Believers Church, Chesapeake Virginia

In order to be undefeated we need to train consistently. In this message, we will talk about establishing boundaries that separate us from those things that defeat us and we will talk about training our minds to think differently about the sins that trip us up.

If we are going to live an undefeated life we must understand how temptations work and develop a plan to deal with them when they come into our life. We need to understand how the enemy works and have strategies to overcome him.

The way to win over besetting sins is to establish order and disciplines into our lives that will enable us to form new healthy habits. We must form new relationships with people who can help us to win, and we must restore relationships with those we have hurt.

In this first message of the series, we'll talk about how, if we are to overcome destructive habits, we must first come to terms with the truth. We have allowed sin to keep us from experiencing God's best in our lives. It is hurting us and others around us. We must separate ourselves from the habits and come up with a plan that will keep us from falling back into them.

We seek certainty in full force during the holidays when all of our needs and insecurities tend to come to the service. We want and need a God who is all powerful, all loving, all knowing, and his presence is felt everywhere.

Christmas is a time where we place an emphasis on being good, after all, Santa is keeping a list! People speak of the "Christmas Spirit" which usually refers to people being more kind or generous or "good" at this time of the year. But the truth is...goodness, or purity, is only found in Christ. In fact, the very thing we celebrate at Christmas is that Jesus came because we aren't pure. Yet, it's available, when we place our faith in Him and not our own goodness!!

The craziness of Christmas can often make us feel isolated and alone. People disappoint us in forgetting us on the card list, being lost in a crowd of shoppers, etc. But, in pursuing holiness, we pursue a God who is omnipresent; He will never leave us or forsake us.

Christmas is the pursuit of the next GREAT gizmo. In our pursuit of the next thing, we often end up exhausted, and disappointed. Today's latest and greatest is next years most ridiculed and neglected. But, in pursuing holiness we pursue a God who is all powerful. He is powerful enough to meet the greatest longings of our life.

Christmas time is when the wild pursuit starts. Behind the Christmas hustle and bustle is a much greater search than just the right presents or traditions. At the core of this crazy time is our yearning for something that we lack in our life. Perfect love, perfect relationship is found only in God. He is the source of our search for love.

We are so thankful for our Local Outreach Partners that help us make Jesus #1, one person at a time, in our community!

As we begin to understand how valuable the local church is to the spreading of the gospel, we would gladly exchange everything that we have in order to ensure others experience things that have real value: faith, life-change, and eternity with Jesus.

It is more important to be spiritually rich than materially blessed. We often and easily confuse this truth and yet it's a very consistent teaching of Jesus; store up treasures in heaven.

Through this parable, Jesus explains how it is internal transformation that leads to holiness. All sin stems from internal problems that need to be cleansed, not an outward conformity to religious traditions.

In this life we can expect adversity and trials, but we are not without hope in God's provident care and justice. We'll learn that when trials come our way and setbacks disappoint us, we can pray with expectant faith and confidence in God's merciful care and providence for us.

This message about forgiveness will challenge us to look closely at the cost associated with the forgiveness that God secured for us. In light of His forgiveness, may we be a people willing to forgive!

Through this message, we'll explore ways to examine ourselves to find out if we are really followers of Jesus or not.

Just because we face problems, it doesn't mean God isn't working. Through this message we'll discover that He promises to go through our struggles with us.