-17)
• Understand your work and be diligent.
• Avoid the “do nothing” approach to rest.
• Know what experiences God uses to affirm truth to you.
• Be realistic about the time you need.

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Pastor Bob Fox
Exodus 2:23-25

God is good in that He:

1. Hears intelligently when we cry for help.
2. Remembers—He acts as He has promised to act with respect to our needs.
3. Sees—He perceives our reality and moves to meet our precise need.
4. Knows—He intimately embraces us and guards our welfare.

Because you’re “just human” you cannot trust His goodness. Here’s four things that will help you when you get anxious, get disappointed, or when your world is rocked.

1. Question yourself—what am I missing that God has said about this?
2. Train—do things that regularly remind you of His goodness, like Communion, thanksgiving, personal reflection.
3. Think faith—force yourself to consider what good He might be seeking to bring about.
4. Embrace Him—make turning to Him your first response.

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Pastor Bob Fox
Psalm 102:25-28

Here are three things God has revealed about our planet and us.

1. It was planned, designed, and built by Him, for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
• He was powerful enough to establish the laws that govern it all.
• He was wise enough to create what would endure for an allotted time period.
• The new things we learn about it are ancient history to Him.
2. God is eternal. This creation is not.
• We should expect to see irreversible damage from use to the planet.
• We should expect to foresee limits to the earth’s ability to sustain us.
• We should see the earth as a temporary set for a scripted drama with a definitive last act that is golden!
• Stewarding well demands embracing this plan. For example, conservation and clean up are legitimate ambitions. So is development. Preservation is untenable.
3. The prime thing to steward is The Legacy—My role in the family God is gathering to Himself for an eternal creation.

God, being bigger than Creation, has made us more significant than the universe!

Listen to Bob.