FSM Weekend in Review: Volume 2

Weekend Teaching Series: Week 1 of our new 4-week series “The Family Series”
Sermon Title: What goes on under your roof?

Sermon in a Sentence: God Cares more about your family than you do.
Scripture: Ephesians 6, Exodus 20
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 6 out of 10. We had 2 new songs.  A Nickelback song, we did an artistic element with an easel, 2 Videos and group announcements.
Attendance: Down 21% from last month, up 197% from same weekend last year
Service Length: 85 minutes
Understandable Message: This message started with an alarm clock going off throughout the whole message.  The end idea on that is we have a conditioned response towards our parents like we do every morning with the snooze button.  We shared how God can heal families and He cares more about their families than they do. We gave them some actions steps to improve communication with parents and siblings.  There was a lot of laughter but there was also a challenge to honor the way that God has called us to honor.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: We had students and leaders greeting and all of our video/audio and lighting was done by Fellowship staff members.  Confidence comes in knowing you have the best possible team behind what your doing.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: Group announcements was entertaining.  We had students/leaders coming up and write out pains on a easel and during the final song we had two volunteers come up and write the name of Jesus in red to cover all their pains, very symbolic.  Announced that Kyle was leaving May 2nd after his internship and it was a fun approach.

Music Playlist: take it all, let the praises ring, all because of Jesus, lift high, when our hearts sing, overcome

Favorite Moment: I think my favorite moment was the end song and watching the students with tears in their raising their hands to worship their God freely.

Next up: Sexed…a 4 week series on what God says about sex

Weekend Wrap-Up

• Great weekend!
• Cool diversity in church this morning
• Our teens stepped up huge taking care of things
• Cool night in life groups
• Great turnout
• Hostage has been a great series for our teens
• Hostage has been a great series for me
• We have the best elders anywhere
• We have the best youth staff anywhere
• We have the best pastor anywhere
• Looking forward to what God is going to be doing at Fellowship church

Friend of God

So now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1

I hope this week you are living your life without the enemy whispering in your ear.  I hope that this week is a breakthrough week for many of you realizing how much God loves you and how important you are.  You don’t have to feel condemned.  You don’t have to feel ashamed.  You don’t have to live your life held hostage by shame and guilt.  You are free!

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11

Don’t forget you are a friend of God!  That means you are in a position of undeserved privilege. We did nothing to earn our salvation and we can do nothing to lose our salvation.  We can’t do anything to make God love us more and we can’t do anything make God love us less.  We are a friend of GOD!  Amazing promises to hang onto this week.

FSM Weekend In Review: Volume 1

Several friends have asked what do we do on our weekends…so here it is.

Weekend Teaching Series: Hostage
Sermon Title: Don’t Make Me Angry
Sermon in a Sentence: Jesus used self-control in the midst of his life being taken from him.  Is there a way where we can learn to control our anger so it doesn’t become sin?
Key Verse: Ephesians 4:26-27 and don’t sin by letting anger control you.  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 8 out of 10
Attendance: up 69% from previous month
Service Length: 74 minutes
Understandable Message: The talk was broken down into some of things that cause us anger.  From the simplest of pet peeves to anger in our life.
•    Maybe your parents have gotten divorced or are talking about it and you are angry.
•    Maybe your angry about social injustices like abortion or the environment or starvation.
•    Maybe your angry because of the abuse you have had to take…spiritual, physical, verbal, mental, emotional
•    Maybe your angry because you feel you are neglected or there are some abandonment issues.
•    Maybe you had a friend or a family member die.
•    Maybe it’s your social status that makes you mad…your friends have more than you.
•    Maybe it’s a financial uncertainty.  You don’t know if your parents are going to lose everything or if you will have to get a job to help out.
•    Maybe your angry because you work so hard at your grades and what you do bring home is never good enough.
•    Maybe you didn’t make the team.
•    Maybe nothing ever goes your way.
•    Maybe you can’t get that guy or girl or they just broke up with you.
•    Maybe your angry because nobody understands you.
•    Maybe your angry with yourself because you are stuck in an addiction or personal abuse.
•    Maybe your angry with God.  Because being a Christ follower isn’t what you thought it would be like.
•    Maybe your angry about your past.
They were then given 5 steps to work towards controlling their anger based on the passage of scripture in Ephesians chapter 4.
1.  Don’t Deny Your Anger
2.  Delay Your Anger
3.  Define Your Anger
4.  Diffuse Your Anger
5.  Deliver It To God

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students are our primary greeters and connectors with new kids.  Fellowship Staff ran all video, lighting and audio.  Leaders were responsible for connecting with kids.  Students helped lead worship and several students played in the band.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: The building was impressive to look at: The Loft as it has been named was new and created an incredible environment.  Video games such as: Rock Band, Call of Duty 4 and Stars Wars Light Sabers.  A glow stick game done to the Kanye West song Stronger.

Music Playlist:
The Fray-You Found Me
Salvation is Here
Today is the Day
Desert Song
Break Free
Revolution
New Creation- Worship leader was painted to signify becoming a new creation

Favorite Moment: 10 students receiving Christ!  Hearing them say that UNITED was better than camp.

Next up: We are doing The Family Series.  What is under your roof?  Dealing with Family.